Mapping the World with Art

Mapping the World with Art is a unique, integrated curriculum generally recommended for ages 10 and up, which typically corresponds to grades 5-12. It blends three core subjects—history, geography, and art—into one course. The material is presented in a straightforward, non-patronizing tone, making it accessible for middle schoolers while still being engaging for older students. The complete course contains 30 lessons and is designed to be completed over one academic year, but it offers flexibility to be adapted to a family's pace. It works well for individual study, but its activities also make it ideal for co-ops or group classes. Shutterstock This course is structured in three main sections. The first section contains 30 short history lessons, beginning with ancient Greek cartography and concluding with the discovery of Antarctica in the 1800s. The second section provides step-by-step drawing lessons that correspond to the historical topics, guiding students to draw geographical regions from scratch on blank paper. This kinesthetic approach is highly effective for retention, allowing students to learn world geography by seeing and recreating the shapes and relative proportions of landmasses. The final major project is drawing a complete world map from memory. The third and final section offers over 100 pages of supplemental activities to reinforce the lessons. These hands-on projects include review worksheets, group games, crafts (like making simple navigational instruments), and creative art projects using various media. The curriculum is available in a print textbook or a digital format (often on USB), which typically includes video e-lessons of the drawing instructions. It focuses on physical geography and the history of exploration, so parents should consider supplementing with a separate course if political geography or cultural studies are a priority for their family.