Cycle 1 Weeks 1-3 Geography Drawing

We are in the middle of week three in Classical Conversations Cycle 1.  Our geography has focused on the Fertile Crescent, Assyrian Empire and the Hebrew Empire. Earlier this summer, we were going through My Father's World- Grade 1 curriculum.  On Day 31, we learned a fun and easy way to draw the water features of this area of the world.  All of the water features have now been identified in CC.  I wanted to share the story which My Father's World adapted from The Old Testament Express by Terry Hall with my children and the students in my CC classroom.  I thought it may help you and your children as well.

As you tell the story, draw the map, using the photo below as a guide.  Do not put the numbers on your map or mention them as you tell the story.  They are just to help you draw in the correct sequence.

"A man went fishing one day.  This is the front of his boat (1).  His fishing lines are hanging down from the boat and they got all tangled up (2).  The man looked over the side of his boat and fell into the water!  These are his two fingers under the front of the boat (3).  He sent up a distress signal to call for help -- a balloon with a string, and a mitten tied on the end of it (4, 5,6)!  In this corner (point) there is the head of a huge water bug (7), with two long feelers coming out of its head (8,9)."

 

***Key to map***
1. Mediterranean Sea
2. Nile River
3. Red Sea
4. Sea of Galilee
5. Jordan River
6. Dead Sea
7. Persian Gulf
8. Tigris River
9. Euphrates River

Tell this story to your CC class, or your own children as you draw it on the board and they draw it as well.  (With the younger ones, you could have them trace one you've already drawn if you want).  Then, they can go home and use this little story as a way to remember where the water features are and review more details such as Judah, Israel, Sumer, etc.  Once my children become more comfortable drawing the map, I will ask them to include more geographical points on it.

With ours, we labeled our map with letters and abbreviations.  Today as the first day I told the story and this was the work my four year old and six year old.

This was my Four Year old!

And, my 6 year old...we'll have to work on placement a little more tomorrow ;)

Tomorrow I will tell the story again while they draw it...and hopefully by the end of the week, they will be able to draw the water features and label them correctly and we can begin adding more details.