A Full-Year Middle School Geography Curriculum for the Only Social Studies Teacher
Geography Complete – Middle School is a grades 6–8 geography course with 60+ ready resources for the only social studies teacher in a school. It covers geographic inquiry, map skills, latitude and longitude, landforms, climate zones, natural resources and plate movement, giving you a self-contained geography year while you also carry history or civics on the same schedule.
See the geography curriculum →Geography Complete – Middle School is a no-prep geography curriculum for grades 6–8 with 60+ resources, from $149.90. It covers geographic inquiry with maps, globes, atlases, digital tools and data, maps and location (absolute and relative location, latitude and longitude, map elements and types, spatial patterns), and physical geography (landforms, weather, climate zones, natural resources, ecosystems, erosion and plate movement). It gives a lone social studies teacher a complete geography course.
The curriculum
Geography Complete – Middle School, Grades 6–8
Start with the full curriculum. The other resources below are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
Geography Complete – Ready-to-Use Curriculum for Middle School Geography
World History Complete – Ready-to-Use Curriculum for Middle School History
Civics Complete – Ready-to-Use Curriculum for Middle School Civics
Teach-Life-Balance: The Complete Time-Saving Course for Teachers (incl. Planner, Guides & Templates)
The real problem
Geography is the course a solo social studies teacher has the least time for
Small schools often hand all of social studies to one person, and geography is the course that gets the least attention because it looks simple: color the map, label the continents. Done well, it is anything but simple. Latitude and longitude require precise practice before students can find a place on their own. Absolute and relative location sound similar and confuse kids for weeks. Physical geography reaches into earth science territory: weather versus climate, how erosion shapes landforms, why plates move. A history-trained teacher may not feel sure explaining it. Then there is the people–place side, why cities grow near rivers or why resources shape trade, which is the core of geographic thinking and the hardest part to plan. Without colleagues, you build every map activity and data task yourself, often from blank outline maps and online atlases. When world history and civics are also on your schedule, geography tends to become a worksheet course. A complete geography sequence lets you teach real spatial thinking without making it your biggest prep.
Why it fits
How it covers geography for a stretched social studies teacher
Each piece fills a gap that tends to open when geography is one of several courses on your plate.
- Latitude and longitude practice is built in, so students can locate places on their own.
- Absolute and relative location are taught side by side, which clears up a common confusion early.
- Map elements and map types teach students to read any map, not just the one on the wall.
- Weather, climate zones and ecosystems are covered with data and graphs, not just definitions.
- Erosion and plate movement are kept conceptual, which suits a history-trained teacher teaching physical geography.
- People–place cause and effect connects geography to the history and civics you also teach.
Getting started
Getting geography going in two weeks
A suggested opening that teaches tools before content.
- Check basic map skillsStart with map elements such as title, legend, scale and compass rose. A quick task shows you which students can already read a map and which need to start from scratch.
- Teach latitude and longitudeSpend several short sessions finding coordinates on maps and globes. Precision here pays off every time students locate a place for the rest of the year.
- Contrast absolute and relativeHave students describe the school's location both ways. Using a place they know makes the difference obvious before applying it to distant countries.
- Compare map typesShow the same region on a physical, political and thematic map. Students see that each map answers a different question, the core idea of geographic inquiry.
- Read a climate graphClose the second week with weather and climate data. Interpreting a graph introduces climate zones and gives students practice with data they will meet in science too.
Which version
Which version, and pairing geography with another course
The base version, $149.90, includes all 60+ resources. The $189.90 version adds Teach-Life-Balance, a digital course with a planner, guides and templates for managing teaching time; it does not add geography material. As the only social studies teacher, you probably teach at least one more course. Pairing this with World History Complete or Civics Complete – Middle School and using code TEACHMORE15 gives 15% off two or more Complete Curricula, and all share the same structure, so moving between your preps is easier.
Honest limits
What the course leaves to you
Atlases, globes and devices are not included. Use what your school has, and expect to supply your own wall maps or online map tools. The course does not go deep into individual world regions or countries, so add region studies yourself if your state requires them. It is written for U.S. middle school classrooms; check it against your state social studies standards. If another teacher wants to use it, message Teach Lessons first. If it is not a fit, exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value. It is not a cash refund.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is it aligned to my state's geography standards?
It is not endorsed, adopted or certified by any state or standards body, and we do not guarantee alignment. It is written for U.S. middle school geography classrooms and covers inquiry, maps and location, and physical geography. Compare it with your state's social studies standards yourself before using it as your main course.
Does it include region-by-region world geography?
The focus is on geographic skills, maps and location, and physical geography such as landforms, climate zones and natural resources. If your course requires detailed region or country studies, you will need to add those.
Do I need atlases or devices?
Geographic inquiry uses maps, globes, atlases and digital tools, but none of those come with the product. Use whatever your school has. Many map and data tasks work with the printed or digital worksheets alone.
How much earth science is in it?
Physical geography covers landforms, weather, climate zones, ecosystems, natural resources, erosion and plate movement. Plate movement and erosion are taught conceptually, which suits a social studies teacher without a science background.
Can I combine geography with world history?
Yes. Many solo social studies teachers do. Buying both Complete Curricula with code TEACHMORE15 gives 15% off, and map skills from geography make the world history map work easier for students.
What can a sub run?
The material is described as flexible for substitute teaching. A map skills worksheet with an answer key is straightforward for a sub. That helps when you are the only social studies teacher and nobody else can step in.
Make geography a real course again
The product page lists everything in the 60+ resources.
See the geography curriculum →