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Engaging Charlotte Mason Geography Activities For Your Homeschool

Offer engaging Charlotte Mason geography activities for your homeschool with map study, drawing, and discussion. All of these are vital to a vibrant understanding of history!

Enjoy these engaging Charlotte Mason geography activities for your homeschool. Map study, drawing, and discussion are vital to an understanding of history.

The Benefits Of Geography Study In Your Homeschool

It’s hard to imagine understanding the classic story Heidi, without the beautifully described Swiss Alps setting the scene. Or to appreciate the majestic nature of the Great Pyramids, without visualizing how they rise up out of flat desert. Or empathize with Mary and Joseph’s ninety-mile journey to Bethlehem, without knowing about the rocky, difficult terrain they traveled. 

So much of history and literature depend on the surrounding geography, which is why map study, drawing, and discussion are a large component of our homeschool time. Our current ability to understand world (and space!) geography is like never before, with satellite imaging, extremely accurate and up-to-date mapping, and the ability to share pictures and videos from around the world at a keystroke. 

With so many options, there are many ways to include geography in a child’s learning. 

How Did Charlotte Mason Teach Geography?

Charlotte Mason, Great Britain’s famous home educator advocated for the teaching of geography in three gentle but effective ways. Each of these methods puts geography into a context of the people culture of each land. 

Offer engaging Charlotte Mason geography activities for your homeschool with map study, drawing, and discussion. All of these are vital to a vibrant understanding of history.

Narration is an effective strategy for geography study if you use a living geography text. Simply Charlotte Mason recommends Material World and Hungry Planet: What the World Eats to get you started learning geography the Charlotte Mason way.

Mason’s method of using living books is the perfect geography instruction strategy. Reading delightful books that feature a strong geographic setting engages the reader’s imagination. For example, one year the boys and I were delighted to travel with Paddle-to-the-Sea through the Great Lakes. Nearly every quality literature book features geography in some way!

Think about where the Ingalls family traveled in the midwest in the Laura Ingalls series. Or how much the topography of Maine plays a role in books like One Morning Up in Maine and Mrs. Rumphius.  

Map work is essential to understanding geography. Kids need to know how to use a map or globe. I want my boys to have a general sense of where countries are located on the globe, where they are relative to other countries, and important topographic and climate features. Did that last sentence make you want to snooze? Me too! It’s easy to get caught up in the “teacher-speak” of learning, and forget that kids are not interested in the technicalities of why we do what we do. I love how Charlotte Mason-style education focused on practical application of knowledge.

It’s important to keep map work light and exciting for kids, allowing them to nearly immediately apply what they are learning to a discussion or activity. Build their knowledge base with these living lessons and activities. Then let that knowledge naturally extend in their older years into deeper conversations and connections. Here are a few ideas: 

  • Look up locations whenever you read a book. Maybe put a flag on a map to keep track of where all the characters from the books you read live! 
  • Do quick map drills to label certain sections of a printed map. Start with only a few labels and add more through the year as they master groups of map labels. 
  • Try a quick “show me, tell me” pointing game, or put chocolate chips or small cereal pieces on map locations and let kids eat the ones they can name. 
FUN hands on learning with Charlotte Mason Geography Activities

Charlotte Mason Geography Activities For Your Homeschool

And of course, geography wouldn’t be geography without… cartography! Drawing maps is another method we use to study geography in our homeschool. Sometimes we trace our printed maps, but other times, I like the boys to draw freehand maps and label important places. 

Engaging Charlotte Mason geography activities for your homeschool with map study, drawing, and discussion. All are vital to an understanding of history.
British Isles map skills - Engaging Charlotte Mason geography activities for your homeschool with map study, drawing, and discussion. All are vital to an understanding of history.

Often, they will draw maps that go along with a literature study. The missionary biographies from the YWAM Christian Heroes Then and Now series perfectly suits our geography studies, because there are titles from all over the world. I love how each book cover features a map of the country the missionary travels to. We can match these books up to so many Chalk Pastel video art lessons! 

Draw Great Britain, Scotland, and Ireland to go along with George Mueller. A map of China goes along with Hudson Taylor or Gladys Aylward. Outline Africa when reading about David Livingstone, C.T. Studd or Albert Schweitzer. Amy Carmichael’s and William Carey’s life may inspire a map of India painting.

Don’t forget about:

  • Italy
  • France
  • United States and Canada
  • Australia
  • Europe
  • South America
  • Antartica
  • Asia

Sometimes we draw maps to understand our Bible time. We have often discussed maps of where Jesus walked, the missionary journeys, or Mary and Joseph’s travels to Bethlehem and flight into Egypt. Learning the map of Israel is vital to a vibrant understanding of biblical times. In fact, map learning in general is vital to vibrant understanding of all history!

Engaging Charlotte Mason geography activities for your homeschool with map study, drawing, and discussion. All are vital to an understanding of history.
Draw maps of Bible times with hands on learning activities for your homeschool.
Engaging Charlotte Mason geography activities for your homeschool with map study, drawing, and discussion. All are vital to an understanding of history.

Maps can also help kids see the big picture of history. In our history, we follow a spiraling curriculum that cycles through three major segments of history: Ancient History, Medieval, and U.S. History. Each of these time periods have special focus on certain countries and areas of land. 

Drawing the land of Egypt and surrounding countries, my son was reminded of all we have studied in this year’s history topics! He even added some extra labels to the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea! We can’t wait to draw the Oregon Trail and the First Thanksgiving Voyage when we study U.S. History again! These are all perfect Charlotte Mason geography activities.

Draw a map of Ancient Egypt - Engaging Charlotte Mason geography activities for your homeschool with map study, drawing, and discussion. All are vital to an understanding of history.

Additional Charlotte Mason Geography Resources

Beyond mapmaking skills, learning a land’s important features and structures can also be part of geography study. We love studying picture atlases and fact-filled geography books that show us the major features of a country, the foods and animals native to that region, and other points of interest.

  • Children’s Picture Atlas (Usborne)
  • History Uncovered The U.S.A. (Usborne)
  • Children’s Discovery Atlas (Quarto Books)
  • See Inside Great Cities (Usborne)
  • Cathedrals by David Macauley
  • Pyramids by David Macauley
  • Castles by David Macauley

Usborne Books are fabulous resources both for picture atlases and other detailed books, like their lift-the-flap style See Inside Great Cities book. My youngest painted the Eiffel Tower with Nana after reading the Paris page of this book.

Eiffel Tower art lesson with Nana at You ARE an ARTiST.
Learn World Landmarks like the Eiffel Tower hands on art activities for your homeschool.

More landmarks:

Charlotte Mason geography activities can be closer to home too! Have younger kids draw maps of their home, their town, or even use map-making skills to plan a garden (real or make-believe).

For some creative geography fun, kids can draw maps of make believe lands like Narnia, the Hundred Acre Wood, or Middle Earth! This allows students to transfer their knowledge of real geography to an invented location. 

We really could spend all day pouring over maps and studying the features of the world we live in. After all, if we don’t have an understanding of where we live, how can we learn to appreciate the similarities and differences of people who live in far away and unfamiliar places? Study of geography is not just fascinating, but also helps us connect with and love other people in this world.

Enjoy these engaging Charlotte Mason geography activities for your homeschool. Map study, drawing, and discussion are vital to an understanding of history.

Julie is a teacher, writer and homeschool mom. Her blog Happy Strong Home shares encouragement for cherishing children, enjoying motherhood, and growing strong families. Discover homeschool resources, natural living tips, and family activity ideas. Julie has been featured on Million Praying Moms, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, and the Melissa and Doug blog. She offers writing workshops and a “homeschool neighborhood” community to support parents in their homeschool adventures. Find Julie on Instagram to be the first to know when new workshops and community events are available. 

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Travel the World with Chalk Pastels

Did you know that you can travel the world with chalk pastels? That’s right! Let Nana take you on a trip around the world with her World Landmarks series! This is the perfect addition to your homeschool geography lessons, world history lessons, or just because!

Travel the World with Chalk Pastels: Did you know that you can travel the world with chalk pastels? That's right! Let Nana take you on a trip around the world with her World Landmarks series! This is the prefect addition to your homeschool geography lessons, world history lessons, or just because! #YouAREAnArtist #chalkpastels #homeschool #homeschooling #homeschoolgeography #handsongeography #worldlandmarks #traveltheworldwithchalkpastels

This year there has been a big focus on geography for my older homeschool student. We’ve explored different countries using books, maps, cooking, documentaries, chalk pastel maps, and now chalk pastel world landmarks! There’s something wonderful about adding hands-on creative resources to an otherwise boring subject. Art can help brings those other subjects to life!

Travel the World with Chalk Pastels

Travel the World with Chalk Pastels

We have created a delicious culture around our chalk pastels.

Teatime.

That means that we incorporate lovely snacks, beverages, flowers, and sometimes candles around our chalk pastels. We’ve been doing it this way for years and it’s been an exquisite addition to our homeschool.

Sometimes we make our own treats, and other times we open a pack of snack cakes. No pressure here.

I picked the peonies fresh from our flower garden and added them to the table. Their beauty almost rivaled that of our art and they smelled heavenly!

Travel the World with Chalk Pastels

Travel the World and See the Sights

Once the table was set we were ready to dive into our trip around the world!

You may know that Nana already has Maps video art lessons that are available with the You ARE An Artist Clubhouse Complete Membership. The maps paired really well with our geography lessons throughout the year. The World Landmarks also paired well with our map lessons.

How so you may wonder.

Try pairing the Great Wall of China with the Map of China.

You could pair the Big Ben, the Cliffs of Moher, the Scottish Highlands, or Stonehenge with the Great Britain Map! Or you could make them a part of your Great Britain unit study. Aren’t those Scottish Highlands dreamy?

What about adding the Sydney Opera House to your next Australian study?

There are so many possibilities and the hands-on activity of chalk pastels helps solidify the geography knowledge we have acquired throughout the year. It was really awesome to hear my son tell me facts related to these different landmarks and the countries where they are found.

Thank you Nana!

Travel the World with Chalk Pastels You ARE An Artist Clubhouse Complete Membership

With the You ARE An Artist Clubhouse Complete Membership you’ll have access to 700+ chalk pastel lessons including all of Nana’s Maps lessons AND these World Landmarks:

  • Eiffel Tower
  • Taj Mahal
  • Scottish Highlands
  • Roman Coliseum
  • Sydney Opera House
  • Great Wall of China
  • Cliffs of Moher
  • Stonehenge
  • Big Ben
  • Volcano
  • Plus, more to come!

You’ll also have access to all of the American Landmark lessons including:

  • Golden Gate Bridge
  • Statue of Liberty
  • Mt. Rushmore
  • Liberty Bell
  • Washington Monument
  • Yellowstone Falls
  • Old Faithful
  • Civil War Cannon
  • Niagara Falls
  • Lincoln Memorial
  • Grand Tetons

Plus More to come as well – including I Drew It Then I Knew It companion workbooks for Maps, World Landmarks and American Landmarks.

Travel the World with Chalk Pastels
Stonehenge depicted by an 7 year old, 40 year old, and 13 year old!

Hands-On Geography with World Landmarks

 The World Landmarks Video Art Lessons are designed with upper elementary to high school students in mind, but as you can see from the Stonehenge image above, they can be accomplished by anyone regardless of age. No prior skill level is necessary.

There are oodles of reasons to love chalk pastels. Making geography and landmarks more fun is just the icing on an already delicious cake!

Now tell me, what World Landmarks would your children enjoy creating?

Travel the World with Chalk Pastels

Erin is a writer, blogger, and homeschooler to two intense kids. Her blog is filled with information to help you explore a child led education while making meaningful connections with your children. Discover favorite read alouds, seasonal books, games, art projects, hands-on activities, and learn to just breathe through the ups and downs of life. She loves nature, farm life, good books, knitting, new pens, and hot coffee. Erin is a contributing writer for Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers. Her work has also been featured on Simple Homeschool and Book Shark.