Do you study geography in your homeschool? It is a very important part of our homeschool week. There are maps on our walls, maps in our notebooks and weekly map tracing or drawing (cartography) at our house.
So why all the emphasis on geography?
There are several reasons we include geography in our homeschool. First, we want our kids to know the world they live in. The world is a big place. God created it all, not just the small bit we inhabit. We want our children to understand there is more than out country out there. To know where places are when they are mentioned in the news. To e familiar with a place or country when we speak about it whether its in church or in a history book or a news article. Being familiar with God’s great, big world helps a student grasp so much about life.
Additionally, we want our kids to be able to read a map and understand topography and all the skills that go with that. Understanding geography and reading a map to locate a continent or country naturally leads to basic map skills. And in our world of GPS on every smartphone, it may seem an unnecessary skill but we believe its a necessary basic skill that deserves attention. There’s more to a map than how to get to the closest Chik-Fil-A; understanding maps, direction, and topography gives a student richer and deeper understanding of their environment and that of the countries they study and discuss. Having a good sense of direction is simply a great skill to hone and reading a map can help a student in numerous ways from life to their studies in history and literature.
There are many reasons you may wish to include geography in your homeschool. You may wish to just make sure your kids understand the world around them or you might feel it necessary to include as you study history and literature. No matter what reason you choose to include geography, even informally, geography does not have to be boring, it can be exciting to be learning about the world around us and how it all relates to everything we do. Consider supplying your homeschool spaces with maps, referring to them in each of your subjects to help familiarize your students with the world. You will be surprised at how much they learn and recall just by regular exposure to geography.
Whether you are including geography in your school to ensure your students can better understand current events as they come up around the world or simply so they know where events have taken place in history or in literature, you will find that including geography does not have to be a daunting task. Including geography in your student’s studies can be simple and fun to do without taking too much time. You will be surprised at how much your children will learn and retain just from some continual exposure throughout your school days.
Do you include geography studies in your homeschool?
Be sure to check out my post Getting Your Little Ones Interested in Geography for more tips on integrating geography into your homeschool.
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