Geography

     Paddle-to-the-Sea is the book that we have been studying for geography this year.  I love it.  The illustrations are beautiful, and I love the tips he gives for remembering the outlines of the Great Lakes.  For instance, Lake Superior looks like a wolf's head, and Lake Michigan looks like a gourd, since it's surrounded by farming country. 
     We have been slowly going through the book, doing only one chapter a week to let the material really soak in.  Going slowly is part of Charlotte Mason's methods for retaining information, and goes against my natural grain.  If I like something, I want to completely immerse my self in it, living and breathing whatever it is until I am completely sick of it.  I am learning the value of taking things a step at a time. 
     Geography would not be complete without maps, and for that we use a blank map from Beautiful Feet Books.  The maps they have to accompany the Holling C. Holling books are lovely.  They are big, thick and cream; you can't beat that.

What is it about cream paper that makes it seem better?  Right now Anna is slowly painting and labeling her map; it's looking very pretty.  The only thing I don't like about the map, is that it stops before the paper ends, so you don't really know when to stop coloring it in.  I think they should have at least drawn the coast line all the way down, so that the Atlantic doesn't over flow into the mid- Atlantic states.  I thought I was the only person bothered by things like this, but it bugs Anna too.  I am thinking of penning it in myself.
     All in all though, I am really enjoying going through Paddle-to-the-Sea.