Learning Geography and Map Skills
Learning map skills can be a fun way to learn about the world. There are many hands-on learning experiences that lead to true understanding of the world, it's countries, political divisions and the ways that countries are divided up into states and provinces.
As a teacher or homeschooling parent you will find many resources here for teaching map skills from blank maps and lists to papier mache and playdough. Roll up your sleeves and learn about the world.
As a teacher or homeschooling parent you will find many resources here for teaching map skills from blank maps and lists to papier mache and playdough. Roll up your sleeves and learn about the world.
Table of Contents for Learning Map Skills
- Papier Mache Maps
- Blank Maps for Learning Map Skills
- Make a Map of the World
- Mapping the World by Heart
- Countries of Western Asia Chant
- World Map Puzzle
- Online Map Puzzle Games
- On-line Fun World Map Puzzles
- Mapping the World
- David Smith's Mapping.com
- Even 3 Year Olds can Learn Map Skills
- Maps Help you learn the Countries of the World
- More lenses for learning Map Skills and Geography
- Basic Map And Compass Skills
- Look Who's Twittering about Map Skills
- Map Skills Visitor Map
- Chat about the country you live in and how you learned Map Skills
- Meet the Author of this Mapping the World lens
Papier Mache Maps
Papier Mache turns Map Skills into Hands-on Learning Projects
Buy at AllPosters.com
Using Papier Mache to turn blank maps into relief maps is an excellent way to help children understand the meaning of the symbols and colors on a map. The following links show how this project could be done.
When homeschooling we used a large map of our state that we got from a yard sale. We built up the mountains with newspaper and glue made from flour and water and then dried it over a radiator. When it was throughly dry we painted the rivers blue and the mountains green. We covered the whole project with polyurethane.
1. One summer day we took it outside to run the hose over it to see how water flows downhill.
2. In the fall we drove up the valleys and across the mountains looking at the colors of the leaves and noted how our relief map compared with the actual layout of the land.
3. In the winter we went sliding and skiing on one of the mountains and another day went skating on one of the lakes.
4. In the spring we watched the banks of the river overflow as the ice broke and made ice jams. We saw that the water rose in the same way on our relief map when we had run the hose over it last summer.
Making a relief map was a hands-on experience that made the map skills we were learning come to life.
- Social Studies Project
Children from Mrs. Campbell's Fourth Grade class made papier mache relief maps.- Hands-On Map and Globe Activities
- Papier-Mache Relief Maps
* Layer paper mache over an outline map.
* Build up hills and mountains for a relief effect.
* Form waterways.
* Make sure that the map dries and paint. - Making a Papier-Mache Map
- Each student will draw the route that their world explorer traveled. The drawing will be used for the papier-mache map as a guide to build the landforms and shapes. The map should be drawn on graph paper following these steps:
Blank Maps for Learning Map Skills
Buy at AllPosters.com
We begin using a blank map in conjunction with a labeled map. We fill in all the names of the states or provinces and as we do we try to notice and comment on the words, spellings, things we know about each place in order to help us remember where each is located.
Next we take a new copy and try to label as many as possible without looking at the answers. When we have filled in as many as possible we use the labeled map to again fill in the rest.
When we can fill them all in we may add the capitals, rivers or other features.
Sometimes we cut apart the map by boundaries and put it back together as a puzzle.
- Blank Map of Africa
- Fill in the names of the countries of Africa. Can you use just four colors to color this map and not have any countries of the same color touching?
- Blank Map of the United States
- Fill in all the names of the States. Can you draw and label the major rivers and lakes?
- Blank Map of China
- Fill in all the names of the Provinces of China. Can you also draw in the mountain ranges and desert areas of China?
- South America Blank Map
- Blank Map of South America
Make a Map of the World
Most people find that it is important to be able to find or visualize countries of the world on a map or globe. If given a blank piece of paper, could you draw a fairly accurate map of the countries of the world? How about the states or provinces of your country?
Reader predictions:
Fetching predictions now... please stand by
Anne, at 3pm on May 27, 2009 predicts:
I come up with sayings to remember the placement of countries. When I had to remember the countries of Western Asia, I came up with "Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan blow, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Khazakistan above." That's not all of the countries, but then I just remember the ones around it.
groovyoldlady, at 10am on January 12, 2009 predicts:
Hahahahahahahahaha! Not me! Couldn't do it!
Jimmie, at 10am on January 11, 2009 predicts:
I would not do well with this type of task.
MindGuru, at 8am on January 7, 2009 predicts:
I find it easiest, when memorizing a map, first to cover one feature at a time. After that, then I can recreate the map or fill in a blank map more easily. Still, it's hard.
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Fetching predictions now... please stand byMapping the World by Heart
by David Smith
Photo Credit: Reading a Map
on Flickr, Creative Commons.
David Smith wrote a curriculum that helps children in 6th through 9th grade learn all of the countries of the world. By the end of the class they are able to draw a map of the world, with all the countries on a blank piece of paper. What an inspiration.
Mapping the World by Heart: An Innovative Approach to Learning Geography (Book & Video Cassette)
Amazon Price: $59.00 (as of 11/25/2009) 
"Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan below, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Khazakistan above."
Countries of Western Asia Chant
Photo Credit: Middle Eastern Map
on Flickr, Creative Commons.
Anne, one of our readers, submitted this chant for remembering the countries of Western Asia. Thank you so much Anne for sharing your creativity and helping us all learn a few more countries.
I come up with sayings to remember the placement of countries. When I had to remember the countries of Western Asia, I came up with "Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan below, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Khazakistan above." That's not all of the countries, but then I just remember the ones around it. - Anne
World Map Puzzle
Puzzles help children build map skills.
Children love to put puzzles together. As they assemble this world map puzzle they will be learning the continents and countries and their relationship to eachother. Try to spend time with your child putting the puzzle together. As you put each piece in try to recall something about that country.
For example: Here is France. Our great-grandparents came from France. Do you remember the book we read about making Apple Pie and seeing the world? France is where the cheese came from.
Examples like these will help your child learn not only the names of the places but also a bit of history and geography as well as some of your family history.
For example: Here is France. Our great-grandparents came from France. Do you remember the book we read about making Apple Pie and seeing the world? France is where the cheese came from.
Examples like these will help your child learn not only the names of the places but also a bit of history and geography as well as some of your family history.
Melissa & Doug World Map 33pc Floor
Amazon Price: $10.61 (as of 11/25/2009)
Online Map Puzzle Games
Online Click and Drag World Map Puzzles
Photo Credit: World Map
on Flickr, Creative Commons.
These free downloadable games are fun for the whole family. Choose to play competitively or just explore countries, capitals and continents.
- Educational Software from Owl & Mouse
- Educational software (free!) from Owl & Mouse Educational Software. Software and activities for learning, class projects, afterschooling, homeschool, and teachers.
On-line Fun World Map Puzzles
Learn the countries of the world and their capitals.
visited 18 states (8%)
Create your own visited map of The World or try another Douwe Osinga project
It takes just a couple of minutes a day practicing your map skills to learn all the countries in the world. My children loved these map puzzles. It is fun to sit down together and talk about the different countries as you help eachother put the countries back onto the map.
- Maps That Teach: Free U.S. and World Maps and Puzzles
- Learn United States and World geography with Maps that Teach. Free interactive maps to learn continents, countries, states, capitals, borders, physical features and cultural monuments.
- Create your own Visited Countries Map
- You can click on all the countries you have visited and it will give you the html to add the map to your webpage or lens.
Mapping the World
Do you have the Map Skills to Map the Countries of the World?
My prediction:
Evelyn_Saenz, at 5am on January 7, 2009 predicts:
Could you draw a map of the world on a blank piece of paper?
Reader predictions:
Fetching predictions now... please stand by
Ramkitten, at 12pm on October 31, 2009 predicts:
Hm, I THINK I could do a very rough job of it for the various continents and SOME of the countries, but there would a lot of open, unlabeled areas. And it sure wouldn't be accurate as far as the specific shapes of the boundaries.
bloomingrose, at 3am on October 26, 2009 predicts:
Not so well. I like what you are doing here, Americans need to know more geography.
MindGuru, at 8am on January 7, 2009 predicts:
Not without a lot of practice. First try would look like a bunch of blobs.
1 of 1 page
Fetching predictions now... please stand byDavid Smith's Mapping.com
- Welcome to Mapping.com
- Mapping.com provides extensive resources for educators, students, and anyone interested in expanding their geographic horizons.
Even 3 Year Olds can Learn Map Skills
C_Joy works with 3 year olds in a Montessori classroom and teaches us how three year olds can start to learn the shapes of the countries of the world while having lots of fun.-
Too Young For Scissors? Punch Outs Are the Answer!
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Students come into my Montessori classroom at age 3. A few have the fine motor skills to use scissors or hold a pencil correctly, but most are not yet ready. What they can do are paper punch outs! Using a simple push pin and a basic outline, you can...
Maps Help you learn the Countries of the World
Animaniacs - Nations Of The World
Watch and sing along as Wacko Warner points to all the countries of the world and sings the Nations of the World. By watching this video repeatedly or listening to the song in the car, our family had a great time learning the names of the countries. Soon we were able to write them in on a blank maps and hope to one day be able to draw a map of the world on a blank piece of paper.
powered by Youtube
More lenses for learning Map Skills and Geography
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All 50 States Group Headquarters
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If you were given a blank piece of paper and a pencil right now, could you name all 50 States? What about their capitals? Learning the 50 States and their capitals can be lots of fun. What follows are a wide variety of games, puzzles and activities...
Basic Map And Compass Skills
Photo Credit: Compass practice forest mapping
on Flickr, Creative Commons.
This site covers some of the basic elements and principles of map and compass use, but there's no way anyone can truly become proficient at one or the other or, better yet, both while sitting in front of computer or reading an orienteering book. Ongoing field practice is key, even if it's right in your own back yard.
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Basic Map And Compass
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I can't say there's just one thing you should never go without when heading into the backcountry--in fact, I have a whole list of what I consider essential gear--but a map definitely competes for the top spot on that list, and a compass isn&#...
Look Who's Twittering about Map Skills
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- historygirl27
- Ploughing through geo at the movies hoping for inspiration for map skills lesson for learning round tomorrow S1. Not area of specialism!
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- mairigrant
- mark was making fun of my geographical skills again. is it bad that the only city in the uk i can point out in a map is aberdeen..?
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- beccaarrLRprice
- revising agriculture in MEDCs/LEDCs, development, industry in MEDCs/LEDCs, interdependence, population, tourism, transport, map skills...
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- TeenaKP
- Teaching map coordinates skills today. Wishing I had ten sets of Battleship.
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- Joshhua
- I need a GPS although my map skills are second to none but its still hassle going up the M40 map in one hand scolding coffee between legs.
automatically generated by Twitter
Map Skills Visitor Map
Mapping Visitors to this site
Chat about the country you live in and how you learned Map Skills
Children in Costa Rica are studying a map. The skills that they learn will help them when they travel from the central valley over the mountains and down to the coastal areas on a field trip to study their country's geography.
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- Ramkitten Ramkitten Oct 31, 2009 @ 12:24 pm
- Hi, Evelyn. Thank you so much for including my map and compass lens here. I think those skills and knowing geography and navigation in general are really important. This is another great educational lens of yours, and I think there are plenty of adults who could use some of the exercises and projects you describe here. Heck, I could stand to do a puzzle of the world, myself! I once knew all the countries and their capitals too (had to for school), but I've forgotten too many over the years.
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- merylvdm merylvdm Sep 12, 2009 @ 7:42 am
- Nice lens - I am lensrolling you on my lens 'So - you want to teach your Kids Geography'. I learned my geography largely by traveling. And expanded on it when I started homeschooling and had to teach my kids. When we fly we always pour over the maps in the airline magazines and see where we are flying over and what interesting places the airline flies to.
When we are in the US doing road trips, each child has their own atlas and I will quiz them to see who can find the road you need to take between 2 cities, or which river runs through a certain town. They love to see who is best.
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- davidstillwagon davidstillwagon Sep 4, 2009 @ 1:51 pm
- terrific lens! 5*
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- theraggededge theraggededge Aug 9, 2009 @ 12:40 pm
- Good information - I like the idea of papier mache contour maps. We use Google Earth all the time... and our globe actually wore out! The kids loved to study it whille eating their lunch and would test each other on the location of countries and cities. Time to buy another.
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- poddys poddys Apr 9, 2009 @ 4:44 pm
- Really nice lens, 5*****. A great resource.
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Meet the Author of this Mapping the World lens
Evelyn's Hands-On Learning Blog.Find out what I'm up to when I'm not learning Map Skills.
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Evelyn Saenz: Lensography of a Teacher
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My passion is teaching and finding ways to teach children in fun, hands-on, creative ways. The unit studies I make on Squidoo reflect my view that learning should be integrated and no skills should be taught in isolation. I believe that each topic s...
by Evelyn_Saenz
My passion is teaching and finding ways to teach children in fun, hands-on, creative ways. The unit studies I make on Squidoo reflect my view that lea... (more)
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