How to Teach Geography
Teaching Geography
There are certainly many different ways to teach geography to your students (and types of geography to teach and focus on), but is the way you’re teaching working? When we were students, and even in our first year of teaching, we noticed the traditional way of teaching geography wasn’t working. Typically with geography, students might be given a map to work with for a day or two, take a quiz, and once the quizzes were graded and handed back, the lessons would continue. There might not be any encouragement for students to build on their knowledge, and they probably forgot the information immediately. We didn’t see the point in that, so we decided to create our own teaching program which we call Geo-Power.
What is Geo-Power?
What makes Geo-Power different from the traditional teaching method? For one, this system breaks down different geographical locations over an extended period of time. Students build upon their knowledge by continuing to practice and review what they learned previously, while also learning new information. In the first school I taught at, I was able to see this firsthand. I taught 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Social Studies, so the year after doing Geo-Power with my 6th graders, I randomly asked my 7th graders about the 80 countries when we had extra time after a lesson. To my delight, they were still able to identify all 80 countries, even though it had been over 9 months since they had completed everything!
Using Geo-Power in the Classroom
How do you set this system up in your classroom? First, hand out the set of flashcards for the week, which contains only 5 countries. Students will cut out the cards to create their flashcards. You’ll display the review slideshow to help your students practice the new countries. Depending on how many countries you decide to cover, each round only covers 5 countries, so the amount of rounds may vary. Each round of flashcards typically spans 2 weeks, and once each one is complete, students are given a quick assessment quiz. As the program continues, students are responsible for up to 3 additional past rounds per quiz, up to 20 countries total that switch out on a rotating basis. When all rounds of geo-power are complete, there is a final exam.
Benefits of Geo-Power
Some may suggest that this program is unnecessary, given all the mapping tools we have today. However, in our experience, having these geographical locations memorized can be helpful in several important ways. This system gives students an easy study tool that they can not only use for review, but continue learning about these places as well. It can start discussions about different cultures and connect to other lessons students will learn about during the year. One of the best benefits is connecting with current events. When students have that baseline geographical knowledge, they can better understand where current events are happening and why those locations matter. Geo-Power will increase your students’ geography retention in a more fun and meaningful way!
Geography Resources
Originally, this was created to be a full-year program consisting of 16 rounds with 80 countries total, and you can find that bundle here. It includes all the flashcards, slideshows, quizzes, and exams you need to complete the program with no effort! However, we know not everyone can commit to the full program or may have different geography needs. Therefore, we’ve designed 3 smaller sets, and if you’re still not sure and want to try out our Geo-Power program before fully committing, we have a perfect freebie for you here! It contains one full round with flashcards, a slideshow, and a quiz!
Ancient Civilizations
This Ancient Civilizations geography set is a 6-round version with 30 countries. It includes all the necessary flashcards, slideshows, quizzes, and final exam with answer keys. It’s tailored specifically to Ancient Civilization curriculum and spans about 12 weeks.
United States History
Like the Ancient Civilization set, this US History geography resource is a 6-round program. It’s the perfect resource for US History teachers looking to add geography activities to their classroom.
Spanish Speaking Countries
Our Spanish-Speaking geography set is slightly smaller, with 4 rounds that cover 20 countries where Spanish is the official language. This no-prep bundle is a great addition to the secondary Spanish classroom!
If you liked this post on Geo-power, you can watch the corresponding video here, and if you’re looking for more teaching tips, consider our blog post on creative social studies teaching strategies.
Are you looking for some new teaching ideas to engage your students in your social studies class? If so, you’ll love our FREE guide: 5 Creative Projects to Ignite Student Engagement in Your Social Studies Class. These activities have both printable and digital options and can work for any social studies subject!
