Little Bears Family Homeschool Study Notes

Geography

Contents

* Introduction * Method of Study * Themes * Literature * Textbooks: Infant & Junior * Internet Resources * Suppliers *

Introduction

My experience of geography at school seemed to have very little to do with what I understand the term 'geography' to mean. My knowledge even of the features of my own country (rivers, lakes, mountains as well as regional boundaries such as country borders, counties, cities towns and villages) is so poor that I feel it is something we should concentrate on, if possible by witnessing them first-hand.

Method of Study

We feel that a literature approach (reading biographies and fiction from or depicting different parts of the country and the world) is a good starting point, but we would prefer to back this up with some textbook work, and/ or themes.

We will be studying geography alongside history, keeping maps & atlases to hand throughout, and looking at the way in which geography has affected the flow of history. As with history, therefore, we will be working from the familiar to foreign geography: local -> regional -> national -> european -> world (->solar system -> galaxy, etc.).

Some Themes for Geography

* Continents * Countries * States * Provinces * Regions * Counties * Cities * Towns * Villages * Suburbs * Natural/ Political boundaries * Capitals * Landmarks: towers, walls, forts, castles, etc. * Oceans * Lakes * Rivers * Streams * Resevoirs * Canals * Waterfalls * Glaciers * Geysers * Mountains * Hills * Valleys * Volcanoes * Craters * Caves * Coasts * Cliffs * Geology * Mines * Land-use: Farmland, Marshland, Forests, Jungles/ rainforests, woods, plains, deserts, etc. * Natural/ Man-made features * Mapping your house & environs * Weather & Climate * The Earth in the Solar System * The Moon * The Sun in our Galaxy * etc.

Recommendations for Literature

I'm working on it! Any suggestions would be welcome!

Recommendations for Textbooks

I have been looking everywhere for textbooks for all the subjects, but bookshops seem to be totally oblivious that anybody except schools is looking for this kind of thing. Any suggestions would be welcome!

Early Learning Resources for Infant Primary

• Usborne: "British Isles Jigsaw" 250 pieces, 810 x 540 mm £6.99
• "The Children's Atlas of the British Isles" and "The Children's Atlas of the World", both enormous picture books illustrated by Stuart Brendon and published by Grandreams Ltd. I managed to get them in a charity shop! I truly hope they're still in print & available, as they're worth their weight in gold! They are very basic, just right for Tommy's age-group, and he loves them! It's really got him interested in maps, which can't be a bad thing!

Junior Primary

We will be looking for a more detailed set of Atlases for later on, though. Rand McNally & Anchor come recommended, but I'll be doing some more research & let you know.

• The Usborne "Book of World Geography"
• The Usborne "Book of Britain", "Book of Europe", "Book of France"
• The Usborne "Geography Encyclopedia"
• A useful book showing the link between geography and history is "the Cassell Atlas of World History" (and I think several publishers have similar books available).

Internet Resources

• We have a copy of the National Curriculum for Geography at Key Stage 1 which we will be using as a guide, but we won't follow it religiously.
• UK Schools Geography Resouces index:- http://www.liv.ac.uk/~evansjon/humanities/geog.html
• Blue Web'n:- http://www.kn.packbell.com/wired/bluewebn

Suppliers

Atlases, including the Rand McNally & Anchor ones, as well as other resources are available from Greenleaf Press, who advocate a "literature approach" to geography and history.

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© Sharon Mortemore
09 August, 1999