My First Amazing Journey Around the World: A Fun and Practical Way to Teach Elementary Geography

Need an easy and engaging way to teach elementary geography in your homeschool? I have a great solution for you!

*I received complimentary access to this course, but am using it with my daughter and happily recommend it. Also, this post contains affiliate links; see disclosure for details.*

I recently mentioned Music in Our Homeschool’s My First Amazing Journey Around the World when I shared my 3rd grade curriculum plans. 

Now that we’re a couple of months into it, I’m excited to tell you more about the course. But before we jump into the details, let’s talk about why we’re using an e-course to teach elementary geography as a Charlotte Mason-inspired homeschool.

Why Geography Is a Great Subject to Study Online

I happily follow Charlotte Mason’s educational philosophy as the foundation of our homeschool. However, Miss Mason lived from 1842-1923 and learning online wasn’t a possibility in her lifetime. Because of that, CM experts who advocate online learning are often few and far between.

Even so, I don’t mind branching off and approaching some subjects differently than Miss Mason herself recommended. Geography is one of those subjects for us.

Don’t get me wrong, we’re still working through Charlotte Mason’s Elementary Geography, but teaching geography with the help of an online course is also working well for us. Here’s why:

1. It’s practical.

Understanding physical maps and certain geography concepts are important life skills, for sure, but it’s equally important to know how those geography skills fit into today’s technology. That’s why teaching elementary geography online makes so much sense.

Let’s face it, if you’re anything like me and my husband, it’s been years since you regularly used physical maps, brochures, or something similar to make travel plans and navigate a journey. No, we start with Google, YouTube, or Pinterest when we’re learning about new places and we turn to GPS or Google Maps when we’re traveling through them.

If these online tools are all such a regular part of our research, planning, and traveling for us as adults, it’s wise to familiarize our kids with them when exposure is optional and not needed for day-to-day life.

2. It adds variety to our weeks.

We do a lot of reading and, while we love every minute of our literature-based learning, my kids have always enjoyed the interactive components available through online learning. There’s not much room to add these elements in our other subjects, but teaching geography this way helps me mix it up a bit.

My youngest kiddo loves learning about countries and pretty much views online learning as a just for fun thing, so exploring the world through videos, activities, and interactive maps helps me sprinkle some fun into her weekly plans.

3. It teaches positive technology usage.

I shared how I’m using Trello for homeschool planning this year in an attempt to help my 9th grader practice using technology as a tool rather than a source of entertainment.

I’m doing the same thing for my youngest kiddo this year through My First Amazing Journey Around the World. Since it’s an e-course, it naturally promotes positive technology usage and gives kids practice navigating the internet (within the course itself) all while learning about other cultures and places.

My First Amazing Journey Around the World Overview

Now that you know why an online course can be such a good option for elementary geography, here’s what you need to know about My First Amazing Journey Around the World:

Through My First Amazing Journey Around the World, students follow a boy named Sam as he journeys from continent to continent and explores landmarks, cultural traditions, foods, and people from more than 60 countries.

Sam’s journey happens over the course of 132 lessons that use a combination of videos, printables, and recommended activities to teach about each travel destination.

My daughter loves this combination, but she also loves that she’s documenting her “travels” through her travel journal and passport. Both basically amount to notebooks, but they’re a creative way for her to write and draw her favorite points from the lessons.

Also, I sit with my seven year old as she completes the lessons, but you could easily use the course for independent work. In fact, it’s an ideal way to outsource geography. I just prefer to be with my kiddo while she works at this time.

Here are a few other things to note:

• The course reflects an evangelical Christian worldview and includes resource suggestions for learning about missionaries. 
• Book suggestions are included for each continent. :) 
• The whole family can get in on the fun with the recommended activities and recipes in each unit. 

Ready to learn more?

How to Preview My First Amazing Journey Around the World

Get all the details about My First Amazing Journey Around the World and preview a few lessons through the button below.

In closing, I wholeheartedly recommend My First Amazing Journey Around the World for elementary geography. Combining everyday geography resources with a Christ-centered viewpoint, it engages kids through a variety of resources, points to God’s love for all nations, and keeps kids wanting to learn more.

It’s a wonderful geography option for today’s Christian homeschool family and I’m grateful to have found it.