Assigning students to label maps or to do some other mapping project is a great

hands-on way to instill map skills. But don’t jump in too soon! Before making assignments, it’s vital to: Instruct students in the use of geography reference tools!

Choose appropriate reference material. Consider the following:

Atlases:

• Typeface. Look carefully at the font style and size. If it’s too small for the student to read clearly, it will cause frustration. Younger students need bigger, clearer fonts.

• Lay-out and design. Busy and detailed maps that may appeal to a high school student may easily frustrate a fifth grader.
• Content. Look for atlases containing material complimentary to your lesson plans. While studying American history, you’ll be pleased to have a USA atlas on hand. (These too, come in a variety of levels.) Some atlases are almost strictly maps, while others include a wealth of other information: flags, planet and earth statistics, and cultural information.
• Atlas age. Is your only household atlas a ponderous volume from college days? It may be useful for some projects, but its political maps will be hopelessly out of date.
• Variety. No single atlas is going to answer every question asked. One atlas may be strong in political maps, while another is a great atlas for thematic maps, and another has exciting, eye-catching cartography.

 Wall Maps:

1. Africa in the center so that Asia isn’t split. (Many American made maps use a projection with the USA centered on the world map. These projections makes the USA look bigger than it really is and have the added disadvantage of splitting Asia in two. It’s hard to explain to younger students why one continent appears on opposite sides of a map!!)
2. Politically up-to-date.
3. Pleasing to look at and read.
4. Enough labeling to be helpful, but not cluttered.

Teach students which reference to use when:

• Road Map - for specific driving directions.
• Wall Map - countries and continents at a glance. Excellent for current events and the “big picture.” Not well suited for detailed map work.
• Globe - countries and continents in relationship with one another. Excellent for physical geography/science topics such as: latitude, longitude, hemisphere, rotation, eclipses, seasons, day and night, time zones, etc. Not well suited for most “find this place” type activities.
• Atlas - for finding specific places, political and physical features, and thematic information such as climate maps, population maps, etc. Not well suited for the “big picture” of physical relationship of continents/countries around the world.
• Almanac - concise information in one easy source on a huge variety of topics. Typically updated yearly. (Think of it as the “highlights” of an encyclopedia.) Not well suited for in-depth studies.
• Encyclopedia - in-depth information on countries, peoples, places, events, etc. Not well suited to current events - only as current as its publishing date.
• Dictionary - concise definition, pronunciation, and spelling of geographic terms. What is a “butte” and how do you say that?!

Don’t let this overwhelm you! The important thing to remember is to teach the use of reference tools, over time, so that students are comfortable using and know which ones to use when.

Spend more time with Maggie Hogan on her blog:

www.homeschoolblogger.com/maggiehogan

Check out her great homeschool resources (including the award winning geography curriculums she *co-authored) at her business site:

www.BrightIdeasPress.com

info@BrightIdeasPress.com

Read more about The Ultimate Geography & Timeline Guide here -  http://brightideaspress.com/UGTG.htm

And Hands-On Geography here:

http://brightideaspress.com/HOG.htm

Biography

Maggie and Bob Hogan live in a formerly Amish farmhouse in Dover, DE where they began homeschooling their two (now grown) sons in 1991. She is a regular contributor for homeschooling internet sites as well as print magazines like The Old Schoolhouse.  She’s a nationally known speaker and co-author of The Ultimate Geography and Timeline Guide, Gifted Children at Home, Hands-on Geography and other resource books. Involved in local, state, and national homeschooling issues, they both serve on boards of home education organizations in Delaware. They’re also owners of Bright Ideas Press, a home school company dedicated to bringing the best practical, fun, and affordable materials to the homeschool market.