Early Years, World Geography--Where R We?

Week 1 Africa-We will discuss that Africa is the second-largest continent and has the Sahara desert which is the biggest desert in the world, Africa is the hottest continent with deserts covering 60% of its surface.  We will look at pictures of Lake Victoria the 2nd largest freshwater lake in the world and the Nile River is the longest in the world. We will find these on a map.  We will talk about what a biome is and which ones are in Africa. We will also look at some animals that call Africa home.

Week 2  Australia-We will discuss on Australia is the smallest continent in the world. It is a continent and a country.  We will also discuss how it is considered an island.  We will look at pictures of Uluru or Ayers Rock and the Great Barrier Reef.  We will look at animals that call Australia home plus talk about how Australia is home to some of the most dangerous animals like the box jellyfish and we will show pictures and discuss some of these animals. We will also talk about some of their funny words and play a game to see if they can learn a few of them.

Week 3  Asia-This continent is the largest continent and it has the largest country China.  There are 48 countries in Asia, we will see a list of the top 10 and also talk about some of the other countries that are included in this large continent.  We will discuss the Yangtze River it is located in China and the 3rd largest in the world. The travelers will find the Himilayan mountains and find Mt. Everest.  Some other areas of interest will be the Gobi Desert, the Caspian Sea, and Borneo. We will talk about the animals specifically the difference between an Asian elephant and an African elephant and the Komoda Dragon which is so large it can eat a buffalo.

Week 4  Europe-This continent is the second smallest in size but the third largest in population.  We will discuss why we think this and what all there is to discover in Europe.  This continent has 50 countries, the largest in Russia.  Moscow is the capital of Russia and the largest city within the continent of Europe. The Vatican is the smallest continent in Europe and the world. We will locate and discuss the Alps, Volga River, the longest in Europe, Mt Elbrus in Russia, and Croatia the smallest town in the world.  Five out of the top ten tourist destinations are in Europe we will locate each one of those five. We will also look at the animals in Europe.

Week 5  North America-This continent has 23 countries, not the just USA.  The biggest country is Canada and the smallest is St. Kitts and Nevis. The travelers will locate the Missouri River and the Mississippi River.  They will also discuss Mt. Denali which was called Mt. McKinley until 2015.  We will locate some of the biggest cities in North America, Mexico City, New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, and Toronto.  We will discuss that the United States has 50 states and the country is the United States but it is located in North America.  We will view pictures and postcards from many of the places in North America.  The travelers will share animals that they might have seen that live in North America.

Week 6  South America-There are 12 countries in South America, Brazil being the largest. The Amazon River is located in South America it is the 2nd longest river in the world and has some interesting fish in it.  Some of the places we will talk about in South America are Angel Falls in Venezuela, Macchu Picchu in Peru, the Andes, the Amazon River Basin, and the Atacama Desert.  We will again look at what animals live in South America.  South America has many endangered species, we will talk about what endangered means.

Week 7  Antarctica and the Southern Ocean-This continent is the coldest continent and is completely ice-covered and surrounded by the Southern Ocean. A strange fact is that this is the driest continent. It is an icy desert with very little rainfall throughout the year.  This is the least populated continent and most people are live and work in the research stations. There are 18 countries that send researches to this continent to perform research.  We will talk about the few animals that live in Antarctica. A fun fact about Antarctica contains 90% of the world's ice and more than 90% of the freshwater.

Week 8 We will be diving into different countries at this point and discovering some interesting facts about each one.  The first country we will study is The United States.  We will ask questions and find out fun things like Alaska was once owned by Russia and that New York City has more people living in it than 40 of the 50 states.  I will show postcards of different places from all over the United States.  There will be a review game at the end to help learners remember the lesson.

Week 9 Canada, where is Canada located?  We will learn a little bit about its history and what it is famous for.  What famous landmarks can we find in Canada? What animals will we find?  Canada has many things to offer but one of my favorites is its maple syrup.

Week 10 Mexico, where is Mexico? Mexico has the 2nd longest border in the world, their official language is Spanish.  There are more people who speak Spanish in Mexico than in Spain.  Many people go to Mexico to explore and enjoy their beaches and food.  Also, Mexico is one of the most bio-diverse countries on earth. The country has the most reptile species in the world housing over 700 reptile species and has the second most (over 430) mammal species globally.

Week 11 China, this the most populated country in the world.  What can you see in  China?  Let's explore The Great Wall, The Terracotta Soldiers, or visit The Forbidden City.  China also has delicious food like dumplings and mooncakes.

Week 12 Russia, did you know Russia is the largest country in size in the world.  The Bering Strait separates Russia and the United States of America by only 51 miles.  

Week 13 Japan, lots to explore and delicious food.  Japan is the only country in the world to have reigning emperors.  My favorite animal in Japan is the snow monkey.

Week 14 Ireland and The United Kingdom.  The United Kingdom is a country belonging to the European continent that includes four separate countries on the British Isles: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.  

Week 15 Spain and Portugal are fun countries to visit.  They have lots of celebrations and festivals, my favorite is the running of the bulls, and the Tomatina festival.   This is like a big tomato fight.   

Week 16 Italy.  Italy is a peninsula.  It has delicious food, my favorite is pizza.  It also is a neighbor to the smallest country in the world The Vatican City.  

Week 17 France, the capital is Paris.  There is lots to see in Paris, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Montmartre, Arc de Triomphe, the river Seine, the Louvre Museum and many other great attractions. 

Week 18 Switzerland and Austria.  What is there to do for fun in Switzerland? Zip lining and various aerial adventure parks as well as the Glacier Express train, which runs through the scenic mountain landscape, can be accessed in the center of Switzerland.

Week 19 Germany.  The capital of Germany is Berlin.  It has 3.5 million people living in the city.  It is not only their capital but their largest city in the country.  I would like to hike in the Black Forest in Germany.

Week 20 Belgium, The Netherlands, and Luxembourg. Belgium belongs to the Benelux countries which include: Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. Belgium has a king and a royal family. King Philippe and Queen Mathilde have four children. The name 'Netherlands' means 'lowlands' as most of the country is flat land that is located slightly above or at sea level, while about one quarter of the country is even below sea level. 



I plan on this being an ongoing class and there might be additional classes added as we go on our journey to discover the world.

I have taught history for over 22 years. I have taught several different types of classrooms with my classroom being as small as one to a classroom of as many as 50 to a classroom. I have taught several subject matters of history and geography.  I enjoy teaching younger children and encouraging them to learn history and geography. 

There will not be homework but I will have a worksheet or a coloring page each week.

There is no assessment.

25 minutes per week in class, and maybe some time outside of class.

There will be worksheets or coloring sheets each week.