Fun, FREE Hands-on Geography Lessons and Unit Studies for Kids

Have you been looking for fun, FREE hands-on unit studies? Each of the below unit studies is filled with active projects that are both educational and fun! Learn by doing! Included are 8 unit studies comprised of more than 112 lessons! Click on the individual lesson plans to see the dramatizations, art projects, cooking, edible projects, singing, and/or lapbook ideas! Also included are our favorite "living books"/picture books that compliment each lesson.

For U.S. Geography, select from unit studies and lessons including:

• 50 States & Regions: Hands-on Activities-Based Lessons
• 50 States: Individual States Books, Videos, & Notebook Pages

For World Geography, select from unit studies and lessons including:

• A-Z Countries of the World
• China
• Japan
• Australia & New Zealand
• Africa
• Russia

Cook and eat regional foods, play rodeo games, enjoy a luau, dance zydeco, celebrate a Southwest Fiesta, and more while studying the 50 States of the United States.

• New England States Lesson - This is part 1 of a 9 part hands-on unit study on U.S. States & Regions. Bake and eat Boston Brown Bread, create lighthouse models, dissect crayfish, enjoy New England cuisine sampler plates, and more!
• Mid-Atlantic States Lesson - This is part 2 of a 9 part hands-on unit study on the 50 States. Sculpt the Statue of the Liberty, act out Rip Van Winkle, hold an Amish barn-raising, and more!
• Great Lakes States Lesson - This is part 3 of a 9 part hands-on unit study on the U.S. States & Regions. Make and eat ice cream, construct Lego's cars on an assembly line, dig the Erie Canal and sail boats down the water, assemble Harley Davidson motorcycles out of cheese, and more!
• Midwest States Lesson - This is part 4 of a 9 part hands-on unit study on the 50 States. Bake and eat Midwest cornbread, deliver mail on the Pony Express, carve Mount Rushmore, grind wheat, construct sod houses, sample regional foods, and more!
• Rocky Mountain States Lesson - This is part 5 of a 9 part hands-on unit study on the U.S. States & Regions. Cook & eat Cowboy Stew, paint a mountain landscape scene, compete in a rodeo round-up, hold salt flat races, and more!
• Pacific Coast States Lesson - This is part 6 of a 9 part hands-on unit study on the 50 States. Bake & eat Washington Apple Pie, create “Starbucks” coffee grounds play-dough, piece together “fossils” excavated from the “La Brea Tar Pits,” make “Salmon” fish prints, build and test out marshmallow structures for earthquakes, and more!
• Alaska and Hawaii Lesson - This is part 7 of a 9 part hands-on unit study on the U.S. States & Regions. Construct sugar cube igloos, host a luau complete with grass skirts and hula dancing, carve soap scrimshaw, dramatize the Iditarod, sample regional foods, and more!
• Southwest States Lesson - This is part 8 of a 9 part hands-on unit study on the Fifty States. Celebrate a fiesta, compete in an Oklahoma Land Run, play Texas rodeo games, create a Sonora desert diorama, and more!
• Visiting Southern States - This is part 9 of a 9 part hands-on unit study on the U.S. States & Regions. Race in the Kentucky Derby, make and eat Key Lime Pie & homemade peanut butter, celebrate Mardi Gras, make a swamp diorama, dance Zydego, and more!
• 50 States Projects - This is the end of the unit project following a 9 part hands-on unit study on the 50 States. Perform a play about the fifty states while enjoying a dinner that features regional foods from across the United States. Also included are regional recipe links and field trips we attended while studying this unit.

• Best Resources on Teaching the 50 States - Since there were so many great resources we found for each individual state, I've also created a page for each state featuring our favorite children's books, YouTube clips, notebook pages, & more for each state. This page has links for each of the 50 states.

• A - Z Countries of the World : Around the World in 26 Letters - Study a different county each week as you visit one country per letter of the alphabet. Locate the county on a map, color the flag, cook an ethnic meal, create an ethnic craft, read a book about the county, and more! All the maps, flags, recipes, craft ideas, YouTube videos, etc. are already listed! All you have to do is follow the weekly lesson plan. This page has the links for each lesson.

• Australia for Kids - Taste Vegemite and other Australia foods, paint Aboriginal dot art, create Australian animal crafts, host an Australian tea, and more during this fun hands-on unit on Australia's history and culture! This lesson plan was written to be used with elementary-aged and preschool aged children and is perfect for a classroom, homeschool, co-op, after-school program, or enriched family learning time. I have also included our favorite children's books and YouTube videos on Australia's history and culture.
• New Zealand for Kids - Learn about the Maori through costumes, dancing the haka, creating a Maori-inspired bookmark, and preparing a traditional meal. Prepare and eat a modern Kiwi meal as well as you learn about the modern country's animals, rugby team, and slang.

• Xin Dynasty - Study the early legends of China, design a Chinese Dynasties scroll, create a dragon puppet, & more while learning about Ancient Chinese History and the Xia Dynasty.
• Shang Dynasty - Practice Chinese character writing, eat a meal with chopsticks, listen to Guqin music, & more while learning about Ancient Chinese History and the Shang Dynasty.
• Zhou Dynasty - Carve "jade" sculptures from soap, create a "bamboo" scroll using craft sticks, compare Chinese religions, & more while learning about Ancient Chinese History and the Zhou Dynasty (also spelled Chou).
• Qin Dynasty - Construct a Lego model of the Great Wall of China, create terracotta army warriors, & more while learning about Ancient Chinese History and the Qin (Chin) Dynasty.
• Han Dynasty - Design & fly kites, learn about silk & "embroider" on plastic canvas, create a fish compass, & more while learning about Ancient Chinese History and the Han Dynasty.
• Sui & Tang Dynasties - Dig a miniature "Grand Canal", create woodblocks, participate in a tea ceremony, & more while learning about Ancient Chinese History and the Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty.
• Song Dynasty - Create tangrams, paint landscapes, set off firecrackers, watch traditional Chinese opera, & more while learning about Ancient Chinese History and the Song Dynasty.
• Yuan Dynasty - Trace the route of Marco Polo, perform a play, & more while learning about Ancient Chinese History and the Yuan Dynasty.
• Ming Dynasty - Paint Ming porcelain on paper plates, construct the Forbidden City using Legos, sketch Zheng He’s treasure ship, create and use a Chinese abacus, & more while learning about Ancient Chinese History & the Ming Dynasty.
• Qing/Manchu Dynasty (1644-1911) - Practice Kung Fu, compose Chinese poetry, dramatize the Opium Wars, sketch Pekingese, & more while learning about Ancient Chinese History & the Qing Dynasty.
• Revolutions in China (1911-1976) - Dramatize the Great Leap Forward using rice & cake, make jam to learn about steel production, and more while learning about China's Revolutions under Sun Yat-sen, Chiang Kai-shek, & Mao Zedong.
• Modern China (1977-Present) - Taste bamboo while learning about pandas, visit the main tourist sites through videos, about the Tiananmen Square protests & about Xi Jinping, & more while learning about China from 1977 to modern day.
• Chinese New Year Celebration - This is a concluding party, though it can also be a stand-alone lesson or celebration if you are looking for a simplified way to celebrate Chinese New Year using decorations, red envelopes, a Chinese Meal, fireworks, and so much more.

• Japan Lesson for Children - Make an origami paper crane, a carp fish kite, a Japanese meal, a Japanese doll, and more during this fun lesson on Japan!

Dramatize the mummification process, carve clay cartouches, eat a Tuareg-style meal, act out an Ashanti tale, dramatize the historic gold and salt trades centered in Ghana, paint watercolor paintings of the animals of the Congo, make Nigerian-style tie-dye shirts, hunt like a Pygmy and act out the Pygmy Honey Dance, enjoy an Ethiopian-style feast, create Zulu shields, and more in this fun 4 part hands-on unit study on Africa!

• North Africa Lesson - This is part 1 of a 4 part hands-on unit study on Africa. This week's focus is North Africa. Dramatize the mummification process, carve clay cartouches, eat a Tuareg-style meal, make Moroccan Khobz, hold a Moroccan Berber fantasia and more!
• Western Africa Lesson - This is part 2 of a 4 part hands-on unit study on Africa. Act out an Ashanti tale, dramatize the historic gold and salt trades centered in Ghana, mold Ashanti gold weights out of clay, attempt to carry baskets and babies in the Ghanaian fashion, and more!
• West and Central Africa Lesson - This is part 3 of a 4 part hands-on unit study on Africa. Make watercolor paintings of the animals of the Congo, taste Nigerian chin chin, fufu, and Ground Nut Soup, make Nigerian-style tie-dye shirts, hunt like a Pygmy and act out the Pygmy Honey Dance, and more!
• East and South Africa Lesson - This is part 4 of a 4 part hands-on unit study on Africa. Enjoy an Ethiopian-style feast, create Zulu shields, make Masai necklaces and attempt Masai-style spear throwing, and more!
• Africa Unit Presentations and Field Trip Ideas - For the culminating activity for our 4 part hands-on unit on Africa, make African dishes and present on famous people relevant to Africa. Also included is where we went for field trips during this unit.

Cook borscht and blini, study and paint like the famous artists of Russia, perform a miniature "Nutcracker" ballet performance, dramatize a Communist lunch (complete with sentencing to "Siberia" for the non-compliant), and more in the fun 8 part study on Russia!

• Russian Geography and Early Russian History Lesson - This is part 1 in an 8 part unit study on Russia. Paint a Russian Orthodox triptych, taste caviar, play the Russian Temperate Zone Game, read classic Baba Yaga tales, and more while learning about Russian geography and early Russian history. Also included are our favorite books, YouTube video clips, lapbook and activity links, and other resources we used while learning about Russian geography and early Russian history.
• Russian Czars Lesson - This is part 2 in an 8 part unit study on Russia. Construct a model of the Red Square, attempting Cossack-style dancing, decorate eggs like Carl Faberge, read classic Czar tales, and more while learning about Russian Czars. Also included are our favorite books, YouTube video clips, lapbook and activity links, and other resources we used while learning about Russian Czars.
• Russian Revolution Lesson - This is part 3 in an 8 part unit study on Russia. Play the Russian Civil War version of Capture the Flag, endure a "Communist" lunch complete with trying to trade food on the black market, create Communist flags, and more while learning about the Russian Revolution. Also included are our favorite books, YouTube video clips, lapbook and activity links, and other resources we used while learning about the Russian Revolution.
• Siberia Lesson - This is part 4 in an 8 part unit study on Russia. Sketch an Aurora Borealis landscape scene using pastels, making grape jelly to demonstrate the smelting process, cut out various shapes of snowflakes, dress up as and pretend to be musk oxen, walruses, Siberian tigers, and reindeer, and more while learning about Siberia. Also included are our favorite books, YouTube video clips, lapbook and activity links, and other resources we used while learning about Siberia.
• Russian Ballet Lesson - This is part 5 in an 8 part unit study on Russia. Perform a miniature production of The Nutcracker, learn the basic positions in ballet, watch videos of and read about famous Russian dancers including Anna Pavlova, Nijinsky, and Baryshnikov, and more while learning about Russian ballet. Also included are our favorite books, YouTube video clips, lapbook and activity links, and other resources we used while learning about Russian ballet.
• The Cold War and Arms Race Lesson - This is part 6 in an 8 part unit study on Russia. Design and launch various types of rockets, dramatize the Berlin Airlift and the Chocolate Pilot, prepare and eat blini, and more while learning about the Cold War and the Arms Race. Also included are our favorite books, YouTube video clips, lapbook and activity links, and other resources we used while learning about the Cold War and the Arms Race.
• The Space Race and The Olympics Lesson - This is part 7 in an 8 part unit study on Russia. Make a full-size model of Sputnik 1, learn gymnastics moves and host a miniature Olympics gymnastics competition, experiment with sugar while learning about the Cuban Missile Crisis, and more while learning about the Space Race and Russian Olympics. Also included are our favorite books, YouTube video clips, lapbook and activity links, and other resources we used while learning about the Space Race and Russian Olympics.
• End of the Cold War and Russian Artists Lesson - This is part 8 in an 8 part unit study on Russia. Recreate Kandinsky’s and Marc Chagall’s works, build and then knock down a model of the Berlin Wall, decorate pysanky eggs, make and eat kulich, and more while learning about the end of the Cold War and contemporary Russian artists. Also included are our favorite books, YouTube video clips, lapbook and activity links, and other resources we used while learning about the end of the Cold War and contemporary Russian artists.
• Russia: Faberge, Chess, & Borscht – This lesson provides a simple overview of Russia. I have compiled all you will need to locate Russia on a map, cook a Russian meal, watch YouTube clips on Russia, color the flag, create a Russian craft, read a great book about Russia, and more!
• Ukraine: A Missing Mitten, Pysanky Easter Eggs, & Babka Bread – If you would like to learn a bit more on Ukraine, visit my lesson at which I have shared all you will need to locate Ukraine on a map, cook a Ukrainian meal, watch YouTube clips on Ukraine, color the flag, create a Ukrainian craft, read a great book about Ukraine, and more!

Each of the below unit studies is filled with active projects that are both educational and fun as you learn through Experiments, Cooking, Dramatizations, Costumes, Edible Crafts, Games, Crafts, Songs, Lapbooks, and lots of living books!

• Science Lessons and Unit Studies (17 unit studies & 90 lessons) : Astronomy, Geology, Biology, Plants, Genetics, CSI, Human Anatomy, Simple Machines, Electricity, Earth Science, Fossils, Weather, Five Senses, & Ecology
• American History Lessons and Unit Studies (8 unit studies & 81 lessons) : Explorers, Native Americans, American Colonies, Independence, Westward Expansion, Presidents, and more through World War II
• World History Lessons and Unit Studies (8 unit studies & 39 lessons): Tabernacle, Medieval Period, Leonardo da Vinci, Protestant Reformation, Explorers, China, Russia, & Africa
• Geography Lessons and Unit Studies (8 unit studies & 112 lessons) : 50 States, China, Japan, Russia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, & Countries A - Z
• Art Lessons for Early Elementary (34 lessons) : Artists and Elements of Art, Leonardo da Vinci, Medieval Art, Sculpting, & Pottery
• Preschool Lessons (23 lessons) : Horses, Manners, Five Senses, Attributes of God, Butterflies, Plants, Bees, Military, Construction, Sculpting, Science of Bread, Ladybugs, Sheep & Wool, Japan, Lighthouses, Laws & Obedience, Illusions & Deception, & the Gingerbread Man
• Holiday Lessons (13 lessons) : Thanksgiving, Christmas, St. Patrick's Day, Summer Fun, & Reformation Day

• Homeschool Schedules & Tips : Our Homeschool Schedules at various stages, what I do with my Toddlers and Babies, how to Start a Co-op, our Favorites, and our lessons for Classical Conversations, KONOS, and Abeka.