IDEA SET
IDEA SET
Back to School
Back to School
Get ideas for incorporating geography into your classroom and helping students get to know one another.
Grades
K, 1 - 6
Subjects
Geography
Photograph by Mark Thiessen, National Geographic
Get ideas for incorporating geography into your classroom. Help students get to know one another at the start of the school year with place-based activities and projects.
Class Census
Give your students a class census to learn things about them that will be useful throughout the school year. Introduce the concept of a census. Then give students a questionnaire that tells you their name, birthday, the number of people in their family and their names, pets, favorite subjects, hobbies, sports, friends, and favorite foods.
Open House Activity
At the first open house or orientation, display a large map of the world. Have parents or caregivers mark where they or their ancestors are from. Investigate those places with your students during the school year.
Classroom Treasure Hunt
Help students quickly get to know the classroom and its rules. Create a simple classroom map. Then ask students to do several things, such as "Find the place where you would X." At each area, students can get a sticker and place the sticker on the map in the correct place. Go over students' maps later to see if they found everything
Classroom Map
Create a simple classroom map showing all the desks or tables in the room. Label each with students' assigned seats. Give each student a copy of the map to help them learn their classmates' names while practicing map skills.
Countries A to Z
Have students sit or stand in a circle. Throw an inflatable globe to one of the students. He or she should find a country beginning with the letter A and throw it in the air again. Repeat until students have gone through the alphabet. Have a list of countries A to Z handy in case students get stuck.
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Last Updated
October 19, 2023
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