🌍 Exploring Europe: Where Are We?
BIG QUESTION:
How does knowing WHERE a place is help us understand it?
Last month we explored physical geography—mountains, rivers, deserts, oceans, and climate—and asked:
What does geography make EASIER?
What does it make HARDER?
How do people ADAPT?
This month we’re going to start building a better mental map of the world. Our focus is EUROPE.
Our goal is to begin recognizing important countries and understanding how their locations relate to their neighbors, oceans, seas, mountains, and the rest of the world.
There are 8 sections. I know it seams like a lot, but they’re not too hard, they are fun! Scroll down to section 7 ASAP. This is where you will earn the most van coins, but you have to do it for 3 days, so you have to get started!
🗺️ PART 1 — BUILD YOUR MENTAL MAP OF EUROPE
Use a world map, atlas, globe, or online map.
Find these countries:
United Kingdom
France
Spain
Italy
Germany
Poland
Greece
Ukraine
Don’t worry about exact borders yet.
Instead, pay attention to how the countries fit together.
Answer these questions: Put numbers 1-20 on a piece of paper in your notebook and answer each question in red.
1. Which country on our list is an island country?
2. Which country is shaped a little like a boot?
3. Which country is directly south of the United Kingdom, across the English Channel?
4. Which country on our list is farthest east?
5. Spain shares the Iberian Peninsula with what other country?
6. Which country shares a border with BOTH France and Poland?
Now find these physical features:
🌊 Atlantic Ocean
🌊 Mediterranean Sea
🌊 North Sea
🌊 Baltic Sea
🏔️ Alps
Take a minute to look at how these features relate to the countries around them.
🎥 PART 2 — WHAT IS A MAP?
Watch this video:
As you watch, think about this:
Maps aren’t just pictures of the world. They are tools we use to understand it.
After watching, answer:
7. What is ONE thing you learned about maps that you didn’t know before?
8. Why can’t a flat map show the Earth perfectly?
🌍 PART 3 — TAKE A QUICK TOUR OF EUROPE
Watch this video:
This video travels around Europe showing its countries.
Watch the map and try to build a picture of Europe in your head.
After watching:
9. Name one European country that you didn’t realize was where it is.
10. What country or location surprised you the most? Why?
🤔 GEOGRAPHY SURPRISE!
Did you notice Russia?
11. What are the two continents Russia is part of?
See if you can find the Ural Mountains on a map.
🧭 PART 4 — LATITUDE & LONGITUDE
You’ve probably learned these before, so let’s see what you remember! (You should study your notecards!)
LATITUDE
Latitude lines run east and west, but they tell us how far north or south a place is from the Equator.
The Equator = 0° latitude.
LONGITUDE
Longitude lines run from the North Pole to the South Pole and tell us how far east or west a place is from the Prime Meridian.
The Prime Meridian = 0° longitude.
Find the Equator and Prime Meridian on a world map.
Then answer:
12. Does the Equator cross Europe?
YES / NO
13. Does the Prime Meridian cross Europe?
YES / NO
Now find:
🇩🇪 Germany
🇯🇵 Japan
🇪🇬 Egypt
14. Which is farther east—Germany or Japan?
15. Which is generally farther north—Germany or Japan?
16. Is Egypt north or south of the Equator?
17. Is most of Egypt east or west of the Prime Meridian?
🧠 THINK LIKE A GEOGRAPHER
Here is just a quick thinking exercise.
Find Italy and Switzerland on a physical map.
They’re fairly close together—but their geography is quite different.
🇮🇹 Italy has a long coastline on the Mediterranean Sea.
🇨🇭 Switzerland is landlocked and much of the country is mountainous because of the Alps.
Now imagine living in one of these places hundreds of years ago—before cars, trains, or airplanes.
Choose:
ITALY OR SWITZERLAND
Then make a prediction.
What might the geography make EASIER?
What might the geography make HARDER?
How might people ADAPT?
There isn’t one perfect answer.
Think like a geographer and make a reasonable prediction!
🇪🇺 PART 5 — EUROPEAN COUNTRY SPOTLIGHT
Choose ONE country in Europe that you would like to know more about. You will be spotlighting it.
It can be one we’ve already mentioned—or somewhere completely different.
This is NOT a formal report!
You are simply becoming our class expert on one country.
Sign Up Here: European Country Sign Up
These are the questions I want you to become an expert of.
📍 WHERE IS IT?
What countries, oceans, or seas are around it? What is it’s orientation compared to another country? (It’s east or west, north of south of _____)
🏔️ WHAT ARE 2 IMPORTANT PHYSICAL FEATURES?
Mountain, river, coastline, island, plain, etc.
🤔 WHY MIGHT ITS GEOGRAPHY MATTER?
Remember our trick:
EASIER → HARDER → ADAPT
What might the geography make easier?
What might it make harder?
How have people adapted?
You only need ONE interesting connection.
⭐ THREE THINGS YOUR CLASSMATES SHOULD KNOW:
1. _________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________
😮 SOMETHING THAT SURPRISED YOU:
🍴 And/OR ✈️ BONUS:
Find either:
A food you would like to try from your country.
OR
A place you would like to/should visit when going there.
Be ready to tell us about your country for about ONE MINUTE in class. I’ll cut you off if you take longer than 90 seconds.
We might not hear from everyone each month. I’ll randomly choose a few people to give us their Country Spotlight! (If there is time, everyone will get to go.). Be prepared!
🛡️ PART 6 — PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD
Our scripture theme this year is:
Ephesians 6:11–17
“Put on the whole armour of God…”
Last month we talked about:
LOINS GIRT ABOUT WITH TRUTH
We talked about looking carefully, asking good questions, and trying to understand what is actually true about people and places instead of making assumptions.
This month we’re adding another piece of armor:
❤️ THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
Read:
Ephesians 6:13–14
Look for the phrase:
“having on the breastplate of righteousness.”
A breastplate protected some of a soldier’s most important and vulnerable parts—including the heart.
Now read:
Proverbs 4:23
Pay attention to what it says about your heart.
Then read:
2 Nephi 31:20
Look for the choices and actions that help us continue moving toward Christ.
THINK ABOUT THIS:
In geography, knowing your location is important.
But knowing where you are does not determine where you will go next.
Your direction matters.
Our choices work the same way.
Small choices can move us toward something—or away from it.
Righteous choices can protect our hearts and help us keep moving toward Jesus Christ.
Choose ONE question and answer it in 2–3 sentences:
A. Why do you think Paul compared righteousness to something that protects the heart?
OR
B. How can making righteous choices now help protect or strengthen you when harder choices come later?
BONUS: For some extra van coins. Go listen to the very beginning of general conference and write down the 13 countries that were mentioned when President Eyring was introducing the choir. Can you locate them on a map? Are they all countries?
🌎 PART 7 — MAPTAP CHALLENGE!
Go to: www.maptap.gg
Do the Daily Geography Puzzle!
You’ll get 5 geography questions each day.
YOUR CHALLENGE:
Play MapTap on at least THREE different days before geography class.
That’s it!
You do NOT need to get all the answers right. You should not ask for help, or look at another map.
The whole point is to:
🌎 Test what you know
🤔 Make some guesses
📍 Discover new places
🧠 Build your mental map of the world
Keep track of your scores. If you share with a friend you will get the results. Read the quick little tidbits about each place that you discovered.
In your Notebook keep track of your MapTap scores:
The most interesting place or question I came across was:
⭐ BONUS CHALLENGE:
See if you can beat your:
Mom
Dad
Sibling
Friend
Grandparent
…or anyone else you can convince to play!
There is a new MapTap challenge every day. Do NOT do the challenge on Thursday, October 22. We will do it together in class! So, Hopefully you have looked at this on Friday. This should give you plenty of time to do it at least 3 days. I will give van coins if you have at least 3 scores from 3 different days!
🗺️ PART 8 — UPDATE YOUR WORLD PROGRESS MAP
Add or make sure you can roughly locate:
🌍 Europe
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
🇫🇷 France
🇪🇸 Spain
🇮🇹 Italy
🇩🇪 Germany
🇵🇱 Poland
🇬🇷 Greece
🇺🇦 Ukraine
Also find:
Equator
Prime Meridian
Remember:
You do NOT need perfect borders.
Our goal is to get to the point where, when you hear the name of a place, you can think:
“I know roughly where that is!”
✅ BEFORE CLASS…
Without looking at a map, see if you can:
☐ Picture approximately where Europe is in relation to where you are.
☐ Picture approximately where Italy is.
☐ Remember what ocean is west of Europe.
☐ Remember what sea is south of Europe.
☐ Explain the difference between latitude and longitude.
☐ Tell someone one interesting thing about your Country Spotlight country.
☐ Remember what two continents Russia is part of.
If you can’t do all of these yet, that’s okay! Keep working on it.
We’re building our picture of the world a little at a time.
🌍 THIS MONTH’S CHALLENGE
Over the next month, notice how often you hear the name of a place you don’t know.
Maybe it’s in:
📖 History class
📰 The news
📚 A book
⛪ Church
🎬 A movie
💬 A conversation
When you hear an unfamiliar place, take 30 seconds and find it on a map.
Then ask:
WHERE IS IT?
WHAT’S AROUND IT?
WHY MIGHT THAT MATTER?
Every time you do this, your mental map of the world gets a little clearer.
And remember our Armor of God theme:
Knowing where you are is important. Choosing the direction you will go is even more important.
“Stand therefore…having on the breastplate of righteousness.” — Ephesians 6:14
