Teachers from 9–12, are you looking for a website to help you build your High School Geography Lesson Plans portfolio? How about one to help advance the use of geography in school curricula? Do you need some ideas for field trips or classroom activities focusing on geography? My Wonderful World is a site that can do all this, and more. This site is a great tool for educators trying to develop cooperative lesson plans that incorporate geography into a variety of subjects, as well as geography teachers looking for a helpful resource for their geography lesson plans. It has links to informative articles, tools for communicating with other teachers and experts in geography, games, quizzes, map-making activities, and videos playing music from around the world. Go to the Media Center for free geography inspired Desktop Wallpaper.
MyWonderfulWorld.org is more than a website promoting geography education. It is the cyber-hub of a campaign to increase geographic learning initiated by National Geographic, which continues to take the lead in the movement. Visitors can sign up for a free monthly newsletter updating the campaign’s efforts and find information about the Teaching Geography is Fundamental Act , a bill aimed at increasing geographic literacy in grades K-12, and enhancing professional development in geography instruction for educators. The site encourages geography literacy and includes a blog where teachers, parents, and geography enthusiasts can share ideas and information. Geography Awareness Week is held each November and My Wonderful World not only offers engaging activities for the week, but provides free tool kits for teachers and parents.
There are separate sections for parents and educators. Each section offers Ten Ways of bringing geography into the classroom or home, and an opportunity to sign up for a newsletter that will help teachers and parents have the latest news on global issues and world knowledge. The next to final tip for parents is Spread the Word, a link that is a quick, easy way to let your representatives know you value and support geography education. There is also a simple link that allows you to share the My Wonderful World site with other geography enthusiasts and educators.
My Wonderful World contains free download-able poster size political and physical World Maps which can be printed in six 8 X 10 pages and assembled on your classroom wall. The same is available for each continent plus the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Asian political regions are available with relief. The regions available are: Central Asia & Russia, East Asia, Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Southwest Asia. Ocean floor maps are also download-able and, like the others, free.
I would recommend this site to teachers, students of all ages, and anyone wishing to brush-up on their geography knowledge in this ever connected world.
