Core Knowledge Geography

WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

I. Geography: Spatial Sense (working with maps, globes, and other geographic tools)

• Maps and globes: what they represent, how we use them

• Rivers, lakes, and mountains: what they are and how they are represented on

maps and globes

• Locate the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

• Locate the North and South Poles.

II. An Overview of the Seven Continents

Teachers: Help children gain a beginning geographic vocabulary and a basic sense of how we organize

and talk about the world by giving names to some of the biggest pieces of land. Introduce children to

the seven continents through a variety of methods and media (tracing, coloring, relief maps, etc.), and

associate the continents with familiar wildlife, landmarks, etc. (for example, penguins in Antarctica; the

Eiffel Tower in Europe). Throughout the school year, reinforce names and locations of continents when

potential connections arise in other disciplines (for example, connect Grimm’s fairy tales to Europe;

voyage of Pilgrims to Europe and North America; story of “Momotaro—Peach Boy” to Asia [Japan];

study of Native Americans to North America).

• Identify and locate the seven continents on a map and globe:

Asia

Europe

Africa

North America

South America

Antarctica

Australia

History and\

AMERICAN HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

Teachers: The study of American history begins in grades K-2 with a brief overview of major events and

figures, from the earliest days to recent times. A more in-depth, chronological study of American history

begins again in grade 3 and continues onward. The term “American” here generally, but not always,

refers to the lands that became the United States. Other topics regarding North, Central, and South

America may be found in the World History and Geography sections of this Sequence.

I. Geography

• Name and locate the town, city, or community, as well as the state where you live.

• Locate North America, the continental United States, Alaska, and Hawaii.

II. Native American Peoples, Past and Present

Teachers: As children progress through the grades of the Core Knowledge Sequence, they will learn

about many different Native American peoples in many different regions (such as Pacific Northwest:

Kwakiutl, Chinook; Plateau: Nez Perce; Great Basin: Shoshone, Ute; Southwest: Dine [Navajo], Hopi,

Apache, Zuni; Plains: Blackfoot, Comanche, Crow, Kiowa, Dakota, Lakota [Sioux], Cheyenne, Arapaho;

Eastern Woodlands: Huron, Iroquois, Mohican, Delaware [Lenni Lenape], Susquehanna, Massachusett,

Wampanoag, Powhatan; Southeast: Cherokee, Seminole). In kindergarten, study at least one specific

group of Native Americans. You might explore a local or regional tribe or nation, and compare it with

one far away.

• Become familiar with the people and ways of life of at least one Native

American tribe or nation, including:

–how they lived

–what they wore and ate

–the homes they lived in

–their beliefs and stories

–the current status of the tribe or nation

III. Early Exploration and Settlement

A. THE VOYAGE OF COLUMBUS IN 1492

• Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain

• The Niña, Pinta, and Santa Maria

• Columbus’s mistaken identification of “Indies” and “Indians”

• The idea of what was, for Europeans, a “New World”

B. THE PILGRIMS

• The Mayflower

• Plymouth Rock

• Thanksgiving Day celebration

C. JULY 4, “INDEPENDENCE DAY”

• The “birthday” of our nation

• Democracy (rule of the people): Americans wanted to rule themselves instead of being

ruled by a faraway king.

• Some people were not free: slavery in early America

IV. Presidents, Past and Present

Teachers: Introduce children to famous presidents, and discuss with them such questions as: What is

the president? How does a person become president? Who are some of our most famous presidents,

and what did they do that made them famous?

• George Washington

The “Father of Our Country”

Legend of George Washington and the cherry tree

• Thomas Jefferson, author of Declaration of Independence

• Abraham Lincoln

Humble origins

“Honest Abe”

• Theodore Roosevelt

• Current United States president

V. Symbols and Figures

• Recognize and become familiar with the significance of:

American Flag

Statue of Liberty

Mount Rushmore

The White House