Geography Awareness Week -- Events and Resources for Parents, Educators, Kids

Geography Awareness Week
November 12-18, 2006

Events Africa Resources
Just for Educators Just for Parents Just for Kids

Every year since 1987, National Geographic and other organizations have celebrated "geography awareness" during the third week of November, promoting the importance of geography in the U.S. and Canada. (Geography Awareness Week also includes GIS Day.)

This year, My Wonderful World is kicking off a multiyear, around-the-world program to engage everyone in learning about the diversity of our planet's people, places, and natural wonders. Our first stop is Africa! Below are Africa-related events and resources for educators, parents, and kids alike. Get started—and see what wonders you can discover.

EVENTS

Celebrate geography! Take part in a Geography Awareness Week event.
See full list of events.

Test your Africa IQ with our new quiz on Google Earth—and explore the continent as you answer questions.

Explore a different facet of geography every day on the My Wonderful World blog. We'll highlight great sites, cool tools, and more..

Want to get your city or state to recognize Geography Awareness Week? Send your mayor or governor this proclamation.

AFRICA RESOURCES

Africa People and Places

The Blue Nile crashes over Tisisat Falls in the lush forests of northwest Ethiopia, and a mother threshes wheat grain in Nigeria. Photographs by Diego Lezama Orezzoli/Corbis and Corbis.

Explore the vast continent of Africa, from the lush forests of Congo and the islands of Cape Verde to the modern cities of South Africa and the sandy expanse of the Sahara.

See country profiles, photos, and maps

GAMES

Africa Adventure

South Africa Globe Puzzle

Daily life in Ancient Egypt Quiz

What's Your Africa IQ

Africa Geography Game

INTERACTIVE FEATURES

Africa Megaflyover

CongoTrek

AfriCam Virtual Reserve

Egypt Fun Guide

African Voices

National Geographic Magazine on Africa

Animal Sounds Library

WildCam

MAPS

Africa on Google Earth

Have Google Earth? Start it up, then enable the National Geographic magazine layers. You’ll find an index of magazine articles, photos, video, and more overlaid across the continent.
Get Google Earth for free.

	Africa Outline Maps
	MapMachine
	WildWorld Conservation Atlas

MUSIC

African Music Encyclopedia

African Music on the Internet

NEWS

PHOTOS

JUST FOR EDUCATORS

Whether you teach social studies, science, or any other subject, there are lots of great ways to incorporate geography into your teaching.


GEOGRAPHY ACTION! COMMUNITY

Share ideas, find classroom materials and other resources, and get state educator tool kits in National Geographic EdNet's Geography Action! Community.


MOVIE SCREENING

	Educators, watch a free screening of the upcoming film God Grew Tired of Us. Learn more and see the schedule.


LESSON PLANS: GRADES K-2

	Forest Features	Take Off on the Megaflyover Project!
	How's the Weather in Africa?	Welcome to Your New School! Using a Geographic Perspective
	Protecting Africa's Wildlife	Wildebeest Migration

GRADES 3-5

	Ancient Worlds Workshop: Egypt	Topography of Africa
	Ferocious Felines	Where in the World? Using a Geographic Perspective to Identify Destinations for a Class Trip
	People and African Animals	Why Does Africa Need National Parks?

GRADES 6-8

	Africa's Struggle with AIDS	Navigating the Niger
	Darfur and the Janjaweed	Pygmies, Pictures, and Poetry
	GIS—Helping to Save the African Wild	Regions of the United States: A Geographic Perspective
	Is 'African' a Language?	Seeing the Human Impact on Africa—What Can You Learn From a Plane?
	Kings of the Kalahari	What’s Happening in Darfur?

GRADES 9-12

	African Language Diversity	Geographic Technology Assisting African Conservation
	AIDS in Africa I—The Scope of the Problem	Human Impacts in the African Rainforest— What Can We Do?
	AIDS in Africa II—More Than Sympathy	Pygmies: Getting Right to the Point
	Climographs: Temperature, Precipitation, and the Human Condition	Two Threats to African Wildlife
	A Geographic Perspective on Africa


CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES / PROJECTS

	African Artifact Scavenger Hunt (PDF)	Preserving Biodiversity
	10 Ideas for Celebrating Africa (PDF)	Spice World
	African Art Activities	Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of You
	African Songs, Chants, and Games	Unwrapping Mummies
	Community Youth Mapping in Egypt	Press Release Template
	Creative Climates

JUST FOR PARENTS

It's easy to make learning about Africa fun! Try these great activities—cook up some African food, go on a backyard safari, tell tales, and more.


ACTIVITIES

	Backyard Safari and Biodiversity Blitz (PDF)	Talk With Your Hands (PDF)
	Ideas for Celebrating Africa (PDF)	What’s Cooking? African Recipes (PDF)
	Take Amazing Photos (PDF)

STORIES

	African Stories for Children

JUST FOR KIDS

Home to wild animals, amazing landscapes, and fascinating cultures, Africa is a great place to explore. Who knows what you'll find? Get started!


	Africa for Kids		Creature Features
	African History		African Pen Pals
	Animal Coloring Book		Life for African Kids