Mapwork is one area that I'm constantly feeling like I'm really failing in. Today for instance, we did the maps for Week 13 - kids are LG, UG, and D. I have several atlases, including the one linked on the Tapestry site and none of them had enough information for my kids to find all the locations they were asked to find. I ended up handing them the teacher maps for them to copy off of. Then I'm left wondering if they are really learning anything from the experience if they are just copying off my copy - but I guess that's what they would be doing from an Atlas anyway?? Please someone help me know if I'm missing something. Am I going about this incorrectly?

Martha,

Yep it happens here too. I figure TOG just has more depth than the Atlas I have created for "students". While it is frusterated on one hand it is a compliment to TOG on the other.

Heather

Hi ladies,
Geography can be frustrating from the stand point that every resource map is slightly different. I have only done the upper grammar and dialectic maps, but I do feel like we've jumped over the frustation hurdle. It took about 6 months to get there. We started by just looking up the places together using the student atlas first with me teaching my daughter how to use the index, ect., and how to transfer that info to her map. Then we'd look to see if there were any good maps listed on the loom geography resources. Next, we'd type in the names of the places remaining as a google search - usually we finally find them. Lastly, I looked themup on the answer key and then pointed them out on our large wall map and daughter found them. Now, after nearly 3 years my daughter can do almost all of this herself. When she gets to just those last few that she can't find, I either help her look on the internet or I point them out on our large map. It has been a process to teach her this, but so very worth it. She really does know where things are in this world.
The learning process comes from seeing the word, finding the map, finding the place on the map, and then transferring that info to your own map. It does seem like a lot of work, but I really believe it pays off.
Hang in there and don't be frustrated by the places you can't find. Just look them up on your answer key and teach them to your children - you can even give them hints to point out like this place is in the largest continent, etc and have them narrow down a bit the place to which you are referring.
Blessings,
Deb