How in the world do we make Geography happen in our already full days? How do we teach geography and fulfill Christ's Great Commission to go into all the world?
Going into all the world begins with one small step: 15 minutes at a time. "Little drops of water, little grains of sand, makes the mighty ocean, and the beauteous land." Going into all the world with geography need not be a burden. As the drops of water make the stretching seas and grains of sands make the vast deserts, so 15 minutes a day can have you fulfilling Christ's commission to go into all the world!
Once you are committed to just one grain of 15 minute span of time each day, think: Teach with Emotion! Cognitive research indicates that humans remember best what enters the brain in an envelope of "emotion."
If you want your learners to REMEMBER what they learn, wrap the knowledge up in FEELINGS they can relate to. Instead of reading emotionless textbooks, read LIVING books with language that DANCES. And your learners--and you--will remember long after the book is returned to its shelf! Simply put: we love, remember, and retain stories. Because we love Christ and His call to go love people, let's go read the stories of God's glorious globe and His people!
Groundwork Geography : Stage One Geography
· Globe : Plant a globe on the coffee table, right next to where you curl up on the couch to read. Any place name you encounter? Give that globe a spin and locate where in the world you are !
· Map : Affix a laminated map to your study table or dining room table. Let the kids eat their morning oatmeal over the countries of Africa, read their library books while tracing the coast of Asia, coloring alongside the islands of the Pacific. A permanent table map is a simple, effective way to travel the world every day! (Print and assemble free wall maps )
· Atlas : Reading literature? Studying history? Browsing the newspaper? Carry an atlas and get into the “look it up habit.” Why bother? Because when you get into the LOOK IT UP HABIT, you discover the most interesting detours---unexpected, natural learning!
Going Geography : Stage Two Geography (the heart of your geography studies)
Table Travel: Have dinner around the world! Set beside the dinner table a basket of geographical reading materials, such as A Child’s Geography or mission magazines. Explore other cultures, other peoples, other lands with A Child's Geography: Charlotte Mason-style geography with a Missional Mindset!
Take up a mission magazine, such as Gospel for Asia’s SEND, Wycliffe’s Word Alive, MCC’s A Common Place... Fulfill Christ's Great Commission to go into all the WORLD--right at the dinner table!
· Knee Travel…. with Operation World. Choose a country from which you explored, or in its vicinity, and you and your children pray for that country: for to pray is almost to conquer. Be a Gustavus Prayer Warrior. Select only two or three concerns for which to pray and then revisit the country again over that week, praying for subsequent matters. (Free Online Version of Operation World available ). A Child's Geography includes a country Prayer Walk for each country explored...
· Quiz Travel…with Seterra. Download the free geography software Seterra. With outstanding content and a straightforward interface, Seterra is a compelling geography-quiz program that tests knowledge of world cities, capital cities, countries, geographical features, and flags. The high-score tables provide a subtle but effective learning incentive. Highly recommended hours of entertaining education. (Free download available )
Total time: 15-20 minutes. Worth of investment: eternal.
Grandiose Geography : Stage Three Geography (when you've already laid down groundwork geography (stage one) and are journeying everyday with going geography (stage two)!)
Everywhere Geography It's a global world. Geography is everywhere: see it in the newspaper, weather forecasts, missionary work, and everything you purchase. Going into the world begins with acknowledging and seeing the world all around us! Print off a map from online and walk through the produce department. Note what fruits or vegetables come from where on God’s planet. Go through your closets and drawers and see where the products you live with were made. Read the newspaper with an outline map and see where in the world what’s making news
· Entertainment Geography Play online geography games and test global I.Q. (Recommended free online games: GeoSpy, Seterra, GeoNet, The Geography Challenge). Piece together global maps . (The Global Puzzle is a 600-piece puzzle with pieces actually shaped like the countries of the world. ) Have international foods night and cook a dish from another part of the world. Listen to music samplings from that part of the globe. Ask children to find that particular country on the map, and close your meal with a prayer for that particular country. Read living books from all over the world. ( Find a stellar geography book list here )
· Extracurricular Geography Take the 10 daily quiz questions for the National Geographic Bee. Go to Real Places all around the world in Real time! Take a World Tour with your homeschooling group ! Check out Postcard Geography! For more ideas, book titles, and geography helps, see our Travel Blog--updated weekly!
Christ calls us: LET'S GO INTO ALL THE WORLD!
STUDY GEOGRAPHY: We'll be LOST without it
American Secretary of State Colin Powell : “To solve most of the major problems facing our county today – from wiping out terrorism, to minimizing global environmental problems, to eliminating the scourge of AIDS –will require every young person to learn more about other regions, cultures, and languages.”
Dr. Samuel L. Blumenfeld , author of "Homeschooling: A Parents Guide to Teaching Children" writes : “Until the schools get back to studying geography as a subject worthy of serious attention, we shall continue to be a culturally backward country, self-blinded by the politically correct agenda of our progressive educators.”