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We are still working on building a solid grade curriculum and recently checked out and are very pleased with the Elementary Geography & Cultures pack that is part of the Masterbooks 4th Grade Curriculum package. This set comes with a lesson planner, Children’s Atlas of God’s World and Passport to the World.
First off, I love the fact that it comes with a parent lesson planner. While I could build my own lessons, it’s such a time saver to have it all laid out for you.
The Parent Lesson Planner includes:
- Weekly lesson schedule
- Student Worksheets
- Quizzes and Tests
- Answer Key
Each suggested weekly schedule has three easy-to-manage lessons which combine reading, worksheets and vocabulary-building. It’s designed to allow your student to be independent which is very helpful at times when there are multiple children that need to be taught individually. It also includes activities into the week, which I really like. I have a hands-on learning child and to be able to add the additional activities helps with learning for sure.
The materials in this resource are divided by section so you can remove quizzes, tests, and answer keys before beginning the coursework, and as always you are encouraged to adjust the schedule and materials as you need in order for it work best for your household.
What We Thought:
This book is designed to go long with the Children’s Atlas of God’s World and Passport of the World. The first semester covers Passport and the second semester is when you cover the Children’s Atlas. It has each week laid out in an easy to follow schedule, but like other schedules you can easily plan it to fit your families schedule. It has worksheets, activities and quizzes which makes for a well-rounded curriculum.
Passport to the World
Travel the World in the Comfort of Your Own Home
Here is an out-of-the-ordinary geographic journey of 26 language groups from Armenian to Zulu! Discover various cultures and customs, fill up your passport with stickers from the countries you visit, and learn that children from around the world are often a lot like you!
Did you know:
• The language journey began just over 4,000 years ago at the Tower of Babel.
• There is a huge slab of limestone in Bolivia that has some 5,000 dinosaur footprints.
• A traditional Christmas Eve dinner in Lithuania includes 12 dishes, one for each of the Apostles.
• All Bengali literature was rhymed verse if written before the 19th century.
What We Thought:
Passport to the World is a fantastic learning tool for learning. It takes kids on an adventure all around the world. At each “stop” they learn country facts, language, traditions, etc. It love that it’s broken down and not laid out as being overwhelming. It’s easy to understand and they actually walk away with retaining what they have learned.
Children’s Atlas of God’s World
A one-of-a-kind atlas that glorifies God, explores His creation, and honors His followers around the world!
Discover amazing wonders of God’s creation, including longest rivers, tallest mountains, and more.
Examine interesting factual details about Christian explorers, missionaries, and history makers.
learn about geographic features and how these were formed by the Flood, plate tectonics, and volcanic activity – plus other details of God’s amazing design.
The atlases that line the shelves of libraries and bookstores are filled with both evolutionary thought and secular worldviews. This atlas is packed with unique insights into Christian history makers and amazing landmarks. One will explore the design of ecosystems and biomes, great civilizations, and discoveries found around the world. The full-color, visually engaging book provides a dual purpose as an elementary curriculum and a valued reference tool.
Outline maps and facts regarding the seven continents are provided, as well as detailed maps and data of the featured countries. The comprehensive information provided for each focus country will bring to light their culture and traditions, holidays, exploration, legal system, and economic industries, as well as missionary accounts and other material to help children connect to people from regions around the globe.
We have loved this Atlas. It’s laid out in a very friendly manner and my boys often pick it up just to flip through. The photographs are beautifully done and it gives them wonderful highlights on the area. The back of the book features a glossary, biomes of the world, government systems, and holidays around the world. It’s great as a stand alone or as part of the curriculum.
All in all this is a well-rounded curriculum that we have been enjoying. It’s not over-whelming for them and the layout is very user-friendly. Even my four year old pulls out these books just to flip through and asks questions. If you don’t need the complete Geography & Cultures Curriculum, they are fantastic stand alone books as well!
