Below you will find web links, extra printables, and other resources to use along with the Mapping Our World units in the Layers of Learning curriculum.
Mapping Our World is sold as a single volume and as individual units, which are like chapters within the Mapping Our World book. Here’s a link to a free printable cover to accompany all of your Mapping Our World PDF units.
Western Europe
- Western Europe YouTube Playlist
- A good article for high schoolers on the complications of forming a new country
- The four steps to becoming a country
- Running a country is hard. Try it with this online game.
- Explore this website about the United Kingdom for kids
- Learn about Ireland with National Geographic Kids
- Spain with National Geographic Kids
- France Facts for Kids
- Learn about the Netherlands for kids
- Memorize the countries of Europe with this game
- Another set of games for quizzing on the countries of Europe
Near East
- Near East YouTube Playlist
- Latitude and longitude practice game
- PBS site about global grids
- Online global coordinate game for kids
- A-Z Kids Stuff Saudi Arabia
- Iraq Quizlet
- Israel Jeopardy
- Fairy Tales from Turkey
- Iran Mini-Book
- The Middle East Fact or Fiction
Southeast Asia
- Southeast Asia YouTube Playlist
- Play a quiz game to name the countries of Southeast Asia
- Play a quiz game to name all the countries of Asia
- An ad-free site that teaches about the culture and geography of Indonesia (search for other southeast Asian countries as well).
- Elephants are a “key” symbol of Thailand. They are on the postage stamps, carved on walls, used in company logos, represented as gods, and made into statues. Learn about Erawan, a sacred three-headed elephant who carries the Hindu Lord Indra. Read the story of Queen Maha Maya’s Dream. Thailand used to be known as “the land of the white elephant” because the kings kept albino elephants as symbols of their power. The elephants were considered sacred and were fed off of golden platters. Then make an elephant craft with white felt to represent Thailand.
Pacific Islands
- Pacific Islands YouTube Playlist
- Visit Jason Davies Map Projection Transitions to see the way distance, shape, and area are distorted from one map projection to another.
- Visit Metrocosm to read a discussion of map projections with maps that show the differences.
- Here is a site that explains the problem with the Mercator projection and then lets you play with maps to compare the Mercator with the reality.
- Play with map projections of a human head. How does the shape and size of the features change as you change map projections?
- Take the Mind Blowing Map Quiz from the BBC.
- Play with the Mercator Projection. It doesn’t have to have a huge Antarctica at the bottom, you can put it wherever you want.
- Myth of the Shark God from Tonga
- The Legend of ‘Aho’eitu from Tonga
- A video tale about Rat and Octopus from Tonga
- Compact of Free Association Preamble (between United States and Micronesia)
Eastern Europe
- Eastern Europe YouTube Playlist
- Transportation ideas to entertain your preschoolers during this unit
- Transportation trivia for little ones
- Russia Quizlet
- 15 Russian Recipes to Try
- Russian Ballet History
- BBC’s Country Profile: Georgia
- Read an article about the discovery of a new species in the Krubera-Veronja cave system in Georgia.
- Folklore from Azerbaijan
- Eastern Europe Mapping Quiz Game
Northern South America
- Northern South America YouTube Playlist
- Find and download a PDF topographic map of places in the US
- Generate a topographic map of your location (in the US)
- A PDF key for the symbols used on USGS topographic maps
- An article describing the latest technology that is used when gathering data for topographic maps
- Colombia Country Profile from National Geographic Kids
- Venezuela Facts for Kids
- Guyana Profile
- Suriname Facts & Worksheets
- French Guiana Interesting Facts
- Ecuador Country Profile from National Geographic Kids
Mainland North America
- Mainland North America YouTube Playlist
- Online world clock. On a map you can see where there is day and where there is night and check on the current time all over the world
- An interactive website where you can play with the time zones
- An interactive time zone map for the United States
- An online time zone quiz (with USA specific questions)
- An online article about the climate zones of Mexico
West Africa
- West Africa YouTube Playlist
- Learn about the many types of maps, not just physical and political
- A simple online “worksheet” kids can fill out about political and physical maps
- For kids 14 and up, read this article about the political volatility of West African nations from the Council on Foreign Relations and discuss
- West Africa is experiencing rapidly changing landscapes as explained in this USGS publication. Get the free PDF monograph to read with your 14 and older students. It is 236 pages long, we recommend reading pages 44-70 and discussing how vegetation cover has changed.
- Read this short article about how West Africa is a “cultural hearth”.
- Read this article from the MET about West African griots (storytellers).
- A fun fact page about Benin for kids under 12
- Facts and a travel guide to Nigeria for kids under 12.
- National Geographic Fact Page About Nigeria for kids under 9.
- Facts and a travel guide about Ghana for kids under 12.
- Article about Ivory Coast for all ages
- Quiz yourself on the map of West Africa with this online game
Central Asia
- Central Asia YouTube Playlist
- Read this article for a quick background on the recent history of Central Asia
- Quick facts about the countries of Central Asia (does not include Afghanistan)
- Read this article about social and political changes happening in Central Asia with your 14 and up students
- Kazakhstan from the CIA World Factbook
- The Official Website from the President of Kazakhstan
- Read the National Geographic Kids page about Afghanistan
- Cool things in Turkmenistan from the Atlas Obscura
- Travel guide to Turkmenistan from National Geographic
- An article about Uzbekistan
- Try this online quiz and see how many Central Asian countries you can put on the map