Connecting 'Disconnected' Countries

Last year, while talking with parents about map study, one comment came up again and again:

"The countries for each month are so spread out. Why don't they focus on one area of the world for each month?"

 I think this is a legitimate question and worth some attention. So many years ago, we were students in middle school and high school social studies classes. We were introduced to our study units with a map of a continent or geographic region, which we would then have to label and memorize. Naturally, we became used to  geography being presented within that context: one continent or region at a time, labeling countries which were connected to each other.

So, I can understand why this question is raised. That said, there is a method to this madness which I only uncovered after doing a few months of map study with my son. 

Each month's study map shows countries which are, in fact, connected to the previous month's countries.* 

Using their prior knowledge, kids can learn that this month's country (say, Ecuador) is connected to a to a country they learned last month (say, Peru). That said, it's not always easy for kids to put this together on their own. 

One idea I've come up with is to grab up an extra World Study Map, or use the labeled side of the one you have at home, and have your student *color in* the countries each month as you go. By locating them on the world map, and coloring them in each month, your student can make that connection. And they can also see how many countries they have studied over the year. To imagine these countries from last month and the current month can be pretty abstract for your  younger learners, so the exercise of coloring in that World Study Map as you go will help to make that knowledge more concrete.

Oh, and I highly recommend using colored pencils for this. Markers will soak through. One other thought is to trace around the border first, then color the country in. Noticing the shapes of each country often helps in identification and offers a multi-sensory experience as well. Slowly putting the whole together, bit by bit, through the year, keeps the previous months studies relevant as well. In this way we help our students connect those 'disconnected' countries. 

*I add the caveat that October doesn't follow this rule, as September study is continents, global lines and major waterways. That said, October through May does tend to follow this formula.

 
 

October Special Itinerary Project

(note: This one is fun, fun, fun! To see The Bottle, check out the  Passport Club display case in the front hallway)

We want you to design our new water bottle logo! Create an image to represent what learning about foreign cultures and geography means to you. 

Guidelines:

• Use plain white paper with no lines.
• Write your name, grade, and teacher's name at the top.
• Entire design should fit inside 2 1/2 inches square
• Use a medium-tipped, black Sharpie to create your design in bold, fat lines with no tiny details. 
• Include wording such as "Laurelhurst, International, Global, Awareness" to represent International Night. 
• Do Not write "Passport Club"
• Turn your design in at the October Passport Check. 

Passport Club graduates in grades 6-8 will vote on the designs and wording. The chosen logo will be printed on BPA-free steel water bottles (see example in display window). Bottles will be available for sale at International Night and other special events. If your design is chosen you get one for free!

Some Information for new Passport Check Volunteers

If you are interested in volunteering for Passport Check, here are some things you might want to know before you come to your first Check...

1. Make friends with that month's map. That is to say, it's great if you can be familiar with the countries and geography featured each month. For me, it works to do Passport Study with my son. (Last year I even did my own maps study-- remember, extra maps are in the front hallway.) We quiz each other, too-- sometimes I'll fake wrong answers to see if he's paying attention. However you choose to do it, being acquainted with the map makes it easier for you and can help the checks go a little quicker. When I practice with my son I use the blank World Study map and place it facing him, upside down for me. This is how the maps will be oriented at the Check.

2. Please remember to sign in and grab a name tag at the computer near the front office. It's important that the school know which adults are in the building and where they are located.

3. We start at 8:45 sharp. We have students coming in very shortly thereafter and things get busy, so if you can be there on the earlier side (and we know some of you have preschool drop-offs or plan to come in later) that will help us to get new volunteers paired up with more experienced ones. They will show you how to use each child's passport to mark off their achievements and more.

4. All you need is yourself and your cup of coffee or tea.... we've taken care of everything else.

5. If you can stay for just a short while or the entire time or come in for part of the Check, which runs from 8:45 until about 11--- either way, it's a big help. This activity could not exist without parent volunteers, and the familiar faces make this an event many kids look forward to.

6. Something to think about: we can help the kids out a bit. We do try to get all of the kids through Level One, and some kids might ask for a hint as to some locations. Our task as checkers is to try to help the child do their best and sometimes they need just a little nudge to remember where something is on the map. As you watch other checkers, you will see that this is a pretty nuanced process and over time, you'll get comfortable with 'how much is just right' in regard to adult assistance.

Oh, and a fun thing about Passport Checking is that you can be the checker for your own kiddo! Let your child know that they can tell their teacher "I'm waiting for (my mom, my dad, my friend's mom, that parent who volunteers in my class whom I really like)" and they will usually accommodate this. So, if you see kids waiting up front to be checked but they aren't coming to you-- please don't take it personally. They are just waiting for their preferred grown up.

September SI Activity

Information to complete this activity is featured below the questions.

September 2015 Laurelhurst Elementary Special Itinerary

The Equator and the Prime Meridian

Please see the Passport Club case in the front hall for information to answer these questions.

1. The Equator and the Prime Meridian are both important lines on our globe.Which one   helps us to understand the seasons around the world?

2. At which location can the equator be found on the globe?

3. The equator separates which two hemispheres?

4. What does the Prime Meridian mark?

5. The Prime Meridian helps divide the earth into these two hemispheres:

6. Why do we have seasons? 

Bonus: Where in the world would you like to be on December 21^st? Tell which hemispheres your location is in (Northern or Southern, Eastern or Western) and if you would be observing the summer or winter solstice on that day. 

Two Seasons at the Same Time?

Charlie lives in Portland, Oregon. His pen pal, Benicio, lives in Argentina. The boys enjoy writing letters to each other and sharing interesting things about their lives. Charlie sends Benicio a photo of his family’s summer camping trip they took last week. Benicio sends Charlie a picture of himself on a recent skiing vacation with his grandparents.

Charlie realizes that even though he’s at the tail end of summer, his friend is looking forward to the coming of spring. But how can there be two very different seasons at the same time?

 The Axial Tilt and the Equator

As the earth travels around the sun each year, the amount of light in a day changes because the earth’s axis--the invisible line down the center of the Earth—is not straight up and down but actually at an angle. This angle is called the axial tilt. That tilt does two things:

• It changes the number of hours of daylight at each latitude depending on the position of the earth’s orbit around the sun.  This is easiest seen by putting a pencil through a tennis ball and holding it at a fixed tilt while circling a light bulb.
• It impacts the angle of incidence of the light hitting the surface which impacts the strength of the irradiance in exactly the same way that the angle of a force pushing on something affects the force applied.  The quickest experiment to demonstrate this is to shine a flash light directly on a surface and see how well lit it is.  Then change the angle to be more oblique and you’ll see the light is more spread out and the surface less well lit.

The sun’s energy then must travel different distances at different times of the year. This makes our daylight shorter or longer.

The equator is fixed line which goes around the Earth at the location of 0 degrees latitude. This divides the earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, which experience their seasons opposite each other. Beautifully, as each hemisphere marks their own seasons, there are two days each year when day and night are the same length in both hemispheres. We call these the equinoxes; our longest day of sun is the summer solstice and the shortest day of winter is the winter solstice. While the equinoxes are shared between hemispheres, the solstices each have their own dates depending on which side of the equator you live, north or south.

Solstices and Equinoxes

For both hemispheres, the equinoxes are observed on March 20 or 21^st and September 22 or 23^rd.

For the Northern Hemisphere, our Summer Solstice takes place on June 21^st or 22^nd, when the Southern Hemisphere is celebrating their Winter Solstice.

The Southern Hemisphere’s Summer Solstice is on December 21^st or 22^nd, while we are putting on mittens and scarves and observing our Winter Solstice. 

(So, if it’s the equator that helps us understand our seasons, what is the Prime Meridian?)

Just as the equator divides the globe into Northern and Southern hemispheres, the Prime Meridian is a vertical line which divides the globe into Eastern and Western Hemispheres. The Prime Meridian is located at 0 degrees longitude and reaches halfway around the Earth to a 180 degree mark on the opposite side of the globe. Please do not confuse the Prime Meridian with the International Date Line, which is located at roughly 180 degrees longitude. 

(A special thank you to Justin Sharp, an atmospheric scientist and Laurelhurst parent, who gave me some extra direction to making this explanation better and more substantial and offered text to this site. Much Appreciated!)

Parent's Guide/Frequently Asked Questions

A Parent’s Guide to Passport Club at Laurelhurst School

Including Frequently Asked Questions

 

Passport Club is a geography program for that is used all over the world. At Laurelhurst Elementary, students in grades 2-5 participate in this program for all four of those school years. Our PTA funds the Passport Club program, which augments the social studies, science, geography and world studies that each teacher chooses for their own class curriculum.  Throughout the year, as students show their knowledge of the countries and features of our Earth, they can earn colorful stamps to put in their paper ‘passports’.

 

Passport Club has three distinct parts for the students: map labeling and independent study;  our monthly Passport Check, when the students meet with parent volunteers to show and share what they have learned; and Special Itinerary, an optional activity offering. Because the different grades and different classrooms all treat Passport in slightly different ways, this guide is meant to help answer the most common questions new families to Laurelhurst have about this activity.

 

My child brought home some maps. What do we do with them?

In September, each child is given two maps. One is a World Study map, which has the entire world of countries, oceans, and other geographical features labeled on one side; the other side is entirely unlabeled.. This World Study map is intended to be used for the entire year. Please encourage your student to treat it as such, and this can be used for at-home practice. 

 

Each month, your child will receive a new study map. The map will have the name of the month on across the top. One side will show an unlabeled map; to its right is a list of Levels which contain features/countries to be studied for that month. Levels 1-4 are typically going to be countries. (September’s map features continents, oceans and significant waterways, and mountain ranges and deserts.) Level 5 is nearly always the capitals of the countries learned in Level One. For each level your child wants to learn, it would be helpful for them to read the name of the feature, find it on the labeled map (which is on the reverse side) and then label it themselves on the blank map. Then, they should practice finding those features on the blank world map, using their own study map to guide them.

 

Does my child need to hand in their study map?

In most cases, your child’s study map is just for them to see. Please check with your student’s individual teacher, however, as some may choose to include this as schoolwork.  For second grade families especially, the most important thing I want to impress upon parents is that these maps are for the child to use however it works for them.  Some younger students might choose to write out the country names phonetically. Some students may highlight each country’s boundaries with different colored pencils or color them in. (Markers are not recommended.) Perhaps your child wants to draw a clue in how they remember that country: a food, sport, or animal can be drawn on the map as well. The labeling process which works best for your child is how your child should use the map, unless the teacher has other expectations. This is why checking in with the teacher is a good idea.

 

Once my child labels their map, what do they do? How should they study?

Students can study for this in a variety of ways. They can work with a friend, a sibling, a peer or a parent to ‘quiz’ each other on their knowledge of the locations and names of each country/feature on that month’s study map. Perhaps they can share ideas or ways to remember this information. One thing some students like to do is to turn the tables and quiz their parents on the material they have studied; this makes the child the ‘expert’ and can be a lot of fun and learning for others in the family as well. 

 

Some teachers will assign this study time as homework and others will expect their students to be independently managing their study. We have found that picking two days a week to review for 15+ minutes or so works best for our family; you will find what works for yours.

 

Does my student have to achieve a certain number of levels each month?

This is a question which should be directed to your student’s teacher. We all want to encourage every student to work to their best ability, and while there are no level requirements for second grade, teachers in the successive grades may have goals for their students.  (Second graders are NOT graded on their Passport Club achievement.) So, do check with your student’s teacher regarding their expectations.

 

What is the Passport Check and how does it work?

On your school calendar, you will find a Passport Check date for each month. On the morning  of that day, each class will come in and students will take turns working with an adult volunteer.  Typically, these checks include a bit of friendly conversation and are conducted at a relaxed pace. The volunteer has a large, unlabeled map which features the borders of countries as well as symbols indicating geographic features. Using the student’s passport book, the adult volunteer then asks your student to locate each item listed for each level your child has studied.  Students will point to the location on the map; if they want to complete Level 5, they should be prepared to name the capital city of that Level One country as it is located. It should be made clear that these Passport Checks are very low-key; the adults who volunteer with the kids really do want to help them and might review a bit with your child. Your student can ask for a clue if they need a little help remembering.

 

My student lost their maps. Where can I get another one?

Extra study maps for the month (as well as the world study map) can be found in the front hallway on the bulletin board next to the Passport display case. Also, extra Special Itinerary activity sheets can be found there as well. Note: maps are not available online.

 

Special Itinerary? What’s that?

Special Itinerary is a monthly optional activity which enhances our understanding of our world, our community, and the Passport Club experience overall. Sometimes the focus is more academic (with content available in the front hall Passport Club case (and available on our blogsite, LPGeoConnect.blogspot.com), sometimes the activities invite your student’s creativity and imagination and sometimes there will be a link to a featured internet article or page for your child to refer to. Special Itinerary has its own stamp to earn as well. Unless your student’s teacher indicates otherwise, Special Itinerary is optional.

 

What’s this I hear about the Level 5 party?

At the end of each year, the students who have achieved Level 5 consistently at each Passport Check will be invited to a short party. This is to honor their commitment to study and reward them for their effort. This party usually consists of a snack, some trinkets and a Geography trivia quiz for fun.

I loved geography when I was in school! How can I become involved in Passport Club?

We welcome parent involvement! While our Passport Check runs from 8:45-11 or so one Thursday a month, many parent volunteers can come for an hour or stay the entire time—whatever fits your schedule! If you would like to be on our volunteer email list, please contact Hazel Wheeler, the Passport Club coordinator at laurelhurstppc@gmail.com.

 

Oops! It’s the night before Passport Check and our map is missing. Can we download one to print out at home?

Due to the proprietary nature of the Passport Club maps, they are not available for access online. Our maps are ordered each year through the Passport Club organization. Please be sure your child has the maps they need in the days before the check. Again, extra maps can be located in the front hall at the Passport Club bulletin board. 

 

My child is sick on Passport Check day, and they worked so hard to learn the information. Do they just miss out for that month?

One of the lovely things about this being a volunteer effort is that we can schedule make-up Checks! Please contact Hazel Wheeler at laurelhurstppc@gmail.com to arrange a make-up Check either before or after school. Make-up checks will also be offered about three times this year, as well as a make-up check day at the end of the year. We want to encourage every student to participate to the best of their ability.

 

What if my child is discouraged because they achieved Level One and their best friend achieved Level 5?

First, if your child is struggling with some aspect of Passport Club, please ask for help. We want to meet the children where they are at and we have ideas which may help your child in their learning, so do contact us. For younger students, remind them that they have a few more years to learn these maps (which are presented in the same order with the same content each year). Sometimes disappointment is difficult for children, so we want to encourage parents to stay positive in their responses. Help your student to set reasonable goals for themselves and celebrate their achievements and progresses. Notice their effort. I cannot stress enough: while Passport Club is often treated as an independent activity, parents do have a powerful impact on a child’s perception and experience of this. Busy families can choose to do review while waiting for food at a restaurant or for a few minutes here and there. Kids can review in the car on the way to sports or other activities. All you need is that one monthly map. When the teacher does not have any requirements or expectations of participations, parents are our greatest ally in setting the tone for how important this study is and how enjoyable your child’s experience is.

 

A Step by Step Guide for Map Study

This is a guide for second graders just starting out with Map Study and for families of 3rd through 5th graders new to our school as well.

Step One: Place your monthly study map in front of you. Find the side which has the Pronunciation Guide on the right hand side. So we can keep instructions simple, let's mark this as Side A. Then, turn your paper over and mark a B on this side.

Step Two: Looking at side A, you will see two columns of geographic locations grouped into levels.

If you are in the second grade, you may practice and study any- and as many- levels as you want to learn. If you are in third-fifth grades, please check with your teacher as to how many levels to study.

Step Three: Starting with Level 1, take a look at the first location. Ask yourself- do I know anything about this place? Where it is? Who lives there? Have you or a friend traveled there? Does this location sound familiar? After thinking a moment, take a look at your map on side A and make a guess to where the location is.

Step Four: Once you have guessed-- or decided you don't know-- turn your map over to side B and locate it on the map. Then turn your map back to side A and label it with the name of the location. If the location coves a large area, draw a circle around it. If it's a smaller area, consider coloring it in or around the border of the country/feature with colored pencils to highlight borderlines.

Step Five: Work through the locations on each of the levels you want to study. Remember, Level 5 is almost always the capital cities of countries in Level 1, and if you learn the names of these capitals, it's a simple way to achieve two levels.

Practice studying your maps every so often, at least a couple of times a week. You can go through the levels you want to achieve, using your Blank World Map to see if you can find the locations without the help of identifying labels. Feel free to work with a friend and share ideas of remembering where these geographic locations are. Ask a parent, a friendly adult, a sibling or a friend to help you practice or you can work on your own. If you are needing more help in studying or understanding the maps, have your parent contact this geography studies coordinator at laurelhurstppc@gmail.com .

On our Check days, you will get to show a friendly adult the places you have learned the locations of, just by pointing to them or indicating their area. As each location is found, they will be crossed off in your little book. For each level completed, you will receive a stamp for your book as well as beautiful stamps to glue in.