A Virtual Visit
Before students focus on a specific continent, they know the fundamental concepts of geography—maps, globes, cardinal directions, latitudes and longitudes. They use large laminated maps where they can freely lean across to closely examine a specific location. During each eight-week session, students will examine world political and physical maps, regional and continent maps, special maps prepared by a professional cartographer for activities such as world rain forests and coral reefs, and maps for selected geographic regions.
Each session begins by reviewing the material from the previous. Then each individual small group reads the material for that particular session and completes activities that may include puzzles, map quests, word searches, Venn diagrams, etc. When students focus on each continent, they know the landforms, natural resources, how and where people live, and plant and animal life.
Students focus several weeks on one continent. For example, reading about the Silk Road across Asia students learn that trade existed thousands of years and prized items (silk, spices, musical instruments) were different then the ones (computers, cars) we value today; students discuss the hazards of the trip—crossing mountain passes and flooding rivers, danger from bandits, finding sources for food, ways to communicate with people in foreign lands; how goods were carried by different animals. An extended group discussion examines the new information gained during the trek: people see how others dress; see and taste new foods; observe new customs, ways of farming, types of home construction, etc. We now call this culture.
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