GEOGRAPHY

FOR YOUNG
CHILDREN
Presented by Group 3
 OBJECTIVES
After reading Geography for Young Children, students will be able to:

Explain the importance of geography in early childhood education.

Identify key geography concepts and developmentally appropriate

strategies for young learners.

Apply hands-on activities and integrate geography with other subject

areas.
 INTRODUCTION
Geography is more than maps and capitals: for young children,
geography is their lived experience of place, space, and relationships
in the environment. In ECE,

geography helps children develop a sense ofbelonging, spatial

awareness, and inquiry about their world.
WHAT GEOGRAPHY MEANS
FOR YOUNG LEARNERS
From a child’s perspective, geography begins with noticing where
they are (in their home, classroom, playground) and gradually
expands to understanding relationships among places
(neighbourhood, city, country). Young children build their
understanding through exploration, play, and conversation.
The concept of sense of place is important: children begin to develop
emotional, cognitive, and social connections to their surroundings. In
early childhood settings, fostering a sense of place supports identity
and belonging.
IMPORTANCE OF PLACE
AND SPACE IN A CHILD'S
WORLD
Spatial thinking-understanding concepts such as "near/far,"
"above/below," "next to," "inside/outside"-is foundational to later math,
science, and geography skills.

Teachers can support these ideas through everyday language and

environmental interactions (e.g., "The swings are beside the slide," or
"We Walk through the gate to get to thegarden").
IMPORTANCE OF PLACE
AND SPACE IN A CHILD'S
WORLD
Also children's geographies the ways children
experience and give meaning to places remind us that
children see the environment differently than adults do
(interms of routes they take, favorite spots, places of
safe play).
IMPORTANCE OF PLACE AND
SPACE IN A CHILD'S WORLD
When children feel connected to their
environment, they are more likely to care for it-
thus early geographic education contributes to
geo-literacy and stewardship..
KEY GEOGRAPHY CONCEPTS
FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
Location ("Where am I?")

Understanding one's position relative to landmarks, using

positional vocabulary (e.g. in, on, above, next to,
between).
EXAMPLES
Using children's own perspective ("I live near
the river," "My school is across the street")

Gradually introducing maps, simple coordinate

ideas, or "map of our classroom"
KEY GEOGRAPHY CONCEPTS
FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
Place (My home, school, community)
Each place has unique features (physical,
cultural, built).
Sense of place: how people feel connected
to places.
Example
Sense of Place:

Maria grew up in a small town in the countryside.

Even though she moved to the city for work, she
still misses the quiet environment, the neighbors
she knows, and the smell of the earth after it rains.
She feels that town is truly her "home." This is her
"sense of place."
KEY GEOGRAPHY CONCEPTS
FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
Place (My home, school, community)
Similarities and differences among places (e.g., my
home vs. a farm; my town vs. a city elsewhere)

Example Similarities: Your house and a farm both have

places to relax and things you need to survive (like
food).
Differences:
Your house may be in a subdivision with many
other houses, while a farm is large and full of
plants and animals.
KEY GEOGRAPHY CONCEPTS
FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
Place (My home, school, community)

Human-environment interaction: how people

use, change, or adapt to their environment
Use: Farmers use the land to grow rice. People use water from
the river for their needs. ‎
Change: People build roads and buildings, which change the
appearance of the land. They cut down trees for wood. ‎
Adapt: ​In the summer, people put up electric fans or air
conditioners to keep them from getting too hot. When there
is a storm, they reinforce their roofs or move to a safer place.
KEY GEOGRAPHY CONCEPTS
FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
Movement (Transportation and travel)
How people and goods move (walking, vehicles,
ships, airplanes)
For example:
People walk to the park, vegetables are
transported by truck from the farm to the market,
and passengers board a plane to go to another
country.
KEY GEOGRAPHY CONCEPTS
FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
Movement (Transportation and travel)
Reasons for movement (to visit, to trade, for resources).
Example:
Ana went to her grandmother's house to visit
her. Mang Jose brought fish to the market to
sell (this is "trade"). Miners traveled to the
mountains to get minerals (this is for
"resources").
KEY GEOGRAPHY CONCEPTS
FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
Movement (Transportation and travel)

Mapping routes (e.g. home to school, field trip path )

Example: The route you take every day from home to

school is a "route." If your class is going on a field trip,
the route the bus takes is the "field trip
KEY GEOGRAPHY CONCEPTS FO
YOUNG CHILDREN
Movement (Transportation and travel)
Change over time: how transport has changed or how
people's movement patterns vary.
For example: In the past, people walked or used
horse-drawn carriages. Now, there are cars, trains,
and planes. Transportation has changed. If you are
in the city, you will see cars more often. If you are in
the countryside, more people walk or use bicycles.
The "movement patterns" are different.
 TEACHING TOOLS FOR
GEOGRAPHY
To bring geography alive for young children, various instructional
tools and supports

Maps, globes, interactive visuals

Simple pictorial maps (classroom,
playground, neighbourhood)

Large floor maps or "rug maps"

children can physically walk on
 TEACHING TOOLS FOR
GEOGRAPHY
To bring geography alive for young children, various instructional
tools and supports
Maps, globes, interactive visuals

Globes (with teacher support) to show

Earth, continents, local pos
 TEACHING TOOLS FOR
GEOGRAPHY
To bring geography alive for young children, various instructional
tools and supports
Storybooks, songs, and narratives about places

Picture books set in different places (villages, forests, cities)

Songs and chants about travel, places, directions

 TEACHING TOOLS FOR
GEOGRAPHY
To bring geography alive for young children, various instructional
tools and supports
Storybooks, songs, and narratives about places
Using stories of children's own places: "When I walk from home
to school, I pass..."
Encourage children to talk about places they have visited,
comparing features
 HANDS-ON GEOGRAPHY
ACTIVITIES
Active, experiential learning is key at the early childhood level. Here
are activity ideas:
Nature walks and field trips
Take children around the school, neighbourhood, or
local park.
Encourage them to notice landmarks, paths,
features (trees, buildings, waterways). Ask guiding
questions: "Which way did we come? Which
direction should we go back?" Document what chil
observe over time (e.g. how a nearby tree changes
through seas
 HANDS-ON GEOGRAPHY
ACTIVITIES
Active, experiential learning is key at the early childhood level. Here
are activity ideas:
Creating simple maps and model
In the classroom, ask children to draw their "map" of the route
from their house to school, or create a map of the
classroom/book corner.
Use clay, blocks, or paper to build a model community (houses,
roads, rivers).
"Treasure map" game: hide an object and children map route to
find it.
INTEGRATING GEOGRAPHY
WITH OTHER SUB JECTS
One strength of geography in early childhood is its natural integration
with other domains:
Science / Environmental Studies
Weather, climate, seasons, natural features (rivers,
mountains)
Ecosystems, plants, animals in different places
Human-environment interactions (pollution, conservation,
land use)
INTEGRATING GEOGRAPHY
WITH OTHER SUB JECTS
One strength of geography in early childhood is its natural integration
with other domains:

Language Arts / Literacy

Descriptive writing or storytelling about places: “My favorite place
is … because…”

Vocabulary development (geographic and spatial terms)

INTEGRATING GEOGRAPHY
WITH OTHER SUB JECTS
One strength of geography in early childhood is its natural integration
with other domains:
Language Arts / Literacy
Reading informational texts about regions, maps, travel stories

Oral discussions: comparing children’s home areas, asking

open-ended “Where would you like to go?"
INTEGRATING GEOGRAPHY
WITH OTHER SUB JECTS
One strength of geography in early childhood is its natural integration
with other domains:
Mathematics
Measurement (distance, size, scale)
Patterns and shapes in maps
Graphing: number of modes of transport, frequency of visits
 INTEGRATING GEOGRAPHY
WITH OTHER SUB JECTS
One strength of geography in early childhood is its natural integration
with other domains:
Art and Drama
Drawing maps, illustrating homes, landmarks
Dramatic play: pretending to travel, being map guides
Creating murals of community or world scenes
INTEGRATING GEOGRAPHY
WITH OTHER SUB JECTS
One strength of geography in early childhood is its natural integration
with other domains:
Social Studies / Citizenship
Community roles (e.g. who helps in the
neighbourhood)

Cultural features of place: languages spoken, customs,

buildings
 ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES
Assessing young children's geographic learning should be
developmentally appropriate, ongoing, and embedded in natural settings.
Observations and documentation
Observe children while they engage in map making, field
trips, or conversations about place
Record children's language use of spatial/geographic
terms
Take photos or videos of children creating models,
pointing out places
Portfolios: collect children’s maps, drawings, reflections
EXAMPLE
Observations and documentation
 ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES
Assessing young children's geographic learning should be
developmentally appropriate, ongoing, and embedded in natural settings.

Anecdotal records and narratives

Note children's comments, questions, and reasoning
("Why did you draw the river there?")

Ask open-ended prompts to gauge understanding (e.g.

"How would you get from our classroom to the
playground?")
EXAMPLE
Anecdotal records and narratives
 ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES
Assessing young children's geographic learning should be
developmentally appropriate, ongoing, and embedded in natural settings.

Child self-assessment / reflections

Older preschoolers may talk about their maps, point
out what they included/omitted

"Tell me more" questioning encourages metacognitive

thinking
EXAMPLE
Child self-assessment / reflections
 ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES
Assessing young children's geographic learning should be
developmentally appropriate, ongoing, and embedded in natural settings.

Rubrics or checklists (informal)

– Use simple criteria:
uses spatial vocabulary
includes landmarks in maps
demonstrates directionality or route planning
EXAMPLE
Rubrics or checklists (informal)
CLASSROOM APPLICATIONS
Classroom applications might include:
Starting a year-long "Places Around Us" inquiry: mapping
classroom, then school, then neighbourhood
Using a class journal for children to draw or write about
places they visit
-Organizing walking field trips around the school’s vicinity and
then back in class mapping observations
CLASSROOM APPLICATIONS
Classroom applications might include:

Inviting families to share maps or photographs of their home

neighbourhoods, comparing features
Integrating geography-focused stories or songs weekly
Documenting growth: revisit children's maps over me to see
how their understanding evolves
 CONCLUSION
In summary, geography for young children is about nurturing
curiosity and helping children make sense of where they live,
how places connect, and how movement shapes human
experience. By introducing the core concepts of location,
place, and movement, and by using rich hands-on tools,
children develop spatial thinking, sense of place, and
emergent geo-literacy.
 ACTIVITY
"Stuff Toy Hunting"
THANK
YOU