Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Homeschool Review: Map, Charts, and Graphs D: States and Regions

Maps, Charts, and Graphs Level D: States and Regions by Modern Curriculum Press

We've been using this series for four years now and I'm still pleased with it. I like having one set of workbooks for the ease of use for one subject but mostly because I like presenting my kids with one subject in which they are also learning how to answer multiple-choice and short-answer questions. It's not a difficult skill so one page a week is more than sufficient. There were certainly a few times this year when First Son missed a question because he didn't understand how he was supposed to answer even though he could figure out the answer with the map.

Level D had 30 lessons covering cardinal directions, intermediate directions, map keys, elevation maps, globes, scale, highway maps, political maps, geographic regions of the United States and Canada, state maps, special maps (like at a museum), time zones, and comparing maps. Some of the most difficult and most valuable lessons required First Son to write directions to get from one place to another using a map. The last five lessons cover pictographs, bar graphs, line graphs, circle graphs, and a chart. These lessons at the end were more useful this year as we didn't cover charts and graphs as much in math this year as in previous years. (I did, however, find one error in the answer key for one of the graph lessons. First Son's answer didn't match the one in the answer key, but was correct when I checked the graph.)

As before, all of the lessons are in full color and spread across two pages. They are appealingly designed. Each one took First Son fifteen or twenty minutes to complete. He was able to work independently, though I did review the material with him if he did not answer all of the questions correctly.

In addition to the answer key, the book contains a one page glossary, and a simple atlas I found quite useful. I intend to cut it out and put it in a folder to continue to reference in future years. (I haven't purchased the later books yet; they may contain similar atlases.)

In the past few years, I've been purchasing these workbooks at Sacred Heart Books and Gifts. (I am an affiliate with Amazon, but not with Sacred Heart.) 

Reviews of Previous Books in the Series
Level A: The Places Around Me
Level B: Neighborhoods
Level C: Communities