M is for Maps

M is the letter this week for the ABC's of homeschooling meme. M is for Maps!

We love maps in this house! My favorite subject when I was in school was geography and well I think the kids are following my passion. When I was in high school I was a People to People Student Ambassador and had an opportunity to visit Australia/New Zealand and England/Ireland/Whales. My kids love looking at my pictures, videos and souvenirs from my trips. Their favorite souvenir is my Didgeridoo, which they love to play.


We can learn so much from maps. They not only teach us about geography but also climates, cultures, history animals and more. So we have started a collection of maps and map unit studies for our homeschool classroom.Gwyn already knows some of her states and countries (proud mama here).

Here are some of the maps we have so far and how we plan to use them:

Our Wallie USA Map - The States come off and can be matched up.
Rowyn matched these so they are little crooked, lol.

Our GA Map with the State Parks and Historic Sites marked. Once we laminate it
we are going to put pushpins on the places we have visited.

Our Globe.

Some map resources I've found:
1) Wallies Peel and Stick Wall Play Mural, US State Map - $21.99
2) Currclick Audio States and Capitals - $12.99
3) Currclick 50 States of USA Unit Study - $1.99
4) Unit Studies by Amanda Bennett - Expedition Series 7 Unit Studies - $50.00
5) How the States Got Their Shapes (See all Social History Books) - There is also a show on the History Channel check it out Tuesdays at 10 pm.
6) KidsGeo.com - FREE

Just today I read this great post on a blog I frequent called "The Homespun Life." She uses Google Earth to teach her children about their local downtown area, read more here. What a great idea!

Rowyn matching the States up!

Share how you use maps in your homeschool!