Third, fourth, and fifth graders at Newbery School will know, thanks to their involvement in The Passport Club.

Each month, Newbery 3rd, 4th and 5th graders choose among 5 levels of difficulty in learning up to 30 countries and capital cities. Parents can be involved by helping their child learn these places on their take-home study map and by volunteering to check whether students can point out these places on a world map. When students succeed in identifying the countries at any given level, they receive a colored postage stamp from the countries studied to place in the "visa" section of their club "passport." Newbery teachers help students learn the different countries each month and some even get their geographic literacy tested on map check day! This is a fun, collaborative way to learn place-name geography using positive rewards for success.

The Passport Club at Newbery is a rotary-sponsored program that was originally designed by a grade school teacher and built out of enthusiasm for geography. It was first used at Centennial Elementary in Olympia, Washington.

Learn more at: http://www.thepassportclub.net/index.html

Text by Joan Qazi
Clipart provided by: www.worldatlas.com