Gearing up: Things we're planning, help we need

I don't have a world map.  How sad is that?  I have US maps, nice outline blank maps, full page size, not too compressed you can't read them. I even have a large US map on our bulletin board.  But when I need a world map, do I have one?  Shoot no.  What kind of homeschool mom am I?

So, scanning the 'net today we are in search of compass crafts and activities, Columbus fun, and a blank, printable world map we can put in our notebooks.  We have to mark Genoa Italy, show Spain, route some of Columbus' voyages....all mappy things.

We found some, but not quite what I want...I'm dealing with youngers who need a lot less detail and a bit more space to color and mark things.  Of course, the olders could stand a lot of detail, but still...this one-room schoolhouse has issues with combining lessons.

National Geographic:  Xpeditions  
National Geographic site also has lesson plans...in fact, when we get to Lewis & Clark, we'll be back for more fun!
National Geographic also has a MapMachine site

AOL @ School site...lots of stuff, but maps are what I went for...I'll definitely be back as their selection of goodies is huge!  Like under Explorers, there's a nice section on Christopher Columbus...
World Atlas site
for books and such on mapping and related activities, there is also A Book in Time...they sell several books on all sorts of subjects.
an illustrated guide to using a compass...we'll read this along with other things
GISnet has a nice page on the origins of the compass and a study on the 32 compass points we'll check out as well
Of course, the curriculum included the 1911 Boy Scout handbook...plenty of decent orienteering notes there.
Theodora's offers several map selections, print and purchase both

We're pretty much ready to go with the Paths curriculum and will probably do some reading and checking things out this afternoon to start tomorrow.  I've printed off the first 2 weeks of student sheets and gathered some coloring pages and Bible sheets for the youngers, our books are ready, our notebooks set up, and but for that world map I've yet to find, we are good to!

Here's what I shared yesterday when the books arrived:
New Books: our Paths of Exploration set arrived this morning! Ahhh, the book junkie in me is feeling quite satisfied right now :o)
I have a nice, tightly bound new Handbook of Nature Study. I have discovered the Reader's Digest North American Wildlife book. How we have crept along homeschooling without that beauty is beyond me. It's my new definite "must have" title now.
We have several other titles that will make a great addition to our homestead library here. I didn't see a dud in the bunch.
And somehow I totally missed that the POE texts were hardcover. Hardcover. We love the sturdiness of hardcover books here. Considering they need to last thru several children, hardcover is always what I try to search out. I never paid any attention to the main texts in the curriculum being hardbound.
I'm over the moon :o)
I've already maxed out the ink cartridge printing student sheets, supplements for David and Emily that flow along with the week's work, Bible sheets, and a copy of the week at a glance checklist. We are doing over the binders we had for Nim's Island and other projects and if I can contain myself, we will start Monday morning. Most likely we will start tomorrow :o)
I'd start now, but I suppose that is just a tad over zealous, beginning at nearly 8 pm, heh?

Our day will mesh like this:
Math lessons
main English lesson
Light for the Trail (Bible study)
Paths of Exploration...
We'll have copywork/dictation/narration work, reading aloud, word study, geography, writing (reports and creative), art projects/skills, country/state studies (we will tie in the Trail Guide to US Geography later with this).

I don't have a laminated world map. I'll have to get one at Books-A-Million next week. Wish we had done it -- Dewey was planning to take a World map and US map, place them back to back between thin plexiglass and seal them up so we had a true write on/wipe off map instead of changing ours out all the time. Oh well...we'll be ready to put one together now :o)
We'll be mapping the journeys, countries of origin and destination for Columbus. We have 6 weeks of his era, then off to Jamestown, the pilgrims and more!
I'm really enjoying the looks of the Paths curriculum so far. I think I've read pretty much the entire first volume since it arrived this morning :o) We like the flow of the Trail Guide to US Geography, aand this is rather similar. It's set up mainly for a typical 3rd-4th-5th grade run, but we will be tweaking (as usual) to include Jacob (8), KatiAnne (7), David (5) and Emily (almost 4).
The olders will also participate, with deeper work on the same topics in the history and science areas especially. We will find additional titles for them...any suggestions? We're looking for upper elementary and high school reading. Historical fiction is fine, biographies are better :o)

*Columbus
*Jamestown
*Squanto
*Lewis & Clark expedition
*Johnny Appleseed
*Daniel Boone
*Pilgrims
*Westward Expansion

And perhaps some thoughts on crafts/skills/projects for the olders as well :o)
You can look over the areas of exploration at Paths of Exploration 
scroll down and you can read all that's offered in this comprehensive Ruth Beechick/CM style curriculum, including the future additions coming out!