A World Of Learning: 5 Geography Lessons & Activities
Geography lessons can make a “world” of difference in students’ knowledge of the world and in their test scores. That’s because geography is multidisciplinary by nature. This week’s lessons teach geography — and math, language, and cultural literacy. Included: Five new lessons plus a link to the Education World geography lesson archive.
Can your students locate Afghanistan on a world map? In survey results released last November, during Geography Awareness Week, fewer than one in five U.S. adults ages 18-24 could pinpoint Afghanistan.
That National Geographic-Roper Global Geographic Literacy Survey polled more than 3,000 18- to 24-year-olds in Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Sweden and the United States. Sweden scored highest Mexico, lowest. The United States was next to last.
| More Geo Lessons |
Middle And High School Geography Apps And Websites
Geography is concerned with people and places, and the complex relationships between them. The great geography apps, games, and websites on this list help students explore and understand these relationships and how they impact society and culture. As students use these tools to explore more of the planet, they’ll begin to think critically about the issues and problems affecting their communities and learn how to be good local and global citizens. To help support students, check out our curated list of atlases, geography quiz tools, map-making programs, and interactive experiences. They offer a nice mix of practical factual learning about states, countries, continents, and more alongside more dynamic exploratory, creative, and critical thinking.
Top geography resource site provides global exploration opportunities
Bottom line: This is a must-bookmark site for classrooms across the curriculum hunting for inspiring place-based resources.
The Best Geography Resources
Here are some tools that every homeschooling family should have as they study geography.
- Every student should own an atlas and know how to use it. This is our favorite one.
- An interactive way to learn about the earth is through volcanoes. You can either build your own or use a volcano kit to make it easier to create.
- The World Game is a fun tool kids can use to learn about countries, cities, and flags.
- Maps are essential for teaching geography in your homeschool. Our favorites were definitely large wall maps.
Read Also: How To Avoid Parallax Error In Physics
Easy Geography Questions For Classes 4 5 & 6
Children in these classes begin to explore a lot more than usual, as they start stepping out more often. They are curious to learn a lot more so here we have listed some easy geography questions suitable for kids in upper primary classes.
Image: Shutterstock
Things You Need To Complete The Atlas Scavenger Hunt
The free promotion for this has expired, please enjoy this product at a great low price.
World atlases
Two of our favorites atlases are the Student Atlas from DK Publishing and National Geographic Student Atlas of the World
Printed maps
We regularly use printable maps in our geography lessons from WonderMaps
I hope that through this World Atlas Scavenger Hunt, your kids will discover how fun and enjoyable it can be learning how to work with atlases.
Read Also: How To Study For Ap Human Geography
Your Primary Source For The Social Studies Classroom
Discovery Education’s Social Studies Techbook is a standards-aligned, core-curricular resource that uses an inquiry-based approach to enhance literacy and critical thinking skills, allowing students to approach inquiry through the 5Es: Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend, and Evaluate. From stories of ancient cultures to current events, this comprehensive digital textbook takes concepts off the pages and brings lessons to life.
Geography: Middle School: Grades 6 7 And 8 Quizzes
Quizzes make learning fun! There is no quicker way to learn about Geography in Middle School – Grades 6, 7 and 8
Are you really interested in geography or have you always regarded it as something you can manage without? Well heres something to ponder whatever your interests in life you almost certainly need to know something about geography
Interested in football and other sports? Youll need to find your way to road games see our map reading quizzes.
Interested in nature? Youll need to know about wildlife corridors and we have a quiz especially for you.
Only interested in eating and drinking? Surprise, surprise well teach you about over-fishing and where coffee comes from!
Theres more to geography than just practical considerations because we inhabit a truly amazing world. Dont believe us? Then here for your delectation are 10 fascinating facts:
Read Also: Who Are Paris Jackson’s Biological Parents
What Do You Teach In World Cultures And Geography
A world cultures curriculum should cover a number of topics including geography, economy, government, history, and of course, culture. An introduction to the principles of geography and maps is typically the focus of the initial chapter.
When teaching middle school world geography, its also important to focus on in-depth studies of the worlds regions, their physical and political geography, ancient civilizations, the various cultures of that area and their characteristics.
As you teach world cultures and geography, remember to help students make real-world connections and provide positive reinforcement. In addition, be sure to incorporate domain-specific vocabulary as well as reading and writing assignments so that students can continue to expand their literacy skills.
Hard Geography Trivia Questions
Trivia Question: Where are the Spanish Steps located?
Answer: Rome, Italy
Trivia Question: How many countries are there in the United Kingdom?
Answer: 4
Trivia Question: What is the capital of Senegal?
Answer: Dakar
Trivia Question: How many time zones does Russia have?
Answer: 11
Trivia Question: What is the name of the tallest mountain in Canada?
Answer: Mount Logan
Trivia Question: What country does the Rhine River run through?
Answer: Germany
Trivia Question: What two countries border directly north of Hungary?
Answer: Slovakia and Ukraine
Trivia Question: What is the name of the largest city in Australia?
Answer: Brisbane
Trivia Question: What is the name of the second tallest mountain in the world?
Answer: K2
Trivia Question: What Cape sits at the tip of Africa?
Answer: Cape of Good Hope
Trivia Question: What type of leaf is on the Canadian flag?
Answer: Maple
Trivia Question: What is the capital of Nova Scotia?
Answer: Halifax
Trivia Question: What country first used tinsel as a holiday tree decoration?
Answer: German
Trivia Question: What is the name of the only tropical rainforest in the United States?
Answer: Puerto Ricos El Yunque National Forest
Trivia Question: What season does Australia experience in December?
Answer: Summer
Trivia Question: What is the name of the driest continent on Earth?
Answer: Antarctica
Trivia Question: Peking Duck is the national dish of what country?
Answer: China
Answer: Athens
Trivia Question: What country formerly ruled Iceland?
Recommended Reading: Algebra 2 Simplifying Radicals Imaginary Numbers Worksheet
Unit Ix Course Schedule
| Week 26: Australia and New ZealandMonday: Cricket Rugby and CultureTuesday: Resources for HireWednesday: The Aborigines and MaoriThursday: Sheep and WineFriday: Immigration and the Demographic Shift | Week 27: The Pacific IslandsMonday: Polynesia and MicronesiaTuesday: Tourism and Sinking Islands – Include Pacific Garbage Patch |
Why Choose Time4learning World Cultures Class
Time4Learnings world cultures and geography curriculum is a year-long, comprehensive course that presents material using a fun, engaging approach. Students are taught through a combination of interactive videos led by experienced teachers as well as multimedia tools like maps, charts, graphs, and more.
Whether youre looking for a complete world cultures curriculum for your seventh grader or an after school supplement to help them reinforce and review important concepts, Time4Learnings flexible, student-paced approach can help meet your childs unique needs and help him or her achieve their goals.
Time4Learning includes tons of time-saving tools and resources for parents, as well as access to knowledgeable customer support representatives to answer any questions.
Below are some more reasons why families choose Time4Learnings middle school world geography curriculum:
Also Check: The Angle Addition Postulate Answer Key With Work
Geography Activities For Middle School
Its incredibly easy to add hands-on activities to your geography lesson plans. There are all kinds of cool projects you can do with your tweens to help them understand the concepts theyre learning. Remember, the more you engage kids, the better they grasp information.
As part of your severe weather lesson, make this simple tornado in a bottle.
Create a homemade weather station to help your tween learn about weather and climate.
Fun projects will engage your kids when theyre studying weather and climate.
Dont rely on flashcards to remember information, instead help your tween learn various terms by playing geography bingo.
You can use simple household items to build a sugar cave as part of a sinkhole experiment.
Teach your teen how to make a compass and use it to determine north as part of your middle school geography lesson plans.
If you want to combine geography and history, then work on these Colonial America map activities.
No middle school geography course is complete without adding in some volcano activities.
Geography Activities For Middle School: Learn About Other Cultures
This all in one Switzerland unit study has everything you need for a thorough study of Switzerland, from the resource materials to the activity ideas. Its a great way to work on a bunch of subjects while keeping Switzerlands geography front and center.
This site makes it easy to learn about andlisten to music from around the world. Whether searching by country or culture, youll find a wide variety of world music to choose from.
Kids will find themselves in the middle of an Istanbul bazaar as they play the Istanbul Board Game. Players have to race around the market performing typical tasks to collect rubies in order to win the game. This a fun strategy game that makes kids feel like theyre taking part in an Istanbul daily ritual.
Take a look at the money that different countries use with this 60 Countries Coin Collection Set.
How would you spend four days in Paris? This activity has kids research a city theyd love to visit and create a travel journal outlining everything theyd do while traveling to their destination.
Use these lessons to learn all about life in the UK.
Introduce your kids to Central America by having them take on a key twentieth-century Central American figure while playing this role-playing activity. This can easily be adapted to any continent youre studying and would be perfect as part of a geography co-op lesson.
You May Like: Molecular Geometry Of Ccl4
Advanced Placement & Electives
HMH® addresses the needs of high school students and educators with college-level social studies resources published by Wiley® for AP®, honors, and electives. Enable students to think critically and approach coursework with active inquiry with this powerful and fully engaging suite of resources.
Lead students to discover how people, places, cultures, and concepts help shape the world we live in.
Unit V Course Schedule
| Monday: Introduction to South America – South America Preview – Discuss South America Preview assignment – South America Physical Map – South America Political Map HW: Political and Physical Map Quizzes FridayWednesday: South America Physical Regions – Geographic Regions of South America HW: Political and Physical Map Quizzes FridayThursday: South America Political Divisions – Political Regions of South America HW: Political and Physical Map Quizzes FridayFriday: Political and Physical Features – South America Political Map Quiz – South America Physical Map Quiz | Week 14: The Andean CountriesMonday: European and Folk Cultures – The Cultural Landscape: South America HW: Soccer and South America Tuesday: Physically Locked Off |
Read Also: Exponential Growth And Decay Common Core Algebra 1 Homework Answers
Making World Geography Fun For Teens With This Atlas Scavenger Hunt
This world atlas scavenger hunt is a great way to add some fun to your middle school geography lesson plans.
In our ever widening global world, its crucial that geography be a part of your home school. Luckily, its a subject thats easy to make fun and interactive, especially if you have visual and tactile learners.
One of the first subjects you should cover is atlases. The most simple definition is that an atlas is a collection of maps. However, atlases are much more than just books filled with pages of basic maps.
This post contains affiliate links.
In addition to traditional outline and reference maps, most world atlases also include thematic maps to show population density, topographical data, animals, natural resources, etc. as well as interesting facts about continents and countries. Our atlases of the United States help compare land formations and natural resources from different regions of the country using a variety of photos and graphics.
Historical atlases can help show changes to country boundaries over time or the movement of troops in battles.
As you can see, theyre much more than a collection of maps.
Engage your middle schooler by having them work on this atlas scavenger hunt to learn how to use an atlas.
Create Your Own Atlas
One project my middle school kids are loving from our geography curriculum is the creation of their own atlas. As we go through each lesson in this hands-on, comprehensive geography program, my tween and teen add maps and interesting facts to their personal, one-of-a-kind atlas. By drawing and/or labeling maps as part of our geography studies, my kids are learning about the important features of each continent.
This is a great addition to each childs portfolio and will be a resource they will want to keep for future reference.
Also Check: Segment Addition Postulate Coloring Activity
Build Culturally Responsive Classrooms
Multiple perspectives are infused into a seamless narrative as historical events are presented without bias and with authentic voices. With Discovery Education’s digital social studies textbook, students gain appreciation and empathy as they learn history through a variety of voices in a safe, collaborative learning environment. Thousands of carefully curated primary and secondary sources are coupled with focused analysis activities to promote critical thinking.
Watch “Perspectives on the War of 1812.”
Us Geography Activities For Middle School
Make your own U.S. states trading cards to help teach your kids US geography.
This Texas geography unit would be a good addition to your US geography lessons. Inside youll also find what you need to do this type of study with whatever states you choose.
When your kids play the classic game Where in the USA is Carmen Sandiego, theyll expand their knowledge of U.S. geography, expand their vocabulary, and practice map-reading.
Test your knowledge of state capitals, famous landmarks, and US geography with the All Around the USA game.
Your middle schooler can build their US geography knowledge with this United States atlas scavenger hunt.
Kids will encounter Important landmarks, historical sites, and capital cities while moving around the United States while playing Destination USA board game.
While playing the 10 Days in the USA, players will use a combination of transportation and state cards to create a connecting vacation across the country.
Watch How the States Got Their Shapes and see how our countrys borders were created and how theyre still changing.
Learn how to create your own U.S. geography unit study.
Play Stack the States to see if you can answer geography questions and then stack the states until you reach the goal line. This a great app to play on the Kindle Fire if your tween has one.
Gather a few homeschool families and plan an Around the World day.
Play The World Game to help your tween learn world geography facts.
Also Check: What Is Figure Ground Perception Psychology
Geography Activities For Middle School: Studying Earth Formations
Here are quite a few ideas for building 3D river models that you can use while youre studying the earths formations.
When youre studying the ocean layers, make sure to add this yummy edible activity to your lesson plans.
You can use simple household items to build a sugar cave as part of a sinkhole experiment.
No middle school geography course is complete without adding in some volcano activities.
Focus on the mountain ranges of the world in Geography Quest: Mountain Edition.
Help your tween learn various topography terms by playing geography bingo.
Add some art into your geography lessons by working on paper art landforms.
Hmh Social Studies: World Geography Student Edition Textbook
The HMH Social Studies: World Geographyoffers comprehensive content coverage through an engaging narrative supported by compelling and instructive visuals.
HMH Social Studies: World Geography 2019 Table of Contents
1. A Geographers World2. The Physical World8. Early Civilizations of Latin America9. Mexico10. Central America and the Caribbean11. South America12. Europe before the 1700s13. History of Modern Europe14. Southern Europe
17. Russia and the Caucasus18. Early Civilizations of the Fertile19. World Religions of Southwest Asia20. The Arabian Peninsula to Central Asia21. The Eastern Mediterranean23. History of Sub-Saharan Africa24. West and Central Africa25. East and Southern Africa26. Indian Early Civilizations, Empires, and World Religions27. The Indian Subcontinent28. Early Civilizations of China29. China, Mongolia, and Taiwan30. Japan and The Koreas31. Southeast Asia
Student Edition Hardcover, 1216 Pages
Grades 6-8
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN-13: 9780544917798
Thewill provide planning, teaching, and assessment support through lesson plans and teaching tips.
Spiral Binding
You May Like: Lesson 9.5 Geometry Answers