European Geography Lesson Plan 3 ~ The British Isles

This post is part of the European Geography and Cultures Series. Please the Introductory Post for a list of countries covered with links to all of the blog posts of this series.

This is a Geography Lesson Plan for The British Isles: the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) and Ireland.

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post. I am an affiliate of Amazon, and will receive a small commission if a link on this page is used to make a purchase.

You can download this lesson plan (including checklists) as a PDF file. Click on the thumbnail below and open the PDF file in Adobe Reader to read and print. If you open in a browser window, the text may be garbled. You may share this online and use the image above without permission, but please have all links point to this blog post, not to the PDF file. Thanks!

Introduction to the British Isles

Suggestion: Have a tea party while you are learning about the British Isles.

Read

Galloping the Globe page 67 and 69 (optional)
England (True Books: Countries) (The images in the PDF file provided below and my sample cards are based on this book.)
Children Just Like Me page 26 – 27

Map Folders and Stamp Albums (Follow General Instructions.)

Pass out Folders and Stamp Albums.
Pass out postage stamps from the U.K. and Ireland and stamp hinges.

Physical Geography of the British Isles

Where on Earth?

Find the continent of Europe and the countries of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Ireland on a globe. Have students color the British Isles on the map on their folder.
Find Europe and the United Kingdom in the Atlas: start on page 76 of Where on Earth? Atlas, then find the countries on page 78. Move on to page 80 to view the landscape, and to page 94 to see it by night.

Land, Climate, Population and Wildlife

Review Europe’s overall climate on page 90 of DK Where On Earth? Atlas. The overall climate in England is called temperate maritime: http://projectbritain.com/climate.html.
Review page 92 of DK Where On Earth? Atlas to see the wildlife common across Europe, and don’t miss the “Biomes” sidebar.
To see pictures of some of the animals living in the United Kingdom visit https://www.britishwildlifecentre.co.uk/planyourvisit/animals.html.
Read page 50 – 51 of the DK Children’s World Atlas about The British Isles. Find out about British agricultural products, major landforms, and water bodies.

Card File (Follow General Card File Instructions.)

Listen to Around the World Stories from England or Scotland while working (subscription required).
Flag and Map Country Cover Card PDF File (see below)
Country Information Card PDF File (see below)
Category Cards – plain index cards or pre-printed PDF File (you may want to provide samples for students to copy)
Images PDF File for Category Cards (see below)

PDF Files to Download for Card File

Click on the thumbnails below and open the PDF files in Adobe Reader to read and print. If you open in a browser window, the text may be garbled. You may share this online and use the images above without permission, but please have all links point to this blog post, not to the PDF file. Thanks!

People

Choose the activities that interest you the most. Add to your Card File as you learn new things and complete activities. Listen to related music and/or stories while doing projects if possible.

1. Artists

* Thomas Gainsborough * William Morris * Louis Starr * Beatrix Potter * L.S. Lowry

Look at Thomas Gainsborough paintings on the iPad or in a library book.
Draw a portrait or landscape lightly with a pencil first, then paint.
Read about L.S. Lowry on page 18 of Where in the World? Around the Globe in 13 Works of Art and look at his painting on page 17.

2. Authors & Poets

* A.A. Milne * C.S. Lewis * Charles Dickens * Beatrix Potter * Robert Burns * William Shakespeare

Read or listen to a story by a British author (See list on page 68 of Galloping the Globe).
Listen to Shakespeare For Children audio by Jim Weiss.
See a Shakespeare play.
Watch a movie: Winnie the Pooh, a Narnia movie, A Christmas Carol, and/or a movie based on a Shakespeare play.
Read a book about knights, such as King Arthur. Find a story with pictures of a Coat of Arms.
Create your own Coat of Arms: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/14/fd/66/14fd66e783e2023d73127df6ab7047ac.jpg OR http://cpescounselor.weebly.com/blog-1/a-coat-of-arms.

3. Composers

*Handel * Gustav Holst

Listen to the Story of Handel in Words and Music (VOX Music Masters CD).
Listen to The Planets by Holst.

4. Ministers, Missionaries and Caregivers

* William Carey * David Livingstone * George Müller * Florence Nightingale * Hudson Taylor
* Eric Lidell * John Wesley * Mary Slessor

Read or listen to a story about one of the individuals above.
Watch the movie Chariots of Fire (Eric Liddell).

George Müller is also listed in the Germany lesson plan.

5. Prominent People

* William the Conqueror * Sir Winston Churchill * Elizabeth I * William Wilberforce

Read or listen to a story about one of the individuals above.
Read or listen to William Wilberforce: Take Up the Fight by Janet & Geoff Benge.

6. Scientists

* Sir Isaac Newton * Michael Faraday * Charles Darwin * Alexander Fleming

Read or listen to a story about Alexander Fleming.
Do a bread mold experiment: https://www.education.com/activity/article/Making_Mold_Science_Experiment.

Places & Food

Choose the activities that interest you the most. Add to your Card File as you learn new things and complete activities.

1. Landmarks

* Big Ben * Tower of London * Tower Bridge * Stonehenge * Giant’s Causeway
* Edinburgh Castle * Buckingham Palace * Madame Tussaud’s

Read The Age of Castles: Castle Life by Struan Reid
Make a castle: https://www.pinterest.com/cottonridgellc/world-geography-cultures/united-kingdom
Make a miniature paper Big Ben: http://cp.c-ij.com/en/contents/CNT-0021027/index.html

2. Food

Read page 46 – 48 of Eat Your Way Around the World Cookbook.
Make Cucumber Sandwiches, Mushroom Turnovers, and Scones. My daughter, niece, and I made Strawberry Scones from the recipe in this cookbook – so yummy. It was our first time making scones, and they turned out to be delicious. I THINK this is what they are supposed to look like!

Find more ideas on my United Kingdom Pinterest Board!

Checklists

Checklist for Basic Materials:

- - - Globe
    - Galloping the Globe
    - Children Just Like Me
    - DK Where On Earth? Atlas
    - DK Children’s World Atlas
    - England (True Books: Countries) (or similar book)
    - Map Folders, Stamp Albums, Stamps & Hinges
    - Card File materials including printed PDF files (see general instructions)
    - Music and/or Story CDs
    - Stories from England by https://www.aroundtheworldstories.com
    - iPad or Computer with internet connection for research (optional)

Checklist for Projects:

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Checklist for International Food Dishes:

- - - - Eat Your Way Around the World Cookbook or U.K. Recipes
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Please comment below with your questions and suggestions – I will respond as soon as I can! Thank you for visiting Cotton Ridge Homeschool!

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post. I am an affiliate of Amazon, and will receive a small commission if a link on this page is used to make a purchase.