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January 3, 2006 - by Terri Johnson, author of
Homeschooling ABCs (www.homeschoolingabcs.com
) -
dedicated to helping new homeschoolers gain the
confidence and the necessary skills to successfully teach
their children at home.
Geography...
The Lost Piece of the History Puzzle
Macedon… Carthage… Pompeii… Gaul… These are places of
historical significance, but you will no find them on any
globes or current maps around your home. Why? It is because
they no longer exist. Does this mean, then, that we do not have
to bother with knowing their locations?
To the contrary. The “where” of history is just as critical to
the story as the “who” and “when”. To close our eyes to
geography while studying history is very similar to learning
math without manipulatives. It can be done, but it leaves holes
in the complete picture, very much like putting together a
puzzle without all the pieces. History is like a puzzle - the
way that it all fits and connects together. People, events,
artifacts and literature are all pieces in that puzzle. And so
are the places.
Yet geography is a subject that many parents feel inadequate to
teach. We often do not remember much from our own geography
lessons and a sincere question from a curious, up-turned face,
such as “Where is Gaul?” can feel quite intimidating. It can be
challenging enough to find Green Bay on a map, much less Gaul
which no longer exists.
Are you like me when reading a fascinating book? You keep your
thumb on the map page of the book so that you can continue to
refer back to it as the story unfolds. For me, it does not
matter if it is Middle Earth or Mitford; I like to see where
the characters are going. The story seems to come more alive
for me when I can visualize the movements of the characters and
the places that they frequent and travel.
It is the same with history. The story simply makes more sense
when you know the locations and movements of the main
characters. Maps
and the study of geography alongside history will actually give
you clues as to why events happened as they did. It is like the
piece of the puzzle that helps the whole picture to make
sense.
Have you ever wondered why Hannibal and
his elephants were able to sneak up and surprise the Romans so
completely?
And why was Greece, such a small country, able to defend
themselves against the repeated attacks of the mighty
Persians?
Have you ever wondered about Jonah? He is told by God to go and
preach in Nineveh, so why does he set sail for Tarsus
instead?
You have heard that Alexander the Great conquered the whole
known world. Exactly how large was this
territory?
These are just a few mysteries from the ancient world, but
there are mysteries like this throughout history and they can
only be solved through studying geography. Here are a few more
from medieval times:
Why did the Byzantines consider
themselves Roman and yet speak Greek instead of Latin?
Why was printing with movable type invented in the Rhineland
and what does this have to do with the fall of Constantinople
in that same year?
Have I peaked your curiosity a little? The joy of homeschooling
is in finding these answers for yourself, but I will go over a
couple of these with you in a little bit.
First, here are some statistics from a survey done by National
Geographic:
1. 1 in 10 young Americans could not locate his country on a
blank map of the world.
2. Only 13% of young Americans could find Iraq on a map of the
Middle East/Asia.
3. The majority of the young people surveyed knew that the
Taliban and Al-Qaeda were based in Afghanistan, but only 17%
could find that country on a world map.
So how does a home-educating parent incorporate geography into
a history lesson? With a few simple tools and resources on
hand, the task can become quite painless, even enjoyable. One
key to remember, however, is that it is perfectly acceptable to
learn geography alongside your students. You do not have to
have all the information or answers ready in advance.
Investigating the answers together can be a rewarding and
bonding experience.
Before reading an historical account, whether from an
encyclopedia, a biography or a work of literature, make sure
that you have on hand a globe, a wall map and an historical
atlas. Other helpful tools include outline maps (preferably
historically based) and a timeline (any format will do - wall,
book or computer software). You may be wondering why a timeline
is recommended for incorporating geography into history when
this tool focuses more on the “when” aspect of history? A
timeline will allow your student to see what was happening in
other parts of the world at the same time as the event that he
is studying.
Okay, now you are ready with your supplies, so how do you do
it? Let us take for our example the Punic Wars between Rome and
Carthage. After reading about this event in your history book,
you will want to go to your wall map to see where in the world
this war took place. Next you go to the globe to get a better
perspective, because a globe is not distorted like a flat map.
As your student touches the upper boundary of Italy, he notices
something - raised mountains. You tell him that those are the
Alps - the highest mountain range in Europe. He is beginning to
understand why that wall of mountains provided the Romans with
a false sense of security on their northern border. Really, why
would the Carthaginians travel all this way over land, when
they are masters of the sea? As he begins to color his
blackline
map, he can understand further still why all Roman eyes
were to the south and the sea - the most direct attack route
from Carthage. Suddenly, he begins to understand the
brilliantly executed plan of Hannibal who led his elephant
army right into the middle of Italy unchallenged. The
geography piece of the puzzle has been placed.
Here is another example. You probably know the story of Jonah.
Jonah is told by God to go to Nineveh to preach repentance and
the forgiveness of sins. Instead, he goes on a deep sea
adventure. Why? First of all, Nineveh is part of the Assyrian
Kingdom which has often attacked Israel’s borders. Captured
enemies of Assyria were often flayed alive; they liked to see
their adversaries suffer. It is naturally understandable why
Jonah would fear going to Nineveh, but we cannot ignore the
fact that God commanded Him to do so. But as you know, Jonah
refuses. In fact, stubborn and scared, he boards a ship instead
that is sailing for Tarsus. And where in the world is Tarsus?
It was located on the southwestern tip of Spain. This was
considered the end of the world at that time. In other words,
he intended to travel as far as possible in the opposite
direction. Surely, God would never find him there. Well, of
course, He does and gently persuades Jonah to reconsider. He
does and eventually goes to Nineveh, preaches forgiveness and
the Ninevites repent of their wicked ways. Another geography
puzzle piece placed.
If you have a student in 4th or 5th grade, you will want to
begin to use a timeline. Putting
together a timeline
will help your child to make connections between seemingly
unrelated events. (I would suggest that you use a blank timeline that your child
completes himself. A pre-printed timeline can be fascinating to
adults, but it will not help your student make the
connections.) Is there a reason why the American Revolution and
the French Revolution are only a few years apart? Could there
be a connection? You bet there is!
Most home-educating parents agree that a timeline is a good
idea, but many are unsure where to start. There are a lot of
good products on the market, some of which we carry. There are
wall timelines,
book timelines and
timeline software.
If you would like to create your own timeline, click here for an
article on how to build one yourself. If you would
prefer to purchase one pre-made, click here for more information.
You can also find timeline figures at the link above.
The use of maps and timelines completes the history picture. It
fits the final pieces into the puzzle, giving a clearer overall
perspective of the story. Do not allow insecurity to keep you
from teaching geography alongside history. Without it, the
scene developed in your students’ imaginations may be dull and
flat. With it, their imaginations may “pop” with vibrancy, and
their fascination with the subjects of history and geography
may soar to a new level.
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