Check out these homeschool map skills activities using chalk pastels! They are perfect for helping kids learn about maps and how maps work. You’ll need a set of chalk pastels, a pack of construction paper, and your You ARE An Artist Clubhouse Membership!
The Power Of Map Skills For Children
Spatial thinking is an important development for children. Map skills in young children are as vital as building blocks and puzzles for a young mind because all of these help build spatial awareness. Map drawing, or cartography, is a skill that gets better with practice. As my children get older, I like to incorporate map tracing and even freehand drawing as they learn about different geographical areas. This method has helped them retain information that otherwise would have remained in their books.
Did you know that Charlotte Mason encouraged geography activities, including map study? Ms. Mason believed that children would better understand their history lessons by drawing and discussing maps!
Homeschool Map Skills Activities and Lessons
You ARE an ARTIST has a wide array of map skills video art lessons! With the You ARE An Artist Clubhouse Membership, you’ll have access to over 700+ art lessons, including:
Italy
France
The United States and Canada
Australia
Europe
South America
Antarctica
Asia
Africa
China
India
Japan
Great Britain, Ireland, and Scotland
But the maps don’t stop there! Your children can draw their way across Ancient Egypt and the surrounding area and explore U.S. histories like the Oregon Trail or the 13 Colonies! How about traveling through the fantasy lands of Middle Earth, Narnia, or the Hundred Acre Wood? Plus so much more!
Additional Homeschool Geography Resources
There are so many excellent chalk pastel lessons, no matter what geography you are studying. Nana’s got you covered. You can pair these beautiful lessons with Nana’s history or landmarks lessons to create a richer learning adventure!
TheseAmerican Landmarks would pair well with American History and Geography:
Grand Canyon
Golden Gate Bridge
Statue of Liberty
Mt. Rushmore
Liberty Bell
Washington Monument
Yellowstone Falls
Old Faithful
Civil War Cannon
Niagara Falls
Lincoln Memorial
Grand Tetons
These World Landmarks would pair well with Ancient History, Middle Ages, Modern History, and Geography:
Eiffel Tower
Taj Mahal
Scottish Highlands
Roman Coliseum
Sydney Opera House
Great Wall of China
Cliffs of Moher
Stonehenge
Big Ben
Volcano
Plus, more to come!
For example, when studying World War II, we paired the Great Britain map with the Big Ben world landmark, the Winston Churchill lesson, and the WWII helmet!
Map Skills for Kids
Nana’s maps have opened up a whole new world for us regarding spatial thinking and the overall scope of drawing maps that coincide with our history and geography studies. Chalk pastels are fun to use, and they also give us a colorful and hands-on way to dig deeper into our current interests.
I love all of the skills we’ve acquired, and my son loves that his cartography has improved. Have you tried adding Nana’s maps to your homeschool lessons yet?
Erin is a writer, blogger, and homeschooler to two intense kids. Her blog is filled with information to help you explore a child led education while making meaningful connections with your children. Discover favorite read alouds, seasonal books, games, art projects, hands-on activities, and learn to just breathe through the ups and downs of life. She loves nature, farm life, good books, knitting, new pens, and hot coffee. Erin is a contributing writer for Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers. Her work has also been featured on Simple Homeschool and Book Shark.
Yes, you can use art to teach history! No matter what time period you are studying in your homeschool history curriculum, Nana’s I Drew It then I Knew It video lessons are the easy – and fun – way to learn important parts of history. Enjoy a library of history video art lessons to match all four history cycles no matter what homeschool history curriculum you are using. Nana does the teaching and all you need are very minimal supplies. It is super easy to get started in chalk pastel art.
The Practical Benefits of Adding Art Lessons to Your Homeschool History Curriculum
Just why would you want to have art lessons to go with your homeschool history curriculum? Nana shares an example: “…let’s take our pastels and paint the Roman Coliseum. We can use all the reds, golds and orange to make a wonderful pastel painting. While we paint, we chat about where the Coliseum was built, when, and what it was used for. Then a while later, a question comes up about the Coliseum. The artist student remembers the painting, and, most importantly, the chat about facts on this classic Roman treasure!”
Here are four practical benefits of adding art lessons to your homeschool history curriculum:
Learn history in an engaging way! In the You ARE an ARTiST Complete Clubhouse, Nana has a series of ancient, medieval, early American and modern art lessons to match your homeschool history curriculum.
“This is the quietest my kids have been all day! They concentrated on their American history chalk pastel pieces. I love this program! It allows me to intentionally include art with our studies yet frees me up from being the teacher!”
“At first, I thought we needed more structure to our learning. I added quizzes and worksheets. I bought an expensive textbook. I tried all the things that a more formal school setting does to teach history. None of it worked. In fact, not only did my boys retain less than before, they began to dislike history and avoid it.
It was only when I decided to go with what I knew they would enjoy, that our homeschool history study came alive. I added art.”
I Drew It Then I Knew It History Companion Workbooks For Your Homeschool
The I Drew It Then I Knew It Companion Workbooks are designed for you to use however they work best in your homeschool. They are flexible and easily complement your homeschool history curriculum.
In each I Drew It Then I Knew It workbook, you will find:
a Book List with varying reading levels
5 Fast Facts
an Overview of the lesson topic
Biography or Writing Prompts
Planners
Ideas for How To Use our Curriculum
Everything you need for a quick lesson can be found inside. Or use all of the planners included to map out a more extensive study. The Companion Workbooks will help you combine your oldest to youngest learners all in one place over a central topic. There is something special about family-style learning and all ages creating together. Read more from Courtney and take a video tour of the I Drew It Then I Knew It companion workbooks in her Art Lessons for the Eclectic Homeschool Family.
Art Lessons for Your Homeschool History Curriculum
Following is a sampling of Nana’s video art lessons for all four history cycles. Take a look and see how these can match up with your homeschool history curriculum.
Art Lessons for Ancient History Studies
From creation to Ancient Egypt and the fall of Rome – enjoy these art lessons with your ancient homeschool history curriculum:
Old Testament and New Testament Bible Stories Art Lessons – I am beyond thrilled to share with you the ultimate Bible story companion. Art. Whether you are teaching Bible in your homeschool as a daily or weekly lesson, or perhaps you are creating a church-at-home experience for your family, you will love how effective it is to add art along with your Biblical teachings.
Ancient Egypt Lessons Perfect for Your Homeschool – If you are looking for homeschool resources for your ancient Egypt lessons, then be sure to check out Nana’s ancient Egypt chalk pastels! They are perfect for adding a bit of hands-on art to your next history lesson.
From Robin Hood, castles and knights to the crusades, dragons, vikings, court dress, inventors and more – Nana’s medieval history art lessons are a fun match to your middle ages homeschool history curriculum:
Medieval Times Homeschool Art – Learn about Medieval times with Nana’s I Drew It Then I Knew It chalk pastel video art lessons! Medieval Times homeschool art is the perfect hands-on way to bring a bit of color and excitement to history.
Whether it is the early colonists and Native Americans, maps of journeys or the American Revolution, or modern American presidents, Nana’s American History lessons will help reinforce all you are learning in American history with your homeschool history curriculum:
American History Art Lessons – Are you looking for fun ways to incorporate American homeschool history lessons? Maybe you already have a homeschool history curriculum, but you’re looking for ways to make it more hands-on and engaging. Chalk pastels may be just what you need to get your kids to fall in love with history!
Little House on the Prairie Homeschool Lessons – Are there any homeschoolers out there that don’t hop on the Little House on the Prairie wagon? I mean, seriously, how can you not love Little House? There is something about Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series that is easy to obsess over.
John James Audubon the explorer and artist – Come on! Grab a saddlebag and join us as we explore the forests of early America and see this great country through the eyes of famous artist John James Audubon!
The Best Presidents Art Lessons for Your Homeschool – Here at You ARE an ARTiST, we know precisely how fascinating it can be to dive into the U.S. Presidents. We think all of our presidents deserve a celebration anytime! For that reason, we created the ultimate homeschool history curriculum companion to our I Drew It And I Knew It Presidents Series.
Enjoy Nana’s Amelia Earhart lesson as part of your Modern History homeschool studies.
Modern History Art Lessons
Studying inventors? Famous historians of the 20th century? Space exploration, Mars rovers, world wars, aviation and world landmarks? You can find these homeschool lessons and more to go with your modern homeschool history curriculum:
Winston Churchill – The world treasures Sir Winston Churchill as a soldier, statesman, orator, author and Prime Minister to the King of England and his daughter who now sits on the throne as the longest serving monarch the world has ever known.
Great Britain Unit Study – You can now travel to Great Britain with chalk pastels! Explore Big Ben, Queen Elizabeth, Winston Churchill, and much more in this unique and colorful way. Nana will be your guide on this historic trip filled with key icons and landmarks with chalk pastels Great Britain themed art.
Adventures in Narnia – Are your kids ready for an epic art journey? Then, take a trip with chalk pastels Narnia with Nana art adventure! Nana has a whole Literature and Tea Time section in the You ARE an ARTiST Clubhouse! Explore more in The Power of Adding Art to Literature Lessons.
Don’t forget! Geography goes hand in hand with homeschool history curriculum! Nana has a full series of I Drew It Then I Knew It Maps to help Make Geography Fun with Chalk Pastels.
Growing a love of art at You ARE an ARTiST is a multi-generational passion! Tricia is Nana’s daughter and a mama of five children. Nana shared her first chalk pastel art lessons with her grandchildren around Tricia’s kitchen table. Homeschooling since 2000, Tricia has seen the fruits of home education with three homeschool grads so far!She shares the art and heart of homeschooling at Hodgepodge and is author of the book, Help! I’m Homeschooling! She and her husband, Steve, are also owners of The Curriculum Choice.
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