All About Maps

Leah Walton2023-03-06T15:58:38-05:00

Welcome to Our All About Maps Homeschool Geography Curriculum

With phones that tell us exactly where to go, how can students learn to read, understand, and use maps? All About Maps is a geography course used one week out of the school year from kindergarten through eighth grade. In early years, students learn basic map skills, including directions and the compass rose. As they get older, the lessons advance through the study of latitude, longitude, climate, biomes, population, natural resources, weather, and more.

Getting Started with Our All About Maps Homeschool Geography Course

Maps are an integral part of geography. This All About Maps homeschool geography course starts with basic map skills, including directions and the compass rose, and advances through a study of latitude and longitude, various types of maps, natural resources, how settlement and war have impacted political maps, settlements and land use, natural disasters, and natural hazards.

Overview

1 week per grade level, 4 days a week
Includes text-based lessons, assignments, and answer keys
Grades Kindergarten – 8th

Supplies Needed

Corresponding lessons on SchoolhouseTeachers.com; journal or notebook for writing assignments, notetaking, and research; atlas, globe, or world map

What to Do

Go to Class Lessons and download the lesson plan and lessons file for desired grade level. Start with the Day 1 reading assignment. Follow the instructions each day on the lesson plan and check them off when completed.

Course Sample for Our All About Maps Homeschool Geography Course

Types of Maps

A round map of the earth is called a globe.

Have you ever tried to cut open and flatten a deflated ball? That is why most world maps portray the earth as “flat.” We can’t see all the sides of a round ball when all we have to look at is a flat piece of paper. So, scientists found a way to draw the world in a stretched out, flat picture like this one.

Continents are very large areas of land on the earth. The continent on which you live, is called _______________________________.

Study the map of the world and answer the questions.

How many continents are there? ______________________________________________
Which continent is the largest? _______________________________________________
Which continent is the smallest? ______________________________________________
Which ocean is found between Africa and South America? _________________________
Which ocean is found between South America and Australia? _______________________

An atlas is a book that is a collection of maps. One of the most common types of atlases in the United States shows a detailed road map of the major roads that cross each state.

To view a full sample of this course, click here.

Course Outline for Our All About Maps Homeschool Geography Course

All About Maps homeschool geography lessons and activities are arranged by suggested grade levels.

Unit K (Kindergarten)

Day One: Create Maps of Familiar Places
Day Two: Create Maps of Familiar Places
Day Three: Develop a Sense of Awareness of Geographical Location
Day Four: Develop a Sense of Awareness of Geographical Location

Unit One (First Grade)

Day One: Types of Maps
Day Two: Types of Maps
Day Three: Symbols, Plans, and Keys
Day Four: Continents and Countries

Unit Two (Second Grade)

Day One: Introduction to Latitude and Longitude
Day Two: Intermediate Directions
Day Three: Mapping Out Your Story
Day Four: Mapping Out Your Story

Unit Three (Third Grade)

Day One: Street Maps & Grid Networks
Day Two: Latitude and Longitude: Prime Meridian, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn
Day Three: Climate and Vegetation Regions of the World/Major Biomes
Day Four: Major Biomes
Day Five: Major Biomes

Unit Four (Fourth Grade)

Day One: Map Scale
Day Two: Population Maps
Day Three: Using Latitude and Longitude to Find Locations
Day Four: International Date Line
Day Five: Resources and Services, Natural Resources

Unit Five (Fifth Grade)

Day One: Mercator Projections
Day Two: True North and Magnetic North
Day Three: Physical Maps
Day Four: Time Zones
Day Five: Cartography

Unit Six (Sixth Grade)

Day One: Topographic Maps
Day Two: Topographic Map (cont.)
Day Three: Resources/Economic Map
Day Four: Weather Charts and Maps
Day Five: Weather Charts and Maps (cont.)

Unit Seven (Seventh Grade)

Day One: How the United States Has Changed Over Time
Day Two: How the United States Has Changed Over Time (cont.)
Day Three: How the United State Has Changed Over Time (cont.).
Day Four: Impact of World Wars I & II on Political Geography
Day Five: Impact of World Wars I & II on Political Geography (cont.)

Unit Eight (Eighth Grade)

Day One: Reasons for Establishment of a Settlement, Types of Settlements
Day Two: Land Use
Day Three: Town Planning, Transportation, and Roads
Day Four: Natural Disasters and Natural Hazards & Cause, Effects and Prevention of Droughts and Floods
Day Five: Cause, Effects, and Response to Tropical Cyclones, Earthquakes, and Volcanoes

More About Our All About Maps Homeschool Geography Course

This All About Maps homeschool geography course is comprised of nine units, with each unit increasing in difficulty and grade level. Unit K is appropriate for kindergarten, Unit 1 is appropriate for 1st grade, Unit 2 is appropriate for 2nd grade, etc., through Unit 8 for 8th grade.

These units may be started at any point. For example, a fourth grade level homeschool student who has not had much background in geography may benefit from studying Units 1, 2, 3, and 4 over the course of a year. An older student may find some of the All About Maps homeschool geography lessons and activities in the earliest units below his or her ability, but they will provide a solid introduction to map skills that will be needed in later studies. An alternative is to review the content in those units, and if the student already has an understanding of those concepts, simply start with the All About Maps unit that matches the student’s grade level.

Or, go straight to the lesson plan or course lessons.

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