We’ve been using North Star Geography this school year and have really enjoyed it. If you’ve been curious about it, or maybe want to explore your options for next year, keep on reading!
Here’s an interesting fact: Geography is one of the most under-taught subjects today.
That’s a bit odd since we experience it daily.
And I’ll be honest, I never really considered adding northstar geography into our homeschool studies until I came across Bright Ideas Press and their North Star Geography program for middle and high school.
I checked all the north star geography reviews that I could find and weighed everything. And at first, I still thought it would just be fun map-work extras for us to do. But North Star Geography is so much more than just a geography book, and my middle schooler has benefited from it greatly!
North Star Geography makes learning exciting, as it should be. I’ve never understood how information can be delivered in a boring manner. Sure, life isn’t all rainbows and unicorns but we are able to deliver information adequately, without compromising the quality, in an enjoyable manner.
Tyler Hogan, the author of North Star Geography, delivery of information is fluid and vivid. Thoroughly engaging the reader and encouraging them to want more.
Now that we have a school year under our belts, I can give a better look into the program. I hope this helps you get a better inside look of the program.
The Components of North Star Geography
North Star Geography is made up of a Student Reader and a Companion Guide.
The Student Reader is the textbook.
The text book is the Student Reader, the meat of the curriculum. It has 16 lessons total broken down into three units. It’s full of lots of colorful illustrations to help bring the material to life.
- Unit 1: Geography Skills – which covers what geography is, maps, and navigation.
- Unit 2: Physical Geography – is exactly what the name implies. It covers topics such as the Earth structure, Topography, Atmosphere, and more.
- Unit 3: Human Geography – takes a look at mankind and how we relate to our location and environment. It covers topics such as sociology, transportation, government, and more.
Companion Guide
The Companion Guide is on a CD (neatly tucked on the inside of the book in a pocket). It contains he full text. It also includes all the other essential components of the curriculum such as scheduling charts, quizzes, tests, vocabulary, maps, and much more!
North Star Geography is written from a Christian perspective and works super well for independent learners. There is very little prep needed for you, the parent.
Who is it for?
North Star Geography is for Middle Schoolers and High Schoolers and counts towards a high school credit. You can cover the material in a full school year, you can simplify the schedule and coursework to be the equivalent of a half credit too (so one semester). Or, you could take a more relaxed approach and do he course over a two-year period. The schedule options are available in the components provided.
Why should you choose this book?
If you want a solid, thorough, yet still very customizable curriculum for your high school geography needs, this book is what you need!
Take a look inside.
Below are a few images of the internals of this amazing curriculum.
North Star Geography is available in 3 different formats, you can find them all HERE.
- Hardcover Book + Companion Gide on CD
- A CD with a PDF file of the book and the CD also included the Companion Guide
- The eBook and Companion Guide via digital Download
I’d love to encourage you to take a look at their WonderMaps curriculum too! It pairs great with North Star Geography!