Trail Guide to World Geography
Trail Guide to World Geography is a family-friendly, multi-level curriculum guide for students in grades 3-12 to learn geography. With its trail markers (animal track icon) directed at three different grade levels, this book can be used for more than one academic school year and works well with a number of different student abilities learning together.
There is not one exact way to use this unique course. It was designed with flexibility in mind to better meet various objectives when teaching geography. Trail Guide to World Geography provides activities and assignments for a 36-week school year on World Geography.
Students spend 5-10 minutes a day with the atlas drills to establish and maintain atlas usage and map reading skills. Some folks use the book strictly for the Geography Trails section alone and say it’s worth every penny at that!
Add an outline map with the Mapping list of places to label and students have a smooth beginning to creating a great World Geography Notebook. Additional assignment choices take students deeper to learn about key places around the world. You set your pace and objectives. Spend as much time as your schedule allows. You can always use the book again another year, with all new atlas drills questions.
There are three sections of assignments for each week. You can use all three sections or any combination.
Geography Trails Weekly: Days 1-4
In the weekly Geography Trails section, you will find daily short atlas drills at three different levels. Students follow their assigned trail and, using the required atlas, answer two questions a day. They gain practical experience with map reading and atlas usage in a light-hearted and natural way. Many especially enjoy the challenge of finding the answers in this 5-10 minute activity.
Mapping Weekly
Weekly mapping lists provide opportunities for students to label an outline map for inclusion in their personal Geography Notebook. Most students will complete the mapping assignment in one sitting. (Outline maps are not included.)
Trail Blazing - Personal Research and Discovery
The Trail Blazing section fleshes out the remainder of the school week. Here you will find a number of various type of assignments to choose from. So, in addition to the five-minute atlas drills and the mapping activity students (or teachers) select two to four of these Trail Blazing assignments each week to complete. Assignments span all learning styles and cover many topics of interest.
Students will use outside resources, such as library or Internet for most of the Trail Blazing assignments. Some examples of the kinds of assignments include creating a chart or graph, research and study, art or craft, meal planning and preparation, designing a travel brochure, making flash cards or a crossword puzzle to aid in memorization, creating an illustrated geography dictionary, and so much more.
Literature Unit Component
The final weeks of the school year we change it up with a Literature Review Unit. Using family read-aloud time and Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne, students map the trail of Phileas Fogg and Passepartout, and complete other activities. Some families do this nine-week unit during the summer months as an introduction to the upcoming world geography studies.
Using the Trail Guide to World Geography as your core, students will:
- Gain experience with map reading using an atlas
- Create their own personal geography notebook, or portfolio
- Develop critical thinking skills
- Study cultures and peoples
- Learn countries and capitals
- Much more
Resources used with Trail Guide to World Geography
Trail Guide to World Geography is not a stand-alone textbook. Frankly, that’s what makes it interesting for students. It’s important that you provide the level appropriate atlas and some outline maps to complete the course.
ISBN 9781931397155, SKU 1097155
| Book Title | Trail Guide to World Geography |
| Publisher: | Geo Matters |
| Author | Cindy Wiggers |
Trail Guide to World Geography is a family-friendly, multi-level curriculum guide for students in grades 3-12 to learn geography. With its trail markers (animal track icon) directed at three different grade levels, this book can be used for more than one academic school year and works well with a number of different student abilities learning together.
There is not one exact way to use this unique course. It was designed with flexibility in mind to better meet various objectives when teaching geography. Trail Guide to World Geography provides activities and assignments for a 36-week school year on World Geography.
Students spend 5-10 minutes a day with the atlas drills to establish and maintain atlas usage and map reading skills. Some folks use the book strictly for the Geography Trails section alone and say it’s worth every penny at that!
Add an outline map with the Mapping list of places to label and students have a smooth beginning to creating a great World Geography Notebook. Additional assignment choices take students deeper to learn about key places around the world. You set your pace and objectives. Spend as much time as your schedule allows. You can always use the book again another year, with all new atlas drills questions.
There are three sections of assignments for each week. You can use all three sections or any combination.
Geography Trails Weekly: Days 1-4
In the weekly Geography Trails section, you will find daily short atlas drills at three different levels. Students follow their assigned trail and, using the required atlas, answer two questions a day. They gain practical experience with map reading and atlas usage in a light-hearted and natural way. Many especially enjoy the challenge of finding the answers in this 5-10 minute activity.
Mapping Weekly
Weekly mapping lists provide opportunities for students to label an outline map for inclusion in their personal Geography Notebook. Most students will complete the mapping assignment in one sitting. (Outline maps are not included.)
Trail Blazing - Personal Research and Discovery
The Trail Blazing section fleshes out the remainder of the school week. Here you will find a number of various type of assignments to choose from. So, in addition to the five-minute atlas drills and the mapping activity students (or teachers) select two to four of these Trail Blazing assignments each week to complete. Assignments span all learning styles and cover many topics of interest.
Students will use outside resources, such as library or Internet for most of the Trail Blazing assignments. Some examples of the kinds of assignments include creating a chart or graph, research and study, art or craft, meal planning and preparation, designing a travel brochure, making flash cards or a crossword puzzle to aid in memorization, creating an illustrated geography dictionary, and so much more.
Literature Unit Component
The final weeks of the school year we change it up with a Literature Review Unit. Using family read-aloud time and Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne, students map the trail of Phileas Fogg and Passepartout, and complete other activities. Some families do this nine-week unit during the summer months as an introduction to the upcoming world geography studies.
Using the Trail Guide to World Geography as your core, students will:
- Gain experience with map reading using an atlas
- Create their own personal geography notebook, or portfolio
- Develop critical thinking skills
- Study cultures and peoples
- Learn countries and capitals
- Much more
Resources used with Trail Guide to World Geography
Trail Guide to World Geography is not a stand-alone textbook. Frankly, that’s what makes it interesting for students. It’s important that you provide the level appropriate atlas and some outline maps to complete the course.
ISBN 9781931397155, SKU 1097155
