Maps in Notebooks {50 Things Series}

50 Things to Put in a Notebook is one of the most popular how to posts here at The Notebooking Fairy. So to bring that post to life, I am writing a blog series, showing you specific examples of each of those fifty different things.

Fifty Things to Put into a Notebook:  #2 Maps

Adding maps to your notebooks is a great way to build geographic literacy in your children. No matter the subject area, if a place is mentioned, that is a cue for a map. We have used map pages in art notebooks, history notebooks, language arts notebooks, and science notebooks.

Maps can take center stage on a notebooking page or can embellish a page with text. There are examples of both cases in the photos below.

Maps from Reproducible Books

It’s very convenient to have a collection of outline maps on hand in your homeschool library. Two good sources are these reproducible books:

• The World Reference & Map Forms: Grades 3-6 (Evan Moor)
• Ready-to-Go Super Book of Outline Maps (Grades 4-8) (Scholastic) examples pictured below

reproducible maps for Gauguin study

Maps from reproducible books are attractive and large. And you can use the books over and over again.

Maps from Software or CDs

I have recently learned about WonderMaps — a software that lets you customize and print out historical and outline maps. It is a wonderful tool for homeschool and is far more versatile than a book of outline maps.

Notebooking page with maps from WonderMaps (Bright Ideas Press)

Maps Printed from the Internet

Another option is to use maps you print from the Internet. My favorite sites with free maps are these two:

• Education Place’s outline maps
• World Atlas

Sometimes you need a very specific map that is hard to find. In that case, printing from the Internet or copying a page from a book is your only option. Below is an example. In reading the Aeneid, I wanted my daughter to trace the travels of Aeneas. So I found a map that she could outline with colored pens.

maps printed from the Internet

Below is an outline map printed from the Internet. This was part of a novel study.

Map of Europe, printed from the Internet

Sketch Your Own Maps

For simple maps, sketching your own is a great way to learn geography. Reference an atlas or other book as a guide and have your child do her best to draw the geography she sees. If the map is complicated, allow her to trace it.

sketched map

Do you often use maps on your notebooking pages? Do you have any tips or favorites? Share in a comment below or on The Notebooking Fairy’s Facebook page.