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homeschoolgeography

Lewis & Clark Free Mighty Mississippi Book and Easy Sediment Activity

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have a Lewis and Clark Mighty Mississippi book and hands-on sediment activity. Also, look at Lewis and Clark Fun Homeschool Unit Study and Lapbook and Hands-On Simple And Best Homeschool Geography Ideas & Tips for more ideas.

This past week we have bee reading about the Great River, The Big Muddy, Father of Waters, Old Man River, and an American Treasure otherwise known as the Mighty Mississippi River.

Lewis & Clark Free Mighty Mississippi Book and Easy Sediment Activity

Today, I have the Lewis & Clark – Mighty Mississippi book & sediment activity to tell you about.

After digging into this topic, the Mississippi River alone could be a super fun and awesome unit study on its own. It has just been a fascinating topic and more than I planned for this past week.

Ojibwe – Big Muddy

We got bogged down (corny pun intended) on this study because we just didn’t want to move on too quick.

Mississippi River Guide

What sidetracked us was finding this really super helpful and well-laid out fun downloadable packet from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Download this awesome and free 352 page pdf. from the Corps of Engineering. Super resource!

At first glance, it said it is about 5/6th grade level, but after looking at it, there were also activities for lower grades and for 7th to 12th grade.

It is truly a multiple age unit study.

Lewis and Clark Mighty Mississippi @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

It is a unit study with science, geography and even history tied in together on this download.

There are game cards, lots of hands-on activities and I love the writing suggestions for high school.

We just couldn’t resist reading over it and doing some of the activities.

Sediment Activity 1 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus1Sediment Activity 2 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus1
We did this easy activity to show sediment as we talked about hydrologist and what they used to measure water temperature, ph, dissolved oxygen and salinity.

Pretty cool stuff to read about considering I didn’t know there was so much stuff to learn about water.

For the sediment bottle, we gathered sticks, dirt, different size rocks, twigs and even some litter and Tiny made a paper funnel to put it in the bottle.

Add water and shake it well.

We took a picture right after doing the activity and then about an hour afterward, we looked at the bottle again to see the difference.

Sediment Activity 3 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus   Sediment Activity 4 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
It was a quick activity for things we had around the house.

And easy as the activity was to do, it really makes the point of helping Tiny to remember how sediment is the stuff that gets swept along by the river and then settles to the riverbed when the flow slows down.

Big Muddy free minibook about the Mississippi River @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus1Big Muddy free minibook about the Mississippi River 2 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus1
Learning about legends surrounding the river, the many people who traveled alongside it and stories told about the Mighty Mississippi, which covers a huge part of the states, it’s a great geography topic to spend some time on.

We stayed on it, like I mentioned, longer than I planned, but then again you know that is why we do unit studies. We don’t want to be told to move on.

MORE LEWIS AND CLARK ACTIVITIES

Next, look at the Lewis and Clark lapbook.

LEWIS AND CLARK LAPBOOK

Lewis & Clark Free Mighty Mississippi Book and Easy Sediment Activity

You can purchase this lapbook now.

Now, how to grab the freebie. It’s a subscriber freebie.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get my emails in your inbox and you get this freebie.

HOW TO GET THE FREE MIGHTY MISSISSIPPI RIVER MINIBOOK

1) CLICK HERE ON THIS LINK TO SIGN UP ON MY EMAIL LIST & TO GET THIS FREEBIE.

2) Grab the freebie now.

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FREE MY LITTLE BOOK OF LANDFORMS IMAGES WITH NAMES

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I have a free little book of landforms images with names for the youngest geography learner. Also, look at my page Hands-On Simple And Best Homeschool Geography Ideas & Tips.

Geography is more than a study of the land and water but it’s about the people too.

However, introducing children to geographical landforms is something they can easily grasp.

FREE MY LITTLE BOOK OF LANDFORMS IMAGES WITH NAMES

In addition, when children learn about physical landforms they can research how different it is from where they live or if it is the same.

That small spark can ignite a love for geography that shouldn’t be boring.

Besides, geography should not be reduced to labeling maps.

Hands on activities need to be a large part of learning right from the beginning.

GEOGRAPHY BOOKS FOR KIDS

In addition, living books should be a huge part of learning.

Sure, add reference books like atlases to your day, but keep your children curious about geography by reading stories and good books.

This is how they appreciate that geography is the study of people in areas and how they adjusted to their environment.

Also, studying the plants and animals keeps geography engaging for any age.

10 Geography Children's Books

I have a list of some of my favorite books for different ages, locations, and styles to help you choose a few to add to your library.

Next, look at some of these vocabulary words for the landforms images with names book.

VOCABULARY WORDS FOR LANDFORMS IMAGES WITH NAMES BOOK

While your child is coloring the picture and printing the name explain the meaning of some of the words.

Here are some simple definitions.

  • bay – A bay is a curved body of water where the land juts in. Think of the San Francisco Bay.
  • basin – This is a large, bowl-shaped area of land that collects water.
  • beach – It is a sandy area or edge along a body of water like a sea or ocean or even a lake.
  • canyon – A deep narrow valley with steep sides . The Grand Canyon is an example.
  • cape – A long point of land that sticks out into the sea or ocean.
  • cave – Caves are a natural underground space or a hollow in the earth. They are formed by water or wind.
  • crater lake – A crater lake is a lake that forms in the large bowl-shaped of a volcanic crater.
  • desert – Deserts are dry, sandy areas where there is very little rain.
  • estuary – It is an area where a river meets the ocean or sea. It is usually a mix of fresh and salt water.
  • glacier – A glacier is a slow moving mass of ice.
  • hills – Hills are small rounded areas of land smaller than a mountain usually.
  • island – An island is a piece of land surrounded by water.
  • isthmus – This is a narrow strip of land that connects two larger areas of land and is surrounded by water.
  • lowland – Lowlands are areas of land that are lower in elevation than the surrounding areas.
  • mesa– Flat-topped landforms usually a mountain or hill. Normally, they’re found in deserts.

GEOGRAPHY VOCABULARY WORDS

  • mountains – Mountains look like towers. They are tall rocky landforms that rise above the surrounding land.
  • peninsula – It is a piece of land that is almost surrounded by water but it is still connected to the mainland. For example, think of Florida.
  • plateau – A plateau is a flat, elevated area of land.
  • river – Rivers are large flowing bodies of water that flow across land and flows into an ocean, sea, or lake.
  • valley – It is a low area between hills and mountains. Often it has water running through it.
  • volcano – A volcano is a natural opening or crack in the Earth’s surface. Hot, melted rock called magma, gases, and ash can escape from deep inside the Earth.
  • wetland -A wetland is an area of land that is covered with water or has very wet soil. They can be bogs, swamps, or marshes.

MORE HANDS-ON GEOGRAPHY ACTIVITIES

FREE MY LITTLE BOOK OF LANDFORMS IMAGES WITH NAMES

Finally, grab the free printable book below.

HOW TO GET THE FREE MY LITTLE BOOK OF LANDFORMS IMAGES WITH NAMES

Now, how to grab the freebie. It’s a subscriber freebie.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get my emails in your inbox and you get this freebie.

1) CLICK HERE ON THIS LINK TO SIGN UP ON MY EMAIL LIST & TO GET THIS FREEBIE.

2) Grab the freebie now.

3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

10 Geography Childrens Books | Easy Me On The Map Project

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Colorful engaging geography childrens books are a fun and memorable way to teach them all about locations and their characteristics. Look at my page Hands-On Simple And Best Homeschool Geography Ideas & Tips for more ideas.

But don’t think only preschoolers can benefit from picture books.

And be sure to show the younger ones more complex maps, mix it up and provide them with a mix of books to learn all about geography from.

10 Geography Childrens Books | Easy Me On The Map Project

The word Geography comes from the Greek word geo which means earth and graphy which means a writing or description.

It is the study of the physical features of the Earth.

Also, it’s a study of the atmosphere, and water.

Teaching Geography to Multiple Ages

It is learning about the 50 states and their capitals, the oceans, and what an island or physical map is.

Typically, upper elementary is when you begin more formal geography lessons starting with US geography and then moving onto the world in middle school.

However, I am a big believer in at least introducing the concept to your child from preschool years on through exploration, beautiful picture books, globes, games, and more.

With a great selection of maps, globes, games, apps and of course most importantly books you can teach geography without even using a curriculum.

Children can learn more than just how to read a map, immersing them in learning about languages, landforms, government, and cultures.

Early on kids desire to learn about their place in the world and how they fit into it.

10 Geography Childrens Books | Easy Me On The Map Project

This easy me on the map project helps make that wonder a little more tangible by showing how a smaller (but complete unto itself) object fits into a larger one.

For example, your neighborhood is in a city, that city is within a state, and that state is part of a country, that is part of a continent, and that continent is on planet earth.

You can leave your book with just the location labels or let your child get creative by writing words or drawing pictures that represent each one.

Geography Activities for Kids

First, look at more homeschool geography activities for kids.

10 Geography Childrens Books | Easy Me On The Map Project

10 Geography Children’s Books

Next, look at these fun geography children’s books which bring geography to life.

Add one or two your home library.

10 Geography Children's Books

I have a list of some of my favorite books for different ages, locations, and styles to help you choose a few to add to your library.

Now that you have a big selection of books to choose from, grab some construction paper and let’s get going with today’s activity.

This project, while very simple, introduces not only the concept of me in the world or on the map but also demonstrates other skills.

For example, how to use a compass to create circles of different sizes, build fine motor skills through that as well as cutting, and allows your child to be creative with what they are learning.

Easy Me On The Map Project

You will need:

  • 6 colors of construction paper
  • Compass with pencil
  • Scissors
  • Markers or Crayons
  • Hole punch
  • Brad
10 Geography Childrens Books | Easy Me On The Map Project

First, begin making circles by using a compass to draw one on each color of construction paper, making them ½” larger each time.

If you don’t have a compass at hand, you can use bowls and cups of varying sizes to trace.

10 Geography Childrens Books | Easy Me On The Map Project

When you have all your circles lay them on top of each other, with all the excess at the bottom and holes punch through all of them at the top at the same time so it lines up nicely.

10 Geography Childrens Books | Easy Me On The Map Project

Write along the bottom edge in order from smallest to largest.

  • My neighborhood,
  • my city,
  • my state,
  • my country,
  • my continent, and
  • my planet.
10 Geography Childrens Books | Easy Me On The Map Project

Now, the fun part, let your child draw or write things about each place on the corresponding circle. Challenge older kids to do more, let younger kids draw simple pictures.

10 Geography Childrens Books | Easy Me On The Map Project

Finally, place your brand through the holes of your “book” and open the tabs, the book can now lie stacked or spread out to see everything.

10 Geography Childrens Books | Easy Me On The Map Project

How To Make A DIY Lava Lamp Lesson Plan

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Today, I’m sharing how to make a diy lava lamp lesson plan. Also, look at my page Hands-On Simple And Best Homeschool Geography Ideas & Tips for more activities.

We used North Star Geography as part of our study of geography during our middle and high school years.

So though we have been able to read and talk about our geography we didn’t do any hands-on projects, which is the best part of geography because we did not have any supplies.

It has taken a few months to find supplies here in Ecuador. 

Now that we have a good amount of things on hand, we are eager to get started with the hands-on things we have been missing.

We started our homeschool geography with a diy lava lamp.

First, look at this list of geography resources for middle and high school.

Homeschool High School Geography Resources and Books

Geography for high school should still be fun and hands-on. It can take years to find the right resources. However, I’ve gathered up some of my favorite books and resources.

Hands-on Homeschool Geography

Actually, it has been a bit of an unexpected positive twist, but doing these hands-on activities much later has served as a fun review of what we studied months ago.

For example, in chapter 4 of our North Star Geography we talked about the earth’s structure and convection currents.

It said: “Convection currents: hot liquid rock closer to the core rises toward the surface, rises toward the surface, cools and sinks back to the bottom, where it heats up again.

A great hands-on activity to illustrate this is a lava lamp.

How To Make A DIY Lava Lamp Lesson Plan

Too what I love about a lot of the hands-on ideas in our geography program is that they use a lot of materials you find around the house.

Look at this easy list of things you probably have around the house to do the lava lamp activity:

  • Vegetable oil
  • water
  • dye
  • alka-seltzer tablets
  • flashlight
How To Make A DIY Lava Lamp Lesson Plan

Fill your contain about 3/4  full with the vegetable oil and the rest of the way with water.

How To Make A DIY Lava Lamp Lesson Plan

Add the dye, the alka-seltzer tablet and watch the color explosion.

How To Make A DIY Lava Lamp Lesson Plan

The lava lamp does not show the heating process the way a true lava lamp would, but it’s fun and similar.

How To Make A DIY Lava Lamp Lesson Plan

Too, add a flashlight behind it or under it to get the true effect.

Did you ever make a lava lamp in school? I did and thought it was the coolest thing I did.

More Hands-on Geography Ideas for Kids

Homeschool Geography - DIY Lava Lamp @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

22 Homeschool Geography Go To Resources

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have some fun homeschool geography resources today. Too, look at my page Homeschool Geography for hands-on and simple ideas and tips.

We’ve used many homeschool geography resources through the years because geography is not about coloring boring maps.

I needed to round up our homeschool geography resources that we already had on hand and in the upper grades I needed something more laid out.

22 Homeschool Geography Go To Resources

For example, in the upper grades we used geography curriculum that we got from Bright Ideas Press.

Homeschool Geography Go To Resources

I did manage to round up these atlases and books that I have had to show you some of what I use. 

Homeschool Geography Resources

Too, I have taken some screen shots to show you our brand new WonderMaps because I will be using WonderMaps with North Star Geography.

homeschool geography resources

Today, I wanted to show you my growing geography resources that I know we will be using with North Star Geography.

I am sure you can study geography on probably a lot less than we have, but we can’t.

Our geography habit needs to be fed each year, so we have added resources slowly.

Too, as the boys got older they have wanted their own books and resources.  As the budget allowed, I added them in regularly.

So below I have listed resources that I think are must-haves or basic.

Again, it doesn’t mean you need all of them, but helping to know which ones are more useful or helpful makes it easier to decide. 

The other resources pictured above but not listed below,  I add in as enrichment and I just wanted you to see them.

Homeschool Geogrpahy Go To Resources Linked Up

22 Homeschool Geography Go To Resources & Gift Ideas

Add some of these fun books and resources to your learning day if you're wanting to study geography with multiple ages. Maybe you want to hook your child on geography with a gift or two.

Resources For Kids Learning Geography

  • 1. The inexpensive geography mats we actually picked up at Wal-mart a few years back.  One side has a world map and the other mat has the U.S. and then the flip side on both mats is blank.  We did and still do quick geography quizzes with them.  We will study a region, then quickly flip on the back side and try to fill in with a dry erase markers as many rivers, boundaries and countries that we could get.  Me too, I was included in the race to see how many I could label in a short time.

  • 2 National Geographic Visual Atlas of the World You know anything by National Geographic is top notch.  I always said I would never buy anything this big because of the problem of storing it.  That didn’t last long because once you take a look at how breath taking the solar system looks in it and how they compare geography facts like comparing two continents, it looks so much better in a large book.  Too, it is easier as the kids get bigger to gather around a bigger book.  (Tip: Always check to see that you are buy the most current edition.)

  • 3. DK is another favorite publisher. Complete Atlas of the World, 2nd Edition I actually got this one because it had some facts like population growth, global climate and border conflicts that I want my boys aware of.  The physical world maps are more in depth though not as vivid as the National Geographic.

Geography Resources For Kids

  • 4.  National Geographic Family Reference Atlas of the World, Third Edition is another beauty by National Geographic.  I purchased this one because of key information like tables, charts, biodiversity, education.  It truly is a family reference.  I guess if you had to make a choice for your middle to high school kids, this would be in the top running.
  • 5.   Junior Classroom Atlas This is one of our first ones because it is suited for elementary aged children and we still refer to it when the other atlases are teeming with overwhelming information.  Sometimes you can have too much information and it helps to break it down to the general sweeping facts.
  • 6.  CLASSROOM ATLAS-REVISED 2012 This is geared toward about middle school and can be used for elementary ages too.  It has been updated and it is one I will probably be adding soon.  Even though stats change, I feel some atlases are timeless.  Not so much changes (physical earth wise) that you can’t use an older atlas.  Sure, stats will change, but if your kids are young, they are not interested in that kind of stuff right now anyway.

Geography Books Kids

  • 7.   Historical Atlas of the World 1st (first) edition Text Only An historical map is one that you will need when studying ancient history because it shows the boundaries or empires as they were then.  It really helps your kids to get a foot hold on ancient history.  You can see this one is out date, but then again it’s ancient history and how much updating can you possibly do.  So I don’t always fall for having to have the most up to date.
  • 8.  Historical Atlas of the World  Now what I do fall for is when another kid needs their own copy.  So I have purchased the updated copy of the historical atlas simply because I had two older middle school kids and we needed more than one.  I won’t go into the fights over having their own copies.
  • 9.  Free geography vocabulary words I made and put them on a O ring.  These are good for your kids to study later too.
  • 10.  National Geographic World Atlas for Young Explorers, Third Edition
    I got this one because it we could read about things like the animals for the website links they gave us and each continent had basic facts.  Like it says more about the exploring aspect of geography and we love this one.  It is especially good for a child that is geography phobic so they can see  geography is about so much more than finding the prime meridian.  It is about exploring and going to far away places.
  • 11.  A Child’s Introduction to the World: Geography, Cultures, and People – From the Grand Canyon to the Great Wall of China  This is a really sweet book.  It includes a pop-up paper globe and stickers.  I like it because though its geared toward younger learners, it can still stand up for older kids too because of the information in it.  It is another keeper for multiple ages of children.

Homeschool Geography For Kids

  • 12.  The Usborne Internet-Linked Encyclopedia of World Geography With Complete World Atlas (Geography Encyclopedias) Again, another one of my very first purchases.  I always made sure I didn’t just buy curriculum but had enough back in my budget for references that would stand the test of time.  A great reference book that we just love.

  • 13.   What is geography without games? And,  Professor Noggin’s History & Geography Card Games: Set of 6 is one of our favorite series.  We have a lot of them.
22 Homeschool Geography Go To Resources

More Geography Go To Resources

Also, I’ve update our geography go to resources.

The other two we have that didn’t make the picture because Mr. Senior had them someplace are Geography: A Visual Encyclopedia which is absolutely stunning which is why I can’t find it right now and has a lot of different things like gemstones, earthquakes and weather.  

And the other one is Atlas of World Geography which is a highschool level book that gets lost around here frequently too.  It is the one I will be using on North Star Geography, well at least for Mr. Awesome.

22 Homeschool Geography Go To Resources

Then of course my newest tool that makes studying geography absolutely a breeze is WonderMaps. You can print black or white maps or color maps.

Geography Wonder Maps

Take off boundaries or leave them on ALL with a click of your mouse. It truly is going to make studying geography so much more than finding boundaries or locating countries.

Homeschool Geography Go To Resources

Though we love all of our resources and we add to them as we plod along during the years, those above are keepers and I feel are basic to any library.

Do you have any geography go to resources that your family luvs?