Are your students able to locate their place in the world? Can they demonstrate a basic understanding of world geography?
From knowing their address to identifying the planets, kids need this important foundation for future global learning experiences.
Download our free interactive Flip Book, and continue reading to learn how we use it and to find supporting resources.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. By clicking through and making a purchase, we receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. All proceeds help support our free global education website. Thank you!
We start introducing the “me on a map” concept at the beginning of the year using a variety of picture books.
Starting in their home, and then zooming out with a bird’s eye-view to their city, state, country, continent, and planet students begin to understand just how small our own slice of the world is.
Next, students complete their Me on a Map Flip Book to record their own place in the world. Starting with the concrete (their home) and moving to the abstract (space), students create a helpful reference tool they can use all year long.
Directions: Print, cut & staple across the top!
After students complete a section of the flip book with their own information, we dive deeper into each topic through additional books and activities. (Suggestions below. Be sure to Pin It! for later.)
For example, we compare different types of homes from around the world, learn interesting facts about global cities and U.S. states, discover the diversity of countries and continents, and explore the characteristics of Earth and other planets.
We like to leave resources accessible to the students – encouraging individual and small-group investigations.
✪ Read/Listen/Watch Homes of the World – TIME for Kids
✪ Construct models of different homes using materials around the room or a building set like K’NEX.
✪ Click here for a quick refresher on the difference between towns and cities.
✪ Compare the town or city you live in with a global city you read about. How are they similar? What makes them different?
Add in Puzzles & Games for some hands-on learning!
✪ Explore countries on our website, and give the challenges a try!
✪ Learn about more countries with National Geographic Kids.
✪ Explore the planets on the NASA Science website. Click the “More” tab at the bottom of the page to get an overview and interesting facts. So much good stuff to discover!
✪ Create a Solar System coloring book with these NASA Coloring Pages.
