Having a hard time with mapping in Bigger

[Mumkins]

The pictures are so dark and small in the books we're to map out of. I can barely make them out. Today, I can't really at all. We're in unit 15. I've found a map on-line of the war I'm just printing off, but it doesn't have where they troops were stationed and I can't make it out from the drawing. This is kinda typical for us though. The pictures are just so tiny and dark, I can't make them out very well.

Anyone else have mapping problems?

Is there a lot of mapping in the older guides and is there similar difficulties?

[Joselle173]

Have you tried using a magnifying glass to see if that helps with the troup locations? We're doing Bigger next year, so I'm not exactly sure what you're looking at.

[pjdobro]

I've had similar problems with a few of the maps in A First Book of American History. That book is available in the public domain as a pdf or html so I've found it online through a search and have had more luck printing out larger maps that way. At other times I've found other maps that are similar, but we've struggled somewhat with the maps as well. I think this is just because of the older book from which the maps come. We're doing Bigger right now too and we haven't done the older guides yet so I can't answer what comes later.

[Mumkins]

I didn't know they were public domain! That's a good idea to find them online. Do you have a link?

[pjdobro]

I hope this is ok to post here: http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin ... 00aby5325m This is one I've used before. There is one listed in the beginning of the Bigger guide as well, but I believe it is a version with just the text. Seeing the maps larger helped these old eyes. I hope this helps.

[my3sons]

We are doing Bigger Hearts now as well. Many times the directions in the BHFHG guide have students consult a globe or world map too. The maps in the Eggleston books are in black and white. I think it is important to remember this program is for ages 7-9 years old. The type of mapping that relies on the Eggleston books is not intended to be in-depth, and usually has students making general maps of the areas labeled. "Journeys in Time" is one of the spines for BHFHG as well, and the maps in there are full-color and beautiful. HOD specifically matches mapping (and geography) lessons and activities each week to the history to make sure to meet the geography standards for this level, and mapping is only one part of this. It has been such a meaningful way for our dc to learn these skills.

HOD's plan for making geography and mapping an integral part of learning by pairing them with living history books is hard to describe in a nutshell, but I will briefly touch upon what we've enjoyed through RTR. PHFHG has geography quick-finds, independent history activities, and notebooking assignments that utilize the globe, world maps, and living books. CTC focuses on the geography of the Holy Lands and uses "A Child's Geography Volume 1: Explore the Holy Lands" and 2 days a week activities include narration prompts, notebooking and mapping activities, as well as “Bringing It Home” suggestions that focus on each country’s art, music, poetry, and food. The student notebook also contains maps, which are provided. RTR is a big year for geography. We are enjoying it immensely. HOD was able to utilize Map Trek to have specific maps that exactly match the historical events we are reading about in each unit. These are full-color maps, and then students create their own maps by printing them and completing them to match the model. The "World History Atlas" gives a global view of the world maps of this time period, and is used each week as well. "A Child's Geography Volume II" is used in science. Of course, the beautiful HOD History Student Notebooking pages that have been designed specifically to match the topics studied within the HOD guide only serve to further help geography and mapping come alive - not to mention many of the history projects and research topics use mapping skills too. So, HOD gives a very thorough, meaningful treatment to this subject area that gets progressively more difficult over the years.

In Christ,
Julie

[Heart_Mom]

We are doing Bigger Hearts now as well. Many times the directions in the BHFHG guide have students consult a globe or world map too. The maps in the Eggleston books are in black and white. I think it is important to remember this program is for ages 7-9 years old. The type of mapping that relies on the Eggleston books is not intended to be in-depth, and usually has students making general maps of the areas labeled. "Journeys in Time" is one of the spines for BHFHG as well, and the maps in there are full-color and beautiful. HOD's specifically matching mapping (and geography) lessons and activities to the history has been such a meaningful way for our dc to learn these skills.

HOD's plan for making geography and mapping an integral part of learning by pairing them with living history books is hard to describe in a nutshell, but I will briefly touch upon what we've enjoyed through RTR. PHFHG has geography quick-finds, independent history activities, and notebooking assignments that utilize the globe, world maps, and living books. CTC focuses on the geography of the Holy Lands and uses "A Child's Geography Volume 1: Explore the Holy Lands" and 2 days a week activities include narration prompts, notebooking and mapping activities, as well as “Bringing It Home” suggestions that focus on each country’s art, music, poetry, and food. RTR is a big year for geography. We are enjoying it immensely. HOD partnered with the publisher of Map Trek to make specific maps to exactly match the historical events we are reading about in each unit. These are full-color maps, and then students create their own maps by printing them and completing them to match the model. The "World History Atlas" gives a global view of the world maps of this time period, and is used each week as well. "A Child's Geography Volume II" is used in science. Of course, the beautiful HOD History Student Notebooking pages that have been designed specifically to match the topics studied within the HOD guide only serve to further help geography and mapping come alive - not to mention many of the history projects and research topics use mapping skills too. So, HOD gives a very thorough, meaningful treatment to this subject area that gets progressively more difficult over the years.

In Christ,
Julie

I'm not the original poster, but thanks for this overview of mapping in Bigger! We're planning on doing Bigger in the fall, and I'm really looking forward to it. I think it's a great idea to slowly wade in to serious geography study. (I bet many adults cannot locate some pretty major locations on the globe! )

[kvmck]

My kids and I are having similar issues with the maps... when it comes to drawing them my daughter has a very hard time and since I am geography deficient I cannot help unless I have a clearer map. We have a book called the Rand McNally Atlas of American History which has been very helpful. If I ever learned geography in school I sure don't remember any of it--I mean I cannot even tell you where all the states on the East Coast are located so I have had to supplement in this area so I can make sure I'm teaching my kids correctly, plus it is so interesting. I bought the "geography of the 50 states by Joy Dean" a year and a half ago to use with my kids but we'll hold off now since I think I read that that will be used later in HOD.

[Carrie]

Ladies,

In order to provide a clearer picture of the mapping in Bigger Hearts for all of those perspective families who may be planning to use this guide, I will share that out of the 70+ mapping and geography lessons and activities found within Bigger Hearts only 5 of those activities require students to do any map drawing using A First Book in American History. These lessons are found in Unit 3 - Day 5, Unit 6 - Day 5, Unit 7 - Day 4, Unit 13 -Day 5, and Unit 15 - Day 5. Unit 3 - Day 4 and Unit 15 - Day 1 also have students refer to a map in A First Book in American History to trace the Hudson River with their finger and to visualize a battle scene, but no map is created by the students.

I am currently doing Bigger Hearts with my own third son, after doing it several years ago with my second son. My boys have not had trouble following the written directions in the guide, and their maps have turned out fine. I didn't have to utilize other resources except for the globe as suggested in the guide to complete the activities. I share this to encourage those families who may now be concerned about these 5 out of 70 mapping activities, so they may know it is possible to do the mapping activities as written in the guide.

In the future if any of the posters would like to share specific questions on a specific day of the mapping, any of the ladies on the board or myself will be glad to answer.

For now I'll address the original poster, although you didn't share a specific day of plans I'm thinking that you must be referring to the mapping in Unit 15 - Day 5. The plans on that day do have you first use use a globe or U.S. map to find the Delaware River, Trenton (New Jersey), and Princeton (New Jersey). Then, the plans refer you to p. 120 in A First Book in American History. The map on p. 120 does show the Delaware River, Princeton, the British Forces, the Americans (forces), and Washington's March. The only thing missing from the map is Trenton, which you were to previously find on a globe or U.S. map so you would already know where that should be in relation to the Delaware River and Princeton. The text on the same page clearly describes where the British and American forces were located and how they moved. I agree the map on p. 120 is small but the labeling on the map is clear and does go well with the explanation in the text on the same page. If you choose as a family to search for a different map to use that is up to you, but I wanted to be clear that the assignment can be done, and done well, with the information presented in the guide, the globe, and the map in the book.

Blessings,
Carrie

[pjdobro]

Carrie, I'm sorry if I gave the impression that the mapping was too difficult. I certainly didn't mean to give that impression at all! I should mention that I'm reaching the point in life of needing bifocals and resisting so that explains my difficulty with the smaller maps. We're also just using a large world map and a US map and not a globe since we don't have a globe. Even with these shortcomings of ours, we've managed to successfully complete all of the mapping activities!

[Carrie]

Patty,

Thanks for being so gracious! I just wanted to reassure the board's readers that the mapping is able to be done as written. I know what you mean about the glasses thing, as I am in need of bifocals myself and bucking it too! I have been "legally blind" since the third grade and have always had very thick glasses (what a blessing it was when compressed lens came out), so going to bifocals is just one more thing I'd love to avoid.

Blessings,
Carrie

[Tansy]

I have to confess I'm a Map Nut.. If I have time, I search for a map I can print out and have the kids trace, because I want them to be really neat and tidy. And in reality I want to make a sample map too! because I love the mapping projects
Tho more often I just follow the directions as written, cause I'd rather post than search

[Mumkins]

Maybe I do just need my glasses, lol. I could not see where the troops were stationed on that map. I rarely wear them as I only find I need them for night driving. But perhaps I do need them for reading smaller things. The map seemed so dark and hard to find the stuff on. I hadn't looked ahead and I was on unit 15. I assumed it would be like this the whole course. Now I guess I'm through the mapping like that. It's also probably a perfectionism issue. Maybe if I had have just handed my kids the book, they could have seen and done better than I.

Thank you Julie for telling me what the older grades are like and thank you Carrie for explaining Bigger. My kids do like marking the voyages and colouring the map and stuff. It's getting the map onto the paper first. And that's probably mostly my issue.

[Carrie]

Mumkins,

I tend toward perfectionism too, so I know what you mean! I also am in desperate need of stronger lenses for my glasses, even though I'd rather not change. Both can cause me to take another look at things my kiddos are doing sometimes too. Thanks for your gracious response. It is much appreciated.

Blessings,
Carrie