A Look Inside the NEW Map Trek Atlas and Outlines
Let’s take a look inside the fabulously updated Map Trek Atlas and Outlines books! Map Trek has been around for years, and it has been a special part of three Heart of Dakota guides from the very beginning. These unique resources bring historical time periods to life by providing correlating maps for students to take on their chronological trek through time.
Instead of the subject of Geography being a lackluster, textbook, take-the-quiz-and-forget-it kind of loner subject, Map Trek gives Geography context and clever connections to history. However, Map Trek has proven how consequential geography is to study of history for years, so what’s so different about these NEW Map Trek Atlas and Outlines resources?
Well, three pretty important changes upgrade these maps from good to great status! One… you used to have to buy three CDs, one for each Heart of Dakota guide. Two… you used to have to trouble-shoot malfunctioning or scratched CDs. Three… you used to have to stand over your printer and print, collate, and 3-hole punch your maps, and then put them in binders you purchased – AND, you used to have to do all that for every child, every year, for three years.
Well, no more! Goodbye wasted time – hello two ready-to-use books you can order in a minute with the click of a button! These two resources work in tandem with Resurrection to Reformation, Revival to Revolution, and Missions to Modern Marvels! So for three whole years of homeschooling, you get ample use out of Map Trek Atlas and Outlines! Let’s see how!
What makes Map Trek Atlas and Outlines so special?
These Map Trek Atlas and Outlines books include over 200 full-color maps and outline maps that teach geography alongside history! Author Terri Johnson created these highly useful map books for home educators who said they wanted historical maps that navigate through history. Accurate maps show the world “THEN and NOW” in high resolution. Maps divide into the different periods of time: Ancient World, Medieval World, New World, and Modern World.
In history, we learn about times, places, and people. So it only makes sense to study geography alongside history. Geography covers the “places” part. The many aspects of historical study are important each in their own right, but they cannot be studied exclusively of one another. For example, when students study Alexander the Great, it only makes sense for them to also see the immense land area he conquered by looking at a map accurate to that time. Modern maps cannot give students the same perspective that historical maps can.
Why did Carrie choose to use Map Trek Atlas and Outlines in her plans?
Maps visually portray the settling of new lands, the battles fought for liberty, and the establishment of new boundaries. For example, maps show how countries raced to settle the New World, how key battles dominated the pursuit for liberty, and how uncharted waters and lands were explored. With the 200+ maps in this collection, students dive deeper into history and make connections they’d otherwise miss!
Other than further bringing history to life in a deeper more meaningful and memorable way, Carrie chose these resources because, honestly, being able to read maps is becoming a lost art! With GPS and Google maps, our kiddos are at risk of actually having no clue how to read maps! Map reading, learning to use spatial skills in relation to scale and distance, and processing mental mapping and visualization skills are critical thinking skills our children still need today. So, learning geography in this manner benefits kiddos in multiple ways that have long-lasting positive effects.
How do HOD’s Geography plans work?
One day in each unit includes mapping activities that directly relate to the history stories students are reading. Captivating living books introduce the weekly history theme, and Map Trek Atlas and Outlines help students truly picture history as it unfolded at that time.
Step-by-step mapping activities teach students to use a variety of maps, to cross-reference maps and assimilate that information, and to create and label their own historically accurate maps. Additional resources such as the U.S. History Atlas and the World History Atlas are cross-referenced as well. Students label maps to show important places, key battles, bodies of water, and geographic locations, while also color-coding segments of land to further visually portray famous historical events.
Carrie’s plans make the use of these resources alongside other atlases a breeze! Everything is interconnected with the living books students read, and history marches on with its maps illuminating the way!
You can use one full-color Map Trek Atlas for your family with all three Heart of Dakota guides! Then, you can choose to order one Map Trek Outlines for each of your children, or the author gives permission to order one and photocopy it for your family (one per household). Pages are perforated for easy tearing out. Talk about an economical purchase for year after year use, with guide after guide, for child after child! Get yours today by clicking below!
Or, order them as part of your Economy Package for Resurrection to Reformation, Revival to Revolution, or Missions to Modern Marvels /Add-on Items!
