Notebooking Construction: Off the Map Geography for Your Notebook

NOTEBOOKING SUBJECT BY SUBJECT: Geography

Geography is the next stop on our subject by subject tour of notebooking.  The key to success is to keep the geography, itself, exciting and engaging.  The process of notebooking can always follow when the fun is complete, not that notebooking isn't fun all by itself, because it is.  Geography just does not excite, unless your nerdy like me.  Here is a look at Geography notebooking without boredom. 

1.  Passports & Postcards - Create Passports to begin any journey in geography, then you'll be a globetrotter without having to dribble a basketball.  State Notebooking is also a great way to teach US geography and history together.  We enjoyed exchanging Postcards with other home educating families last year.  We made use of these and decorated our notebooking pages with them.

2.  FOOD!  Studying the various countries and cultures during geography can be made even more interesting with the culinary creations from around the globe.  We have eaten Ratatouille from France, Thai Spring Rolls & Lettuce Wraps, Sausages and Mash from England . . . get creative and get the kids involved.  

     

3.  Make Mapping Multi-sensory - Maps can be boring, especially if you have a hands-on learner.  Here are some excellent mapping and other hands-on geography ideas to keep them engaged: 

• Salt Dough Maps
• US Bingo Game
•  The Continental Divide Game
• Felt Maps
• Continental Boxes
• Global Twister Anyone?
• Scrapbook Quilt Map
• Paper Dolls From Around the World
• Map Study with Legos
• Nesting Cans - This is a fantastic activity I pinned the other day and used with the Bug.  Then we took our notebooking time to document and discuss.

4.  Surveys & Scavenger Hunts - These are great ways to get your kids engaged in geography outside!  This is survey which could be used to survey family and friends.  Then you map and find all the places around the country and globe where your family and friends have been.  Here is a Scavenger Hunt for US geography.

5.  Create Models That Teach!  Here our the best geography teaching models: 

• The Orange Globe
• Layers of the Earth Paper Fold-able
• Model of the Ocean Floor
• Hemisphere Mini Book
• Printable USA Jigsaw Puzzle

Remember to take pictures of your child studying or making these models.  This will help them to create a notebooking page about what they learned later.

PHOTO CREDIT

Notebooking Printables for Geography:

• Great Map Outlines
• Tons of Geography Printables @ Homeschool Creations
• Coloring A Book of Flags
• Historical Maps Printables
• Homeschool Share Geography Printables

Hope that you all have fun notebooking and "globetrotting" at the same time!


This post is a part of the Notebook Construction series


Happy Notebooking!

 

The Joyful Socks Mom 

Be sure to follow all of the HISTORY LIVE! fun on my Pin Board!

WHERE WE ARE AT?  Homeschooling On The Cheap

Here are some more homeschool resources we recommend: 

• Take a journey through Notebooking Success! Best notebooking resource for home educators. . .and beyond.
• Wonder Maps is the homeschool geography that moms and kids can both give an A+

Photo Credits for Geography Button: Lego Map guy by ntr23, Clay Earth by Derringdos, Globe by Balaji Bharadwaj, Statue of Liberty by Puzzler4879, Old Geography Book by sassyarts, Geography Girls by brentdanley