As our world becomes more and more connected through the internet and the ability to travel easily, it is more and more important for students to understand the world they are part of. Fundafunda’s online high school Geography Class aims to help homeschoolers do just that.
Many jobs have people all over the world working together on projects, many involve travel, and many require interaction with other cultures.
All this means Geography is a very exciting and relevant subject to study – but all the excitement can so easily be destroyed by a dull textbook and worksheets.
But you won’t find any of those in our online class! This course is intended for high school homeschoolers and after the completion of both semesters, they will have earned one full credit. Younger students may take it – but bear in mind the course load is high school level. And of course, non-homeschoolers can enroll too. Any students are welcome – but there will be about 4-5 hours of work each week.
What teaching methods are used?
The content will be delivered through video, interactive websites, and games and through student research.
1. Video
Video allows students to actually “see” the place they are studying. They can hear the sounds and watch the people.
2. Research
Students will be assigned various topics to research – and their research will then be shared with their classmates in creative ways. They definitely won’t be completing worksheets! It is important that students are “active” learners. Benjamin Franklin said
Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.
3. Websites
The websites won’t be ones that are just “textbook clones”. They might be games, or scavenger hunts, or Google earth! There are so many really engaging websites that take “experiencing” Geography to a whole new level. Webcams and 3D technology can help students feel like they are really there!
How will the students’ understanding of the work be assessed?
Our aim is to achieve a broad knowledge of world geography, and that students will retain much of this knowledge well after the class has ended. We are not huge fans of tests as a means of assessment but will rather use fun quizzes, online games, and projects.
* Quizzes – these will be short and taken during or straight after instruction to check students are paying attention 🙂 They will be able to re-take them if they realized they had been daydreaming.
* Online games are a great way for students to learn where countries are, their capitals, etc. Some of these have dashboards for teachers, but in other cases, we will require a screenshot as proof of mastery
* Game creation – students will need to research and create games. And then, of course, they will play each other’s games.
* Presentation of their research – this will take different forms but will include short paragraphs, videos, posters, websites, and itinerary planning.
The work takes students about 4 – 5 hours each week. They will be able to work anytime they want to – but there are deadlines and they have to keep up. On occasion, they will work with classmates collaboratively and they do peer assessments and interact with each other in the virtual classroom. So it is like a regular classroom – just online!
WARNING: Your children may enjoy this so much that they will be begging you to travel. Or maybe FundaFunda should just plan a round-the-world field trip for us all at the end of the course!
In fact, one of our students did manage to convince her parents to take her on a trip she planned as part of a class assignment. You can read about it here.
Ready to sign up? Visit us at FundaFunda Academy.
FundaFunda’s Online High School Geography Class for homeschoolers (FAQ)
How will the content be delivered?
The content will be delivered through video, interactive websites and games and through student research.
How will the students' understanding of the work be assessed?
We use fun quizzes, online games, and projects to assess mastery.
How many hours per week will this take?
On average students spend 4 – 5 hours per week. The time spent depends on study habits and how familiar students are with working online.
What grade is this suitable for?
Although this is intended as a high school class, many 7th and 8th graders have taken it successfully.
Feel free to leave questions in the comments.
Meryl van der Merwe
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