Try this map project with your students.  Using a 3 ring binder and 7 dividers,  have each divider represents a continent.  The student will label each divider to represent a continent.  The student will locate the continents on the globe to insure he/she has the full concept of the location of the continents.  As you work on maps of your current area of study, when the map is complete, place it in the proper category in the binder.  This will be a permanent record of map study and this binder will follow your child throughout their school years .  Each time you add a new map to the Atlas, your child will see the maps already there.  This puts to work the principle of review.  It is hard to forget where Brazil ( or other countries you studied) is if each time he/she opens the binder, the map he/she made is there.  You can customize this project to suit your style.   You may want to use another criteria for each catagory.  Feel free to make the changes to make this work for you and your child.  Please post comments to this post as to how you make and utilize your Atlas.

Every 4 years the primaries and elections offer a perfect opportunity for parents to introduce children to the process of electing the president of the US. Many lessons can be taught about issues and the how the candidates present themselves, what is important to look for in a candidate and what the issues are. One fun project is to use a map of the US, and as each state holds a primary, that state can be colored and the statistics from that primary entered on the map. The home states of each candidate can be identified as well. Maps of the US measuring 24 by 36 inches can be found at the Parent Library. Ask for Karen.