Guest Hollow’s Jr. Geography and Cultures Curriculum
Welcome to Guest Hollow’s Jr. Geography and Cultures Curriculum! We’ve hand-picked fantastic books, links, videos, and projects to take students on a journey around the world! Ignite your children’s curiosity, help them develop empathy and understanding for other cultures, and create treasured lifetime memories of your homeschool.
Students will get to sample delicious foods from around the world and make projects such as a paper mache globe, Japanese carp kite, origami, lapbooks, animal models, and much more!
Take a journey around the world with Guest Hollow’s Jr. Geography and Cultures and see why so many families love our curriculum!
See how we ranked in the Practical Homeschooling Reader’s Choice Awards! Thousands of homeschoolers ranked the curriculum they have used, and the products with the highest satisfaction ratings won.
 | | | | |  |
| 2020 1st place | 2021 1st place | 2022 1st place | 2023 1st place | 2024 1st place | 2025 2nd place |
Prerequisites: None
Approximate Daily Time Commitment: 30 min. – 1 hour
$47.00
Guest Hollow materials are downloadable/online. There are no physical copies. | Already a customer? Go to “My Account” to log in and access your downloads and your online schedule membership. Need help logging in? Check out our help page. |
Grade Level / Age
Guest Hollow’s Jr. Geography Curriculum is suggested for:
● Grades 1-6
● Approximate ages
6-12
What You Get
Jr. Geography comes with:
✔ A printable PDF schedule
✔ An editable schedule in Microsoft Word format
✔ Access to an online version of the schedule*
Required Items
In order to use this curriculum, you will need to obtain some books and items separately. You may be able to get many for FREE from your local library!
Click to learn more!
*Access to the online version of Guest Hollow’s Jr. Geography and Cultures Curriculum schedule is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed due to various potential circumstances.
I’d like to see the book & resource list!
Click here to see the required books and resources for Guest Hollow’s Jr. Geography and Cultures Curriculum.
Why choose Guest Hollow’s Jr. Geography and Cultures?
Homeschooling with Guest Hollow’s Jr. Geography and Cultures is fun and flexible!
Geography is one of the most overlooked subjects in many homeschools, often pushed aside or squeezed into history. When it is covered, it is usually rushed through with a workbook or reduced to a few songs and memorization exercises.
But the world is so much bigger than that.
Students may learn about ancient civilizations, yet miss out on understanding the vibrant cultures, people, and places that exist right now across the globe. Without that connection, it can be difficult for them to truly grasp world events, global needs, or even how differently others live.
Geography brings the world to life.
It invites students to explore bustling cities and remote villages, taste new cuisines, encounter fascinating wildlife, and discover the traditions and stories that shape cultures today. It stretches their perspective, builds empathy, and sparks a sense of wonder about the world beyond their own backyard.
This is not just memorizing maps. It is discovering the world.
Learn about the World!
Geography & cultures should be something we as homeschoolers don’t neglect. In this ever-expanding global community, our kids NEED to know this material to understand so many of the things going on in our world that directly affect us as global citizens.
Guest Hollow’s Jr. Geography and Cultures Curriculum brings geography to life. Join us for a journey around the world!
Does this curriculum come with ____________?
✘ books?
No. You need to purchase the scheduled geography books separately. Learn more.
☑ a printable book list?
Yes. We provide a book list with a handy checklist to help you plan what you want to buy or borrow and in what format. We also let you know when each book is scheduled in, so you can arrange to check out books from the library before you need them!
☑ a schedule?
Yes. You get the same weekly schedule in 3 different formats: PDF, Microsoft Word, and online*. Just open it up and you are ready to learn!
*Access to the online version of the curriculum schedule is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed due to various potential circumstances on our end and yours including but not limited to various computer, device, and internet configurations.
☑ a supply list?
Yes. Most of the supplies for the various activities are listed at the beginning of the printable schedule.
✘ a teacher’s manual?
No. The geography schedule is all you need!
✘ tests?
No. There are no tests for tests with this curriculum.
✘ a workbook?
No. There are lots of printables, lapbooks, maps, and more linked in the schedule, though!
Photos from real families using Guest Hollow’s Geography programs:
Freshly baked Irish blah
Polish paper cutting
Garden beets picked for borscht
Polish rooster wycinanki (paper cutting)
GEOPuzzle
Homemade gluten free bread for Smørrebrød
Homemade poutine for week 5 (Canada)
Click or tap to see a sample!
Take a look at a week from the online version of the schedule here.
Take a look at a sample of the printable schedule here:
Want to know how to use the Guest Hollow PDF Schedule or the editable Microsoft version of our schedule? Go here! (This page gives lots of insight as to how our schedules work!)
Have a question about printing your Guest Hollow schedule and materials? We cover that, too!
F.A.Q. for Guest Hollow’s Jr. Homeschool Geography and Cultures Curriculum
This curriculum can be used for grades 1 through 6. There is a book list for younger “tag-along” students, so they can participate with older siblings at their level. You can also use the tag-along books from that list as readers for an emerging reader. You may wish to do some of the books as read-alouds depending on your student’s reading level. The buffet of activities will allow you to choose crafts and such based on different abilities and interest levels.
We also have a high school level that can be adapted for middle schoolers. Click here to check it out!
We strongly suggest that you view every item linked or used in this curriculum to make sure it meets with your approval and the age of your student.
Yes! The topics were designed to match up, so you can learn family-style!
There are 36 weeks in this curriculum.
Most weeks students will study a region such as “East Asia” and countries/cultures in that region instead of single countries (with a few exceptions). If you want to focus more on a particular country during a week than the ones we chose, feel free to do so.
We usually feature a couple countries from a region for the main book choices, but several more may be mentioned in the multi-week resources like People and Places – A Visual Encyclopedia, Atlas Obscura, and others as well as activities, map games, videos, and more. This will give students a better understanding of the world as a whole vs. a handful of single countries. Each week list the main topic for the week (usually a region) as well as specific countries found in that region.
Here is an example week:
The topic for week 7 is Middle America. There are quite a few countries (and islands) mentioned below the weekly topic. Students will NOT necessarily cover each listed place, but you have the flexibility to pick-and-choose among them if you wish to spend more time in a particular area of the world. Also, you can more easily plug in additional resources you have on hand (books, movies, kits, etc.) for the Middle America region. Maybe you don’t have a book on Mexico, but you have one for Belize. Feel free to make use of what you have on hand for a book basket, substituting books, extra reading, etc.
Sometimes we zoom in a particular region or country in more detail.
Here’s a list of the weekly topics:
| Week 1 | Topics: Seasons, continents, oceans, climate, food around the world |
| Week 2 | Topics: Landforms and geography vocabulary, oceans continued, languages |
| Week 3 | Topics: Antarctica and the arctic, biomes |
| Week 4 | Topics: Antarctica (continued), maps, latitude and longitude, compasses |
| Week 5 | Topic: North America Countries: United States |
| Week 6 | Topic: North America Countries: Canada, Greenland |
| Week 7 | Topic: Middle America Countries in this region: Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica Islands: West Indies, Greater Antilles, Lesser Antilles, Leeward Islands, Windward Islands, the ABC Islands, Cuba, Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados |
| Week 8 | Topic: South America Countries in this region: Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Venezuela, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, The Guianas |
| Week 9 | Topic: South America Countries in this region: Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Venezuela, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, The Guianas |
| Week 10 | Topic: The British Isles This region includes: United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland), The Republic of Ireland |
| Week 11 | Topic: Western Europe Countries in this region: France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg |
| Week 12 | Topic: Western Europe Countries in this region: France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg |
| Week 13 | Topic: Northern Europe Countries in this region: Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland |
| Week 14 | Topic: Northern Europe Countries in this region: Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland |
| Week 15 | Topic: Southern Europe Countries in this region: Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Monaco, Andorra, Malta, San Marino, Vatican City |
| Week 16 | Topic: Eastern Europe Countries in this region: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania |
| Week 17 | Topic: Eastern Europe Countries in this region: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania |
| Week 18 | Topic: Northern Eurasia Country: Russia |
| Week 19 | Topic: Northern Eurasia Countries: Russia. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia |
| Week 20 | Topic: The Middle East and Central Asia Countries in this region: Iraq, Iran, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Cyprus, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan |
| Week 21 | Topic: The Middle East and Central Asia Countries in this region: Iraq, Iran, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Cyprus, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan |
| Week 22 | Topic: South Asia Countries in this region: Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives |
| Week 23 | Topic: South Asia Countries in this region: Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives |
| Week 24 | Topic: China and nearby Countries in this region: China, the region of Tibet, Mongolia, North Korea |
| Week 25 | Topic: China and nearby Countries in this region: China, the region of Tibet, Mongolia, North Korea |
| Week 26 | Topic: East Asia’s Economic Tigers Countries in this region: South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore |
| Week 27 | Topic: Japan |
| Week 28 | Topic: Japan |
| Week 29 | Topic: Southeast Asia Countries in this region: Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, East Timor, the Philippines Islands: Greater Sundra Islands, Lesser Sundra Islands, Spice Islands |
| Week 30 | Topic: Saharan Africa Countries in this region: Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia |
| Week 31 | Topic: Saharan Africa Countries in this region: Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia |
| Week 32 | Topic: Sub-Saharan Africa Countries in this region: Senegal, Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe, Central African Republic, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Tanzania, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Madagascar, Comoros, Mauritius |
| Week 33 | Topic: Sub-Saharan Africa Countries in this region: Senegal, Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe, Central African Republic, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Tanzania, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Madagascar, Comoros, Mauritius |
| Week 34 | Topic: “Down Under” Countries in this region: Australia, New Zealand |
| Week 35 | Topic: The Pacific Countries and Islands in this region: Melanesia (Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji), Micronesia (Palau, The Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, North Mariana Islands, Guam, Marshall Islands, Kiribati), Polynesia (Tuvalu, Tonga, New Zealand Territories, French Territories, Samoa, American Samoa), Hawaii, Misc. islands (Wake Island, Midway Islands, Clipperton Island, Galapagos Islands, Easter Island) |
| Week 36 | Topic: Wrapping things up! |
You can keep your files forever, if you save your initial download!
Once you’ve downloaded the schedule to your computer or device, you are licensed to use the downloaded copy forever. Make sure you download, save, and back up your items immediately after your purchase! You can click directly on the links in the schedule from a computer or other device and can use your materials with younger students years later.
2 Years to Access Additional Downloads & the Online Schedule*
Additional downloads (after your initial purchase) and access to the online version of the schedule are provided as a courtesy and are not guaranteed due to various potential technical and business (and life!) circumstances. It is our intention to continue to provide access for a period of 2 years from the date of purchase. After the 2-year period, you will have the opportunity to repurchase your access at a substantial discount.
Please note, if you have problems, we have a liberal policy of providing extra, free access for unusual circumstances (at our discretion). Just contact us: support@guesthollow.com
*Access to the online version of the curriculum schedules and additional downloads is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed due to potential various circumstances on our end and yours including but not limited to various computer, device, and internet configurations.
Yes, on a case-by-case basis depending on the amount of paperwork they require and the bureaucracy that needs to be navigated. 😉
No, you may NOT resell, share, or distribute any of Guest Hollow’s digital products (or printed out copies of our digital products) which includes but is not limited to schedules, workbooks, printables, and other materials.
Our materials are licensed for a single family’s use only. You may print out as many copies as you reasonably need for siblings or others living in your home.
Please contact us if you wish to use our materials in a co-op or school: support@guesthollow.com
Yes, but every family in a co-op needs to purchase a copy of our materials (one item per family). We offer a co-op discount. Contact us for information about the discount.
Schools need to contact us for school pricing and payment options.
Contact us at: support@guesthollow.com
No. We only offer a digital version at this time. You can print out your materials at home or have them printed via a printing service.
Please see the F.A.Q. on the Jr. Geography Curriculum Books and Resources page.
We are Christians, but Guest Hollow’s Jr. Geography and Cultures Curriculum is not intended to be a “Christian resource”. However, there may be infrequent (or what we consider to be) minor references or links to resources that mention Christian ideas, values, or sectarian topics even in our secular/non-religious/neutral curriculums.
If we schedule in a Christian book, we try to give you notice of such in the books and resources page.
Christians and non-Christians should preview the scheduled books and all other resources such as videos, etc. to make sure they are compatible with your beliefs, philosophies, and values.
After purchasing a curriculum, you’ll see that the item you just bought shows that it is discounted 50% in our store. The reason you are seeing this is because we give you the opportunity to repurchase the schedule and your downloads at a substantial discount before they expire (2 years from date of purchase).
Please note: You do NOT need to repurchase your schedule in order to use the files you originally purchased and downloaded. You can use your downloaded schedule forever and can click on the links just as you can the online version of the schedule. You just won’t have access to any updates after your online access expires.
Why does access expire? Every year we go through all our curriculum schedules and update broken links and/or replace books that have gone out of print. This is a very time-intensive process that keeps our curricula up-to-date. Your repurchase helps fund this process and provides you with a schedule that has all the new additions or changes.
You need to repurchase your access BEFORE it expires in order to get the 50% discount due to the way our “membership” software works. If for some reason you miss the deadline, let us know why. We may give you a coupon code for the 50% off at our discretion.
*It is our intention to provide access for a period of 2 years, however, access to the online version of the curriculum schedules and additional downloads is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed due to potential various circumstances on our end and yours including but not limited to various computer, device, and internet configurations.
We are happy to answer your questions!!! Just email us at: support@guesthollow.com
You’re invited!
Click or tap the button to join our Facebook groups! You can get additional questions answered, see pictures of students’ projects, get help and encouragement from other homeschoolers, or browse through the multitude of posts to get a feel for our products and see what real people think of Guest Hollow!
Have a question? Contact us!
Like what you see? Join the Guest Hollow family, and add Guest Hollow’s Jr. Geography Curriculum to your cart!
Reviews: See what our customers have to say!
If you’ve used Guest Hollow’s Jr. Geography, we invite you to write a review and leave your thoughts about our curriculum. Scroll down to the review box below the following customer reviews. We look forward to seeing your feedback!
Discover more from Guest Hollow
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Tiffany Bihm (verified owner) –
We are almost half-way through this curriculum right now, and it has been a big hit with my little ones! It isn’t JUST geography either. The literature selections are fantastic, and my children have learned a ton. Highly recommend!
Stephanie Schulte (verified owner) –
We are loving Jr Geography! It is so nice to have a buffet of items and pick what we want to use for the week. We especially love the book and video selections. We also enjoy adding in treats from many of the countries. It is such a fun way to learn about other countries around the world!
Eva Mandelkow –
This curriculum is in my top 3 for sure, if not my favorite! This has been an awesome addition to our day. I love all the books we are bringing into our home. Currently using the High School and Jr. versions of Geography and Culture. It is so great that they somewhat align, and I can adapt the weeks to which books we have and which activities we are going to do. Looking forward to choosing next year’s courses!
Suzanne –
**Comment:**
“I’ve been using Guest Hollow’s Jr. Geography and Cultures Curriculum with my kids for the past year, and I can’t recommend it enough! The way it incorporates literature, hands-on activities, and even cooking projects has made learning about the world so engaging and fun. My kids are always excited to see what country or region we’re exploring next. The schedule is easy to follow, and the book list is fantastic – we’ve discovered some real gems! The only downside is that it goes by too quickly; we’re already sad that we’re nearing the end of the 36 weeks. I’m definitely considering purchasing the High School version for next year. Keep up the great work, Guest Hollow!”
Feel free to surf to my blog post – Radka