A Nation Lost on the Map
“Most of Us Flunk Basic Geography” was the startling headline of a newspaper story that highlighted a growing tragedy in American education: in most of the government-controlled public schools today, geography simply isn’t being taught. What a disgrace! Why geography still matters In Christian homeschooling? The world, in which we live, is God’s world and His creation, and we ought to understand its basic geography.
Here are just a few of the shocking findings cited in that article:
- 75% of U.S. adults couldn’t locate the Persian Gulf.
- 45% didn’t know where Central America was.
- Respondents placed New York State in 37 different locations—ranging from New Jersey to California.
- 58% couldn’t find New Jersey, 68% couldn’t locate Vietnam, and over half couldn’t find Japan, South Africa, or Missouri on a map.
“You’ve heard of the “Lost Generation”? Well, we’ve found them,” said the president of the National Geographic Society, which commissioned the study. “And they haven’t the faintest idea where they are. The reason, geography simply isn’t taught in the schools anymore.”
This is a disgrace. And worse, it’s becoming normalized.
Geography: The Forgotten Subject
24 million American adults are not able to find the United States on a world map! Can you imagine! Each year, Professor Noel Potter gives freshman at Dickinson College a blank map of the United States and has them fill it in, and each year, he points out the results are more and more depressing. “The Mid-West, especially, is a great, gray blob for about half of them,”
At Chipmanburg’s University, John Benhardt, chairman of the geography department also gives his students a geography test each fall. He said, “It was absolutely incredible. 80% missed 30 of 40 basic country locations in the world. Many of them couldn’t locate Canada, Mexico, China, or Brazil.”
What’s to blame for this ignorance?
Simply put, geography is no longer a priority. It requires factual knowledge and real learning. Many of today’s educators consider factual knowledge to be unimportant, especially since it would detract the students from such important subjects as values, feelings, sexuality, death and dying, suicide, critical thinking, and drug education. This is a great tragedy, and another great reason to look at the alternative of home schooling, which is making a difference.
A Tragic Shift—And a Hopeful Alternative
This educational negligence is one of many reasons why homeschooling is making a difference. Geography gives students a chance to explore God’s creation, appreciate His design, and develop a practical understanding of the world around them.
Yet today, few American students know:
- The geography of their own state
- State capitals or natural landmarks
- The chief products of our country and others
- The locations of major rivers, mountain ranges, and oceans
While it is possible to live without this knowledge, it is sad that more children do not learn these facts. The geography of our world eloquently presents the awesome power of our God. If your child ignores or dislikes geography, help him to learn from it and enjoy it at the same time.
Of course, the reason that so many children today do not understand geography and do so poorly on tests and surveys is that the government-controlled public schools simply are not placing an emphasis on the study of God’s creation, His world, and geography.
Making Geography Come Alive at Home
The good news is that geography is a subject any homeschool parent can teach—and teach well. Even if your child takes geography elsewhere, you can enrich it at home with depth and Biblical perspective. Tailor your lessons to his intellectual level, and emphasize the areas that he enjoys.
Here are some simple and powerful ways to bring geography into your homeschool:
1. Start with a Colorful Geography Book
Find an engaging, visual book that covers either your local region or world geography. If your child is struggling in school, use the book to reinforce and expand the same topics. If they’re breezing through class without challenge, use it to spark curiosity.
Considering the number of fascinating books about the terrain, agriculture, wild life, and people of various countries, it shouldn’t be difficult to awaken interest.
2. Study Geography Through Missionary Work
Trace the paths of great missionaries past and present. Learn where they served, what challenges they faced, and how geography shaped their ministries.
As part of the curriculum, read short accounts of their lives:
- Note the foods grown locally.
- What were the effects of climate upon their life, health, and work.
- Note the terrain and vegetation of their mission field and map how long it took them to reach the field in both miles and time.
- Observe the religions of each region and how they correlate with poverty or prosperity; the poverty so prevalent in Africa, and the Indian sub-continent versus the wealth of Northern Europe and North America.
- Read missionary biographies available at Christian bookstores.
This turns geography into a spiritual exploration and builds a heart for the lost. All of these studies will tend to give our children a real interest in missions, and alert them to the areas of the world where the gospel has yet to penetrate.
3. Connect with Mission Agencies
Introduce your children to ministries and have your children contact mission agencies such as:
- Samaritan’s Purse
- Voice of the Martyrs
- Frontline Fellowship
These organizations often offer child-friendly content, prayer guides, and stories of believers around the world.
Use the internet to explore the official websites of nations being studied. Many of them include detailed information on geography, culture, economics, and religion.
4. End Each Lesson with Prayer
As you study a new country, make a prayer list. Pray for:
- The people and their needs
- Local churches and missionaries
- National leaders by name
- Religious freedom and Gospel access
End the lesson by praying for the issues that have been studied, praying for God’s people who are persecuted in Islamic, Communistic, and other lands. Remember to pray for the leaders of each nation by name, asking God to guide them into His truth.
This is geography with eternal impact.
God’s World is Worth Exploring
There is no doubt that as home schooling parents, you have a unique opportunity to teach your children to understand the glorious intricacy and diversity of God’s world. This is His creation; help your children get to know it.
Geography is not just a subject. It’s a window into God’s creation—and it’s time we open it wide.
Psalm 24:1:
“The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”
This content was written by Dr. Paul D. Lindstrom, founder of Christian Liberty for his radio broadcast “There’s No Place Like Home” and edited for blog publishing.
Here at Christian Liberty Homeschools, we want to help you be successful. Christian Liberty Homeschools has the tools you need to be successful. Visit us at: www.homeschools.org
Our publishing company, Christian Liberty Press, has numerous books on geography. Check them out here: https://shopchristianliberty.com/geography/