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For a fun study of geography, I can't think of a better book than Around the World in 80 Days! Add in transportation and inventions for a complete unit!
Home | Books | Geography is Fun with Around the World in 80 Days

Geography is Fun with Around the World in 80 Days

Books, homeschool, Homeschool Curriculum, Lists for Homeschooling

This week’s topic for What to Read Wednesday is geography. I can’t think of a more fun book for this than Around the World in 80 Days! There are so many rabbit trails to follow with this book, including Victorian times, transportation, inventions, and of course, geography.

Welcome to What To Read Wednesday!

At the end of this post, check out the link party for many more book suggestions, and be sure to visit the other WTRW hosts on their blogs!

This post contains affiliate links. My website is my job, and helps to support our family. So if you decide to buy something you see mentioned here, we would be so grateful if you clicked through my links. Thank you!

I can't think of a more fun book for this than Around the World in 80 Days! There are so many rabbit trails to follow with this book, including Victorian times, transportation, inventions, and of course, geography.

Make Geography Fun with Phileas’ Route

  • London, England
  • Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea
  • Bombay, India; the Red Sea; the Indian Ocean
  • Calcutta, India
  • Victoria, Hong Kong; South China Sea
  • Yokohama, Japan; Pacific Ocean
  • San Francisco, California, United States
  • New York, New York
  • Atlantic Ocean

The technological innovations of the 19th century had opened the possibility of rapid circumnavigation and the prospect fascinated Verne and his readership. In particular three technological breakthroughs occurred in 1869–70 that made a tourist-like around-the-world journey possible for the first time: the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad in America (1869), the linking of the Indian railways across the sub-continent (1870), and the opening of the Suez Canal (1869). It was another notable mark in the end of an age of exploration and the start of an age of fully global tourism that could be enjoyed in relative comfort and safety. It sparked the imagination that anyone could sit down, draw up a schedule, buy tickets and travel around the world, a feat previously reserved for only the most heroic and hardy of adventurers. (Wikipedia)

Transportation:

  • Railway
  • Steam ship
  • The Transcontinental Railroad
  • Wind-powered sledge
  • Ferry

Click Map for Source Link

Victorian England

Queen Victoria’s reign in England lasted from 1837 to 1901. It was a long period known as the Victorian era, and left quite a mark on history around the world.

Instead of re-inventing the wheel, I’m going to share a few great unit studies from around the web:

  • Proverbial Homemaker has a great one for younger kids
  • Homeschooling Ideas gives a few different ideas that will appeal to many ages
  • Almost Unschoolers goes even more in-depth with some great vocabulary words, foods, and date line discussion.

 

Since I have kids in a wide age range at my house, I like to have a couple of versions of a book available. If I’m reading aloud to the whole family, I’ll do the original unabridged version. But if I’m assigning reading, I always allow my younger students to read an abridged version, like Great Illustrated Classics. I’ve linked to both, below. And you’ll have to follow up your study with a movie night! We love the Jackie Chan version.


It’s amazing how you can learn so much from reading just one great book. Around the World in 80 Days is just such a book. Thanks for joining me for geography on What to Read Wednesday!

 

The most popular post from last week was:

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And now for the link up!

What to Read Wednesday linkup

Our hosts will still share a themed selection of our favorite books each week.

If you’d like to join us as a co-host for What to Read Wednesday, please contact Anne.

Anne at Learning TableLeah at Sandy Toes Creations

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What to Read WednesdayWhat to Read Wednesday

 

This list has our book themes, but you don’t have to stick to that to link up–any family-friendly posts are welcome. So, come on! Join in the fun!

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Nicki Truesdell is a 2nd-generation homeschooler and mother to 5. She loves books, freedom, history and quilts, and blogs about all of these at nickitruesdell.com. She believes that homeschooling can be relaxed and that history is fun, and both can be done with minimal cost or stress, no matter your family’s circumstances. Nicki is a member of the Texas Home Educators Advisory Board and The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Review Crew. You can also find her on  Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.  



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November 23, 2016 · 1 Comment

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  1. Mother of 3 says

    November 23, 2016 at 12:15 pm

    We just LOVED Around the World in 80 Days. My boys and I watched the movie once we were done with the book and we mapped the route, talking about time zones too.

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