Monday, June 10, 2013

Memoria Press: Geography I {Schoolhouse Crew Review}

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If you're looking for a Geography curriculum in which the primary goal is for your child to be able to master the identification of countries and their capital cities, then Geography I from Memoria Press is a must see!
 
Memoria Press sent members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew their Prima Latina and Geography I curricula. Our family received Geography I to review.
 
I was already familiar with this excellent company since my oldest completed Prima Latina, Latina Christiana I, and Latina Christiana II several years ago. Naturally, I expected great things with their geography products. I wasn't disappointed in the least!
 
Geography I is suitable for students following a classical education and is intended for children in grades 4 and up. This curriculum covers the geographical areas of the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe -- basically the area that made up the ancient Roman Empire. The set includes:
  • Geography I Text  $14.95
  • Geography I Workbook  $11.95
  • Geography I Teacher Guide  $12.95
  • United States Review Student  $5.00
  • United States Review Key, Quizzes, and Tests  $7.95
 
For the best value, you can purchase the entire set for $48.00. However, each book can be purchased individually for the prices listed above.
 
 
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Before your child jumps into Geography I, it is recommended that he complete the included United States Student Workbook first which reviews in detail states and capitals. It's assumed that your child has previously studied states and capitals with Memoria Press. Even if he hasn't, using these books won't be a problem.

States in this book are learned by region:
  • New England States
  • Middle Atlantic States
  • Great Lakes States
  • Southern States
  • Plains States
  • Rocky Mountain States
  • Southwestern States
  • Pacific States
 
 This workbook is only 25 pages long and is divided into 4 sections:
  • Section I - Student identifies states by region on maps.
  • Section II - Student matches capitals of all 50 states by region.
  • Section III - Student provides name of state based on its capital and labels maps by region.
  • Section IV - Student identifies states and capitals by referring to numbers on a map.
 
 I had my fifth grade son use this book for review, even though he wasn't the one completing Geography I. It was a great review for him, and really it was more learning than review since he'd never formally memorized states and capitals. He's still in the process of complete mastery. :)
 


 

The meat of this curriculum is the study of the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe, and I gave these books to my eighth grade son who'd been complaining that he didn't have enough geography in his schedule. We mostly do geography on Fridays which consists of doing one map based on our history lessons for the week. I do admit that when time is an issue, geography is the subject that gets cut. Geography I has really been great for my son!

This curriculum is so much more than identifying countries and capitals. Before your child even begins filling in information on a map, he reads an introduction to the country being studied. For each country, your child will learn about interesting facts such as resources, climate, and population. Also for each country, "History's Headlines" spotlights the role the country played in history, and "Tour of Today" captures the present. Comparing the past and present of a country's history really deepens understanding and helps your child see the whole picture.



My son studied about 3 countries per week, and for each country he did the following:
  • Read about a country in the student text
  • Filled in information in the student workbook (country, capital, ancient name, fun facts)
  • Labeled a map of the country including bodies of water and surrounding areas
  • Completed review pages
  • Took a quiz

Following this schedule, your child could finish the book in about 20-25 weeks, give or take a few weeks depending on how much time he would need to study for quizzes and tests.

To see the high quality pages for yourself, you can click the link to view a sample of the text, the Table of Contents, and a workbook sample.

Many black and white photos and illustrations are included in the student text, but there's an option on-line to be able to view all of the images in color!
 
If you plan to use this curriculum for more than one child, you will need to purchase a separate workbook for each child. Pages in the workbook are not reproducible. Only tests and quizzes in the Teacher Guide can be copied for multiple use.

My son completed the entire Middle East section and says he really likes this geography curriculum. The workbooks are attractive and high quality. Information is clearly presented and follows a predictable format. I, too, am very satisfied with this curriculum, and I think children of all learning styles would do well using these books. I will definitely choose Memoria Press to meet our future geography needs!


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1 comment:

wodaking said...

I love your review! Geography often gets the cut around here too. :P I didn't see the link to the full color pictures until you pointed them out. Thanks!

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