Create an elementary geography curriculum using living books for a more engaging and customized experience as unique as your child. Also, look at my page How To Homeschool Elementary Students Like A Pro.
And look at my page Homeschool Geography for hands-on and simple ideas and tips.
Geography can be tedious and uninteresting sometimes. Using living history books also introduces your child to other cultures, customs, foods, history, and even social issues.
Another great aspect of using living books to create your curriculum is that unlike box curricula, they are wonderful for a wide variety of ages.

They can be used to teach multiple children by simply modifying your projects and activities for younger or older children.
If you are not quite sure what passes as a living book, watch and read Simply Charlotte Mason’s What a Living Book Sounds Like.
Next, look at more how to homeschool elementary students tips.
HOW TO HOMESCHOOL ELEMENTARY STUDENTS TIPS
- Exciting Summer Learning Activities for Elementary Students Who Love Hands-On
- How to Make a Humpback Whale & More Zoology Activities for Elementary Students
- 3 Dinosaur Stem Activities Elementary Kids Will Love
- Fun Mosaic Art Lesson Plans Elementary | How To Make A Tray
- Easy Praying Mantis Craft: Awesome Insect Projects for Elementary Students
- Easy Art And Geometry Activities For Elementary Students
- Biology Science Curriculum For Elementary Students They Love & Tiger Craft
- Exciting Scavenger Hunt: Beach Theme Activities Elementary Kids Will Love
- Easy Human Body Crafts For Elementary Featuring A Tongue Project
- Best Homeschool History Curriculum Elementary: A Focus on Albert Nobel
- Easy Diorama About The Civil War For Elementary Students
- How To Create Elementary Geography Curriculum Using Living Books
- Best Reading Curriculum for Elementary And Fun Reading Pointer Craft
Next, look at these living geography books.
GEOGRAPHY LIVING BOOKS
13 Geography Living Books
Add some of these living geography books to your home library. All ages will love them.
Follow the journey of a little turtle through all the great lakes to the Atlantic Ocean, not only covering; landforms but also dipping into science, and uses figurative language to help children think and understand the story better.
A carved Ivory Gull tells of oceans all over the world and three generations of sailing families in America.
In more of a story book fashion we are led around the world to gather ingredients from all over to make an apple pie and it even includes a simple recipe for an apple pie.
The history of the Great Plains and the Santa Fe Trail is told in text and pictures by focusing on a cottonwood tree and the events that happen around it.
Explore the wonders of the world with America's foremost adventurer, Richard Halliburton. In the Complete Book of Marvels Halliburton takes you with him on thrilling journeys to countless wonders of the world, including natural features like Gibraltar, the Grand Canyon, and Mount Fuji, and famous or forgotten temples and ancient cities, and monuments bigger than life. He follows in the footsteps of Demetrius and traverses the Great Wall.
Replete with historical facts, maps, and a treasure trove of unique restored photographs of both well-known and hidden wonders, Halliburton journeys with the reader by his side to reveal the beauty and mystery of the world's greatest sights as if for the very first time. As a youth Richard Halliburton dreamt of seeing the many mysterious lands and exotic locales beyond the horizon, and by the time he was a teenager he set out to do just that. During his life, his voyages took him to an enormous variety of truly marvelous places, from familiar American landmarks to the far reaches of the globe.
This fascinating look at 16 children’s neighborhoods around the world broadens readers’ understanding of global cultures. This unique illustrated map book explores the neighborhoods of 16 real children from around the world. Author Margriet Ruurs, who met many of these children in her travels, tells the story of each child’s neighborhood by highlighting the places that are important to them, such as where they live, go to school and play, as well as interesting facts about their lives, including the food they eat, their religious practices and the sights and smells they encounter every day. From big cities, such as Amsterdam and Beijing, to small communities, such as Salt Spring Island in Canada and the village of Komanyana in Zambia, each place is special to the children who live there.
The history of the Mississippi River Valley is told in text and pictures through the adventures of Minn, a snapping turtle, as she travels downstream.
Packed with maps and fascinating facts about the flora and fauna unique to each of the 21 parks portrayed, this lushly illustrated coast-to-coast journey documents in large format the nation’s most magnificent and sacred places—and shows why they should be preserved for future generations to enjoy. Explore Florida's river-laced Everglades, travel down the white water rapids of the Grand Canyon, trek across the deserts of Death Valley, and scale the soaring summits of the Rocky Mountains with this book that brings you up close to nature's greatest adventures. Divided by region (East, Central, Rocky Mountains, West, Tropics, and Alaska), a pictographic map at the start of each section shows the locations of the parks to be covered. Each park is introduced by a stunning, poster-worthy illustration of one of its scenes and a summary of its makeup, followed by individual illustrations of the animals and plants that make their homes there.
Strawberries -- big, ripe, and juicy. Ten-year-old Birdie Boyer can hardly wait to start picking them. But her family has just moved to the Florida backwoods, and they haven't even begun their planting. Don't count your biddies 'fore they're hatched, gal young un! her father tells her.
The multi-award-winning Wow Canada! has steadily wowed readers with its original, witty, and fabulously informative cross-country excursion. This thoroughly updated edition is filled with amazing facts, historical wonders, and descriptions, photos, and illustrations of Canada's most famous sights and hidden gems it's the perfect accessory for that family car trip across Canada. Eleven-year-old Guy and his family travel from province to province and even up to Canada’s territories! Guy is the ideal narrator, curious but cool and always armed with a wry comment. Incredible sidebar material offers moments of respite from the family’s high-speed travels, making Wow Canada! both the perfect car trip guidebook and a fantastic armchair travel book.
Why does Oklahoma have that panhandle? Did someone make a mistake?
We are so familiar with the map of the United States that our state
borders seem as much a part of nature as mountains and rivers. Even the oddities—the entire state of Maryland(!)—have become so ingrained that our map might as well be a giant jigsaw puzzle designed by Divine Providence. How the States Got Their Shapes is the first book to tackle why our state lines are where they are. Here are the stories behind the stories, right down to the tiny northward jog at the eastern end of Tennessee and the teeny-tiny (and little known) parts of Delaware that are not attached to Delaware but to New Jersey.
A Child's Geography of the World is a general course in geography for juveniles. Hillyer was headmaster at the famed Calvert School and wrote a series of books as part of the curriculum for his students. This title was the result of many years of teaching the subject to young children and of several more years in authoring it. The books is now considered in a classic in home schooling.
Welcome to Geography: An Illustrated A-Z Glossary by B.C. Lester Books! This book takes you across the world's main landforms and biomes, each with a colorful illustration acWelcome to Geography: An Illustrated A-Z Glossary by B.C. Lester Books! This book takes you across the world's main landforms and biomes, each with a colorful illustration accompanied with a child-friendly definition.
What is a mesa? Or an estuary? What is the difference between a swamp and a marsh?
Covering over 100 geography terms, this book has all the answers! This book is a great, concise introduction to the natural features of Earth for children and is a nice way to spark or develop an interest in geography for kids accompanied with a child-friendly definition.
What is a mesa? Or an estuary? What is the difference between a swamp and a marsh?
Covering over 100 geography terms, this book has all the answers! This book is a great, concise introduction to the natural features of Earth for children and is a nice way to spark or develop an interest in geography for kids.
Then look at the benefits of using living books as elementary geography curriculum.
7 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD USE LIVING BOOKS FOR YOUR GEOGRAPHY CURRICULUM
Creating an elementary geography curriculum using living books offers a multitude of advantages that foster a deep and lasting understanding of the world.
1.Critical Thinking and Cultural Awareness: By presenting diverse perspectives and experiences, living books encourage students to think critically about the world around them. They learn to question stereotypes, challenge assumptions, and develop a more nuanced understanding of different cultures. This fosters cultural awareness and sensitivity, preparing them to become responsible global citizens.
2. Engaging Narratives: Unlike dry textbooks, living books breathe life into geographical concepts with captivating stories. This transports learners to different lands, immersing them in the sights, sounds, and experiences of diverse cultures.
3. Contextual Learning: Living books seamlessly weave geographical information into the fabric of the story. Instead of presenting isolated facts, they incorporate geographical concepts within the context of the story. This approach helps students understand the relevance and significance of the information, making it easier to retain and apply.
4. Emotional Connection: Stories have the power to evoke emotions, and living books leverage this power to create a deeper connection with the places and cultures being studied. When students experience the joys, sorrows, and struggles of characters from different backgrounds, they develop empathy and a greater appreciation for diversity.
REASONS TO USE LIVING BOOKS
5. Interdisciplinary Approach: Living books rarely confine themselves to a single subject. They often integrate history, culture, science, and even mathematics with geography, creating a richer learning experience. The interdisciplinary approach fosters a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of the world and encourages students to make connections between different subjects.
6. Rich Vocabulary: Living books expose students to a rich and diverse vocabulary, even picture books. Through engaging narratives, they encounter words and phrases that they might not otherwise encounter in a traditional textbook.
7. Imagination and Wonder: Living books ignite the imagination and cultivate a sense of wonder about the world. Through vivid descriptions and compelling stories, they transport students to far-off lands, sparking their curiosity and encouraging them to explore further.

Finally, look at how to create the curriculum.
HOW TO USE LIVING BOOKS FOR YOUR GEOGRAPHY CURRICULUM
You want to start with an amazing living book as your base for everything else, once you have that you can choose games and activities to enhance the book. I highly recommend cultivating your own library of them at home but you can also just check them out from the library.

This National Parks of the USA is not only beautiful but makes a resource as a geography reference book you will use year after year.

One of my favorite resources for elementary geography living books is Beautiful Feet Books. They cover US and World Geography through inviting stories.
For a list of engaging living books that can be used to create your elementary geography curriculum be sure to check out my list of 13 Living Geography Books For Kids Who Love Exploring.
LIVING BOOKS FOR YOUR GEOGRAPHY CURRICULUM
The next thing I recommend doing is having a good map and globe on hand. Before, after, and during reading your living geography books locate the place or places referenced in the book on maps and globes.
I really like the scrunch maps and have used them since preschool/early elementary days. They are portable, straightforward, and don’t take up a lot of space.

Find fun hands-on activities and art projects along the same theme, no basic worksheets here, this is a great place to work in dioramas, paintings, paper mache sculpture of mountain ranges, watercolor maps, and so much more.

Need some ideas? I am so glad you asked….
- Studying oceans, lakes, and how they are connected? Check out The Fascinating World of Sea Geography | Paddle to the Sea Craft.
- Are you traveling with How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World? Make a simple apple pie in a cup as you learn about where all the ingredients are sourced.
- As you pour over and read the stunning book MAPS this Salt Dough Maps- Creative Geography Lesson would be the perfect enhancement to lessons.
- Reading Ashanti to Zulu? Learn How to Make An Embroidered African Map Fun Geography Craft.
- Does your book take you through one or more of our beautiful national parks? Grab A Journey Through Famous National Landmarks: Download Your Free Printable.
Choose board games that supplement and reinforce the concepts you are learning in your books.

Guess in 10 Cities Around The World can be used all throughout world geography lessons and pairs with many books.
For upper elementary you might choose something like Trekking The World to explore 48 magical destinations on planet Earth.
Let’s not forget the classic Oregon Trail as you discover westward expansion with your favorite living books.
Enjoy the journey, geography is much more than coloring a boring map!

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