Road Map for Understanding Geography

Last week I pulled out an old geography tool I had used with my children 30 years ago to use with my grandson this summer. While homeschooling my two elementary children back in the day, we traveled with them in 40 of the 50 U.S. states. Almost as soon as they had crossed the state line from their home state to a neighboring state to visit friends or family, I would purchase a U. S. road map for each child at a local gas station and push pin it to their bedroom wall. Today with GPS and Internet map sites, you may find these maps unused in your own map collection or that of family or friends - outdated as far as road guides, but never outdated as a tool to teach geography - therefore free.

Before attaching the map to my children's wall, I unfolded it and helped them (they were usually about 2 years old) make colorful dots over our hometown and those of friends and relatives the child was familiar with. I outlined our home state in another color and helped the child color that state. I wrote the name of our friend or relative living near their dot.

Each time we planned to travel to visit these people or to see sites in a different state, we stood in front of the map and traced our route, discussing the names of states we would cross through. When we returned the maps were taken down off the wall and each state that had been visited was colored in its own color to distinguish its shape from adjacent states. As they got older they included other place names, more people and dates on their maps.

Several trips are planned this summer for my seven year old grandson, and he already has a number of states he could color in on his own map. This activity will help him become more aware of the size of the country, distance and time, and the unique aspects of each state he visits or has visited. Most important, he will understand why, "Are we there yet?" is a question that has limited relevance....won't he?

Copyright 2009 Creekside Education & Susie Williams

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