World Geography probably isn't the favorite subject of most, but this course from Paradigm Accelerated Curriculum could change your mind. A one year high school course that covers six basic regions of the world - North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania, and presents information about their borders, terrain, water, climate, vegetation and wildlife, famous sites and events, ethnicities, languages, religions, transportation, government, diplomacy, economics, natural resources, and industry & exports.
I know it sounds like a lot of information packed into the frame of one year, and it is, but it is presented in such an interesting way that I think you'll enjoy it. For example, when learning about the wildlife and vegetation of North America, students will be introduced to the story of Chris McCandless about whom the book Into the Wild was written. A brief summary of this man's life is used as an introduction to the Giant Kodiak bear, coniferous trees, and the other plants and animals that inhabit the northern areas of North America. Although there are no colored pictures in this curriculum, the reading is interesting and attempts to make a personal connection with the reader.
Each chapter/text presents one of the continents in the order listed above. Texts are divided into 3 sections; each section is divided into 5 lessons. Maps and charts for each region are included in the text along with black and white pictures to enhance the information. Lessons begin with a list of new vocabulary, textual information follows, and a 'life principle' or quote from a famous figure is found at the end of the section.
The Activities Workbooks are aligned to the information found in the text and include fill-in-the-blank, true/false, multiple choice, mapping, and short answer.
All answer keys, quizzes, and tests are found in the Teacher Resource Kit, #12148. It includes this information as blackline masters and as a digital download. (You can also purchase the Teacher's Resource Kit on CD-ROM.) The Course Kit contains the Text Books, Activities Books, and the Teacher Resource Kit with both the blackline masters and a digital download.
This course is interesting and full of facts I'm not sure I ever learned and is a good alternative to more traditional geography courses.
