Geography Questions - Now and Future Guides?

[homeforhim]

Hello Ladies,

I have PHFHG and will be getting CTC for the fall. I looked through PHFHG and love the geography included and the hands-on approach, tying it to history and covering basic concepts. CTC will do the geography of the holy land. My question is whether to do supplementary geography with the kids. I have a goal of them learning the countries of the world and their major resources and major landforms (eventually ) just on a continent by continent basis (I started with the easiest ones and have covered South America and Antarctica). Does anyone know if Carrie plans to cover more of world geography in later guides and I could just wait for them? This question may have already been answered! Thanks for any input,

Blessings,
Rachael

[wcoffey]

I have this same question! I am struggling with what to do next year. Either take a year off and do a World Geography program or skip it and wait to see if Carries comes out with something. I may end up making my own and format it like Carrie's manuels because there is nothing out there that I like. Carrie please come out with a World Geography Program!

[mamanlait]

I have been using a Countries and Continents board game recently and feel like this is a very gentle approach to learning geography. Every time we hear anything about another country, I pull out my planner from my purse (that has maps in the back) and show my children where something is. I really like this idea versus having a curriculum where all of the countries are forced into memory without context. We have always taken this approach during read alouds, newspaper/current events discussions, radio talk shows, missionary biographies, even pictures books and my children have a great understanding of geography placement and cultures. We also try to eat at different restaurants whenever possible (Greek, Thai, Ethiopian, Israeli) on vacations or locally and then check books out. This natural style of learning appeals to me and I think it's "real" learning opposed to forced. I consider this an educational expense
Hope this gives you some ideas.
Amy

[Carrie]

Ladies,

We are still working on our overall geography plan for the coming years but are currently looking to integrate geography within the history study. This makes the most sense to us in encouraging students to see how geography impacted history and how history has impacted the changing countries, borders, names, cultures within a country etc. We do have a plan to recommend and schedule a study of the child's particular state within either the 3rd or 4th guide in our 4 year history cycle of guides. We also are planning to schedule a study of the 50 states within either the third or fourth guide in the series.

For our oldest son, we are planning to do a one-year history of world geography complete with mapping for his 9th grade year as that is typically a requirement in most states' standards for high school. So that is most likely the sequence we will recommend for geography.

Blessings,
Carrie

[water2wine]

We are slowly doing a fifty state guide now on the side and have also enjoyed trail guides. My kids also do puzzles and card games that are geography oriented. It's easy to add it in on the side. But I agree with Carrie the best way is how it integrates with history itself. My kids love geography so we do add some on the side as well. I have hit it pretty heavy because I feel like kids and adults are so geographically illiterate these days. But in truth if we just studied it with the history that would probably be enough. It does make it so much more interesting. We also study it with Bible of course that limit the areas that you study but it does make things more interesting. Hope you find what works best for you!

[homeforhim]

Thank you to all of you who replied. Thanks, Carrie. It is great to know where things are headed and that will help me plan so that if I do any extra, I won't do the fifty states ! I had intended to cover this (we are Canadian but our education up here usually has us learning the 50 states and capitals around middle school in the public system) and now will wait to do it in the future guides. Thanks again!!

Blessings,
Rachael

[my3sons]

I just wanted to say that my ds knows his geography so well, and it is definitely due to the way it is always tied to history in HOD. It's so neat to hear him talk about different routes here or there (i.e. Columbus' voyage, the Spice Route, etc.) as he looks at places on the globe. He always ties it to history because that's the way it was learned and has been retained in his mind. He looks at places on the globe (whether continents, countries, oceans, or rivers) and connects them to history - people, events, etc. It's a much more meaningful way to learn geography, and he already knows more than I do. I remember getting an A+ on all of my geography exams in high school - I just memorized it and forgot it; which is why I have such a hard time remembering where anything is located now. It meant nothing to me. I am so glad HOD ties geography to the history, and yet still teaches foundational geography - such as time zones, lines of latitude and longitude, hemispheres, etc. You will love the geography in PHFHG, and I can't wait to do the geography of the Bible lands coming up in CTC with my ds! I feel like a kid going on a trip to the Holy Lands. It will be fresh and new for me too - just by how it is taught!

In Christ,
Julie