Fun Ways to Teach Geography with Poems and Play

Geography in Games

Geography doesn't have to be dull and my hope is that I can inspire you to realize what a fun subject it can be to integrate into your homeschool. An enjoyable learning activity you can do is play games and do geography related puzzles. Something I do for fun with the map-like puzzles is time the children doing them and see if they can break their record the next week. Wow, how quickly they can put those states in place after a few rounds! Some puzzles and games we like are:

• World Map - 200 Piece Discover & Learn Puzzle (World Geography)
• Melissa & Doug USA Map 51 pcs Floor Puzzle (USA Puzzle Map)
• Great States Game (American Geography/Facts)

Playing with Poems regarding Geography

A fun geography game you can play with your children is to read each paragraph from the poem below and then have your children try to find the place read about as quickly as possible on the map or globe. For example, after you read the first paragraph, they should try to find China, India and Italy. The more your children search the globe and maps, the more comfortable they will be with them and will be memorizing locations in no time (and with no pain)! It will be natural for them… After a month of this kind of interaction you will see a drastic improvement.

Good Things From Distant Places

Tea is brought from China; 

Rice from Carolina, 

India and Italy— 

Countries far beyond the sea. 

Coffee comes from Mocha; 

Wholesome Tapioca 

Is from the West Indies brought, 

Where the Humming-birds are caught. 

That same land produces 

Fruits of richest juices; 

Shaddocks, Oranges, and Limes, 

Ripen in those sunny climes. 

Tamarind and Guava, 

Pine-apples, Cassava 

(Or the Tapioca bread), 

There are in profusion spread. 

Who would get the Sago

Far as India may go;

There the Cocoa-nuts are growing,

There the skies are fiercely glowing.

Indigo for dyeing

Is of her supplying;

Lofty Palms you there may view,

With the feathery Bamboo.

Shawls so rich and handsome, 

Diamonds worth a ransom, 

From the same far country brought, 

Are by wealthy people bought. 

Ceylon's balmy island 

Long hath furnished my land 

Both with Cinnamon and Pearls, 

Worn by dames and pretty girls. 

Pepper, which so nice is, 

Cloves and other spices, 

We receive from Indian isles, 

Distant many thousand miles. 

Sugar so delicious, 

Arrow-root nutritious, 

Are eonvey'd, I here protest, 

From the Indies East and West. 

Plantain and Banana

Grow in hot Guiana;

There the Chocolate is found—

Parrots in the woods abound.

Books that you may read in, 

This fact are agreed in, 

That Peru and Mexico 

Gold and Silver have to show. 

White and fleecy Cotton 

Grows full many a spot on 

In North and South America, 

India, and Africa. 

Many a one who tarries

For a while at Paris

Buys the treasures of the place,

Toys and trinkets, gloves and lace.

by Sarah Coleridge

Globe, Lute and Books by Gerrit Dou

Playing with Poems regarding

Geography & Vocabulary

You can try something different with the poem below, have your children find a sample of the terms written below as you read each line. For instance, in line one, have them point out an island on the map, a peninsula, a continent and a cape. If they don't know what they are then this is a good time to gently teach them. Older children can write down the words as vocabulary and look up the definitions in the dictionary. In the third line they can find some rivers, lakes and waterfalls (you will need a physical map for this one). I think you get the picture…

Geography (A Poem)

Islands and peninsulas, continents and capes,

Dromedaries, cassowaries, elephants and apes,

Rivers, lakes and waterfalls, whirlpools and the sea,

Valley-beds and mountain-tops - - are all Geography!

 The capitals of Europe with so many curious names,

 The North Pole and the South Pole and Vesuvius in flames,

 Rice-fields, ice-fields, cotton-fields, fields of maize and tea,

The Equator and the Hemispheres - - are all Geography!

 The very streets I live in, and the meadows where I play,

Are just as much Geography as countries far away,

Where yellow girls and coffee boys are learning about me

One little white-skinned stranger who is in Geography!

by ~ Eleanor Farjeon

A Geography Notebook

Lastly, if you would like to place some "professionalism" on the subject, you may want to make a geography notebook for the children and they can place any geography related activities you do in there. This would also be a great place to record their "puzzle times" as mentioned above and any other map activity, vocabulary or geography related work. This type of organization gives some mothers the assurance that there is truly a "geography" subject being taught in their home and the binder is the evidence. You can also have the older children copy a few verses from the poems each day and include those in the geography notebook too. Something that I include in my geography notebooks is the list of books we read pertaining to that subject as well. Just keep the notebook handy for those times when a little lesson is in order...

Click here for our Geography Related Picture Book List

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