How to Combine Geography with Geometry for Kids – math series 1

1. Start with Maps and Scales

• Introduce Geometry in Maps: Teach children how maps use geometry to represent the Earth’s surface. For example, they can explore how shapes like triangles and polygons are used to draw countries, continents, and even mountain ranges.
• Activity: Have them calculate distances between two locations using the scale of a map. Explain how straight lines (line segments) represent real-world distances and how circles (in the form of latitude and longitude lines) divide the globe.

2. Geometric Shapes in Landforms

• Mountains and Triangles: Use the shape of mountains and hills to introduce concepts like triangles and angles. Discuss how a mountain can resemble a pyramid or a triangle from certain perspectives, and how you can calculate slope or angle of elevation.
• Activity: Have students compare the height and base of different mountains and then calculate their slopes. This introduces triangle properties while connecting them with geography.

3. Use the Geometry of the Earth’s Surface

• Circles and Spheres: Introduce children to the shape of the Earth—a sphere—and explain how it’s divided into hemispheres, latitude, and longitude lines. These concepts relate to circles and angles in geometry.
• Activity: Use a globe to explain how the Earth’s surface can be divided into 360° longitude and show them how to measure distances in degrees using geometry.

4. Geometric Concepts in Building and Urban Planning

• Shapes in Cities: Cities are full of geometric shapes—rectangles in buildings, squares in plazas, and circles in roundabouts. Use real-world examples of city layouts to teach children about symmetry, area, and perimeter.
• Activity: Have children identify different shapes in their neighbourhood or a city. They can even create a small-scale map of their town using geometric figures.

5. Topology and Mapping

• Introduce Topological Geometry: Topology is a branch of geometry that looks at how objects can be transformed. Use topological concepts to explain how maps are made by flattening the Earth’s surface (a 3D shape) into 2D maps. This bridges geography and abstract geometry.
• Activity: Show them how projections work on maps (like Mercator projections) and discuss why the sizes of landmasses are distorted. This helps introduce more abstract concepts like geometric transformations.

Exploring the Real Geometry World to the Abstract Geometry World

Is it a good idea? Yes! Children learn best by starting with concrete, real-world examples and gradually moving to more abstract ideas. Geography is naturally concrete—it’s based on the physical world that children can see and touch. By using geography as a starting point, children can explore real-world geometric concepts and then move toward more abstract ideas like shapes, angles, and transformations. Here’s how:

1. Concrete to Abstract Learning: Start with physical objects they can relate to (like mountains, rivers, and buildings), and slowly transition to abstract geometric principles. For example, explain how circles in the real world (like roundabouts or the Earth) can be understood through abstract geometry as arcs and angles.
2. Visual Learning: Geography provides visual and spatial experiences, like reading maps or observing landscapes, that can be mapped onto geometry’s abstract concepts (like symmetry, projections, and coordinate systems). This makes the transition from concrete geography to abstract geometry smoother.
3. Building Connections: Once children are comfortable with geography-based geometry, introduce abstract problems, such as geometric proofs, where they must visualize shapes and spaces without the aid of physical objects. This trains them to think both concretely and abstractly, building strong mathematical reasoning skills.

Example Lesson Plan: “From Mountains to Triangles”

1. Real-World Exploration: Take children on a hike or show them pictures of mountains and hills. Ask them to identify the triangular shapes of mountains and calculate the angles they observe.
2. Relating to Geometry: In class, use these observations to introduce the concept of triangles and right angles. Show how the height and base of a mountain can be used to create a right triangle.
3. Abstract Application: Move on to more abstract geometry, like finding the area of triangles and solving problems involving triangles and angles, connecting back to the real-world experience.

By grounding abstract geometric concepts in real-world geography, children can better understand and engage with both subjects. This makes learning fun, relatable, and useful in everyday life.