Mapping
the World by Heart
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Recommended Resources for Teachers and
Homeschoolers
Here you will find links to
make it easy to order the curriculum, all kinds of geography resources,
atlases, books for children, books for adults, geographic video, and more.
Each link below will lead
you to the amazon.com page for that particular resource.
If America Were A Village Coming Soon
David Smith's new title, If America Were A
Village will be published this Summer. Read about it and
pre-order it here:
Oxford Atlas of the World A very impressive
atlas, packed with information, and kept scrupulously updated. Not
inexpensive, but an indispensable reference book.
Satellite Atlas of the World If you're looking
for a map, go elsewhere, but for stunning satellite imagery of different
parts of the Earth, and for what you can learn from such imagery, there's
nothing any better. Take a look at this in your local library, and then
buy one for your bookshelf.
The Statesman's Yearbook 2009 This is hugely
expensive, but there is no better resource anywhere for the politics,
cultures, and economies of the world
Statistical Abstract of the United States
2009 "The National Data Book"; this book has amazing data for all
sorts of exploration, reference, and mapmaking. Published by the
Census Bureau and the US Government Printing Office. Several different
bindings available.
Recommended Videos To Show To Students
Animaniac's Sing-Along: Yakko's World Steven
Spielberg's Animaniacs cartoon compilation that includes "Wakko's America"
(the 50 state capitals), and "Yakko's World" (the countries of the world,
located on a map as they are mentioned. An entertaining video, and for
older children, it's even fun to look for changes and omissions
Powers of Ten From the Films of Charles and Ray
Eames, geography at a universal and atomic level
Reader's Digest Children's Atlas Recommended ages
9-12; good maps and illustrations, and a "world fact" file. Also includes
projects, activities, and quizzes
Rand McNally's Around the World, An Atlas of
Maps and Pictures Recommended ages 4-8; regular "flat" maps, plus
maps in a perspective that looks like three dimensions; landscape scenes
at the bottom of each page help make the connection between the map and
the real place
Atlas of the World This atlas, from
Raintree-Steck-Vaughan, is a very inexpensive alternative if you want to
buy an atlas for each student in your class
The Geography Coloring Book A huge amount of
information about the world, constructed into a coloring book; some
problems with earlier editions have been corrected -- the maps are very
friendly, easy to use, and easily adaptable.
The Complete Book of Maps and
Geography Activities and lessons to help students learn about maps
and about the skills of geography. Aimed at grades 3-6, but relevant below
that target.
Children's Picture and Story Books
Owen and Mzee A Kenyan baby hippo is marooned by
the 2005 Tsunami; it finds comfort and friendship with a 130-year-old
tortoise.
Maps and Mapping For lower elementary; an
interesting look at maps and their components, including scale, contour,
symbols, and more
Small Worlds: Maps and Map-Making For upper
elementary; through numerous drawings and photos, the author helps clarify
what maps are, what they are for, and how to use them
As The Crow Flies: A First Book of Maps A clear
and simple"concept" book, presenting various animals and their
neighborhood, with one large map that links all the neighborhoods
together
Where Are You Going? To See My Friend A book for
Pre-Schoolers, and for older children or adults interested in Japanese.
Bilingual English/Japanese (each version starting from a different end of
the book)
Sami and the Time of Troubles Life in war-torn
Beirut. An appealing story about inner strength in the face of modern-day
conflicts.
My Rows and Piles of Coins A young boy in
Tanzania saves his coins; his goal is to buy a bicycle. A touching story
of a loving family
The House of Wisdom Highly
Recommended Young Ishaq wanders through 9th-century Baghdad's
packed marketplace, filled with curiosity, awed by the many different
people and languages. "They speak so strangely," he whispers to his
father. His father, a translator and scribe who works in the caliph's
library, the House of Wisdom, replies, "You may not understand them, but
that does not mean they have nothing to say."
World Team Children playing and practicing soccer
all around the world; this book addresses time zones, but is really about
the universality of soccer
A Life Like Mine What life is like for 18
children around the world; divided in to four sections -- Survival,
Dvelopment, Protection, and Participation
A Faith Like Mine Religion in the lives of
children around the world; thoughtful and gentle and clear.
Elizabeti's Doll Elizabeti, a Tanzanian girl,
watches her mother care for her new baby brother
Beatrice's Goat A young girl in Uganda gets a
goat from the Heifer Project; it provides milk to feed the family, and a
little extra to sell. Stunning illustrations
Material World Highly Recommended An
intimate look at the material possessions of families around the world;
the dirt house and bicycle of a family in Mali help us understand
something important about the world, especially when contrasted with the 4
automobiles and dozens of oriental carpets of a Kuwaiti family.
Hungry Planet Highly Recommended 30
families in 24 countries are
interviewed and studied to help us understand food in the world; from the
creators of Material
World, this is an inspiring, informative, and powerful look at food in
the world.
A Cool Drink of Water Highly
Recommended Water-gathering around the world; breath-taking
National Geographic photos
Hands Around the World Sub-titled: "365 Creative
Ways to Encourage Cultural Awareness and Global Respect"
Kids' Multicultural Arts Book Nice range of
interesting crafts and great suggestions for tweaking the activities for
different needs, levels, etc.
Cactus Hotel Highly Recommended The
entire life cycle of a single cactus; powerful environmental and nature
education
Children Just Like Me: Celebrations! Celebrations
around the world; photographs of children in traditional costume, and a
first person account of celebrations
People Around the World The people of many
countries and regions are discussed and described. Arranged by continents,
with maps.
Earthsearch: A Kids' Geography Museum Highly
Recommended A classic, and one of my favorites: covers everything
geographic, with 18 "exhibits" including "ancient" aluminum, foreign
coins, much more
Me On The Map "ME", in my room, my house, my
street, my city, my state, etc. The concept and power of maps for pre-K,
K, and 1st/2nd grades
Nine O'Clock Lullaby Highly
Recommended Time zones explained in a finely told story for young
readers
One World, Many Religions: The Ways We Worship A
sensitive and well-presented introduction to seven major religions:
Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism
Paddle-To-The-Sea Highly
Recommended The little carved canoe starts his journey in Lake
Nipigon, travels the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence, and ends up in France.
A classic
A Ride on Mother's Back: A Day of Baby
Carrying As her mother makes tortillas, a Guatemalan infant is
rocked in a shawl tied around her mother's body. Riding in a sling
balanced on his grandfather's hip, a young boy watches his father gather
honey in central Africa, etc.
Bread, Bread, Bread (Around the World) Shoes and
Hats and Bread can tell a lot about where you come from. Simple text and
dazzling photos reveal how people dress around the world. Nice enhancement
for studying world cultures in primary grades
Somewhere In Africa Ashraf lives in Africa, but
in a vital African city, not the Africa of "Lion King"
Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy A useful
reference book about Solar, Wind, Biomass, and Hydropower, but also
contains a lot of very useful and friendly tips about saving energy now,
with no investment in alternative sources.
The History, Psychology, and Pedagogy of Geographic
Literacy by Malcolm P. Douglass. A powerful basic overview from the
perspective of a professional educator. He covers subjects from the
Journal of Geography to Binet, Horace Mann, and the Geographic Alliance
Network
Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond. A
fascinating survey of human history on every continent. "History followed
different courses for different peoples because of differences among
peoples' environments, not because of biological differences among peoples
themselves."
Physical Geography: A Landscape Appreciation by
Tom McKnight. The Millennial Edition of this classic text; a clear
and tremendously informative presentation. The "Virtual Fiedtrip"
edition.
How To Lie With Maps by Mark Monmonier. One of
the classics of cartography, by one of the gurus.
Rhumb Lines and Map Wars by Mark Monmonier. The
story of the Mercator projection, its background and uses, and Monmonier's
response to the supposed issues brought up by Arno Peters in the 1950's.
Longitude by Dava Sobel. The story is grim,
marked by bloodshed, jealousy, despair, and death -- and it's about the
development of a workable system for finding your way around the Earth; a
best-seller for months; a great read
The Visual Display of Quantitative
Information Highly Recommended Not a geography book, but
it will help you understand how to create maps, charts, and graphs that
really do their jobs
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