The Holling Geography Unit Study uses four outstanding books by Holling C. Holling—Paddle to the Sea, Minn of the Mississippi, Tree in the Trail, and Seabird—to teach geography along with history, science, and ecology to children in grades four through seven.
The course consists of a full-color teacher guide, the four books, and four large maps printed on heavy paper. (You should have children color and write on the maps as they "explore.") You can purchase only the guide, then borrow the Holling books from the library and purchase a set of maps, or you can buy the course package that includes all the above.
Three regions of North America are covered, and students are introduced to world geography.
You adapt the program for different ages by choosing the details to explore with each one and by having older students compile a notebook. Lesson plans are outlines that direct you to activities. For example, Lesson 3 on page 2 lists the following activities:
- Read chapters 7-10 of Paddle to the Sea.
- Study how a sawmill works from the diagram in Chapter 7.
- On the map, have student color and label Lake Superior, Isle Royal, and Port Arthur.
- Research the characteristics of a marsh. How is a marsh different from a pond?
- From Chapter 10, have student narrate how Paddle is pushed out of the marsh and back into Lake Superior.
Instructions are brief, and you and your students are sometimes on your own to research other sources for information.
The course generally takes a semester to complete. While it is recommended for grades four through seven, you should select activities for younger students, assisting them more than you would older students. Minn of the Mississippi is probably the most difficult of the four books, so lessons for it might be saved for older students. Reading the Holling books aloud with the entire family and selectively assigning activities should work best for most families.
Summary
The Holling books are wonderful classics that homeschoolers should add to their library, and the Holling Geography Unit Study gives you the perfect excuse to do so.
