Secular World Geography Homeschool Curriculum for Middle & High School

World geography can be a tricky subject to pin down. Is it maps? Countries? Cultures? Landforms? With nearly 200 countries to choose from, it’s hard to know where to start.

In this post, I’m sharing what to look for when shopping for a world geography curriculum or putting together your own.

I’m also sharing the three secular workbooks I created to fit either path.

Secular world geography workbook series for middle and high school homeschool

What to Look for in a World Geography Curriculum

Whether you use a full curriculum or build your own, a strong world geography study includes a mix of:

Where places are: countries, continents, and oceans
How the land shapes life: mountains, rivers, deserts, and climate
How people live: cultures, traditions, food, and how people adapt to their surroundings
Map skills: understanding different types of maps and what information they share
The big picture: how geography connects to things like history, the economy, and current events

That’s a lot for one resource to cover! Many full curricula move continent by continent in broad strokes, which leaves plenty of room to go deeper with a few well-chosen extras.

Secular World Geography Workbooks for Middle & High School

I created my World Geography Workbook Series to work either way: as the core of your own plan or alongside a full curriculum. Each book looks at the world from a different angle, and there’s no set order.

Exploring Countries of the World

This is the spine of the series. It takes a closer look at 40 countries across six continents, with maps to label, flags to color, country overviews, and two spotlight readings per country.

Instead of memorizing every country, your child learns about key countries in depth.

Learn more here: Homeschool World Geography That’s Not Memorizing Every Country.

Suggested pacing: one country a week over a school year

Holidays, Traditions, & Landmarks Around the World

World cultures workbook on holidays, traditions, and landmarks for kids and teens

This book explores 36 holidays, traditions, landmarks, foods, and objects, like Chinese New Year, the Japanese tea ceremony, Machu Picchu, and kente cloth. Each one connects back to its place of origin, making it a great first step into world geography and cultures.

Learn more here: Beyond Christmas: Teaching Holidays & Traditions Around the World (blog 3 link)

Suggested pacing: one item a week over a school year or alongside a country you’re studying

Natural Wonders of the World

This book takes middle schoolers to 20 natural wonders, from Mount Everest to the Mariana Trench. Each wonder teaches physical geography and earth science, with extension activities in biology, history, and art, so any one wonder can spark its own unit study.

Learn more here: Natural Wonders of the World: Homeschool Earth Science & Geography (blog 4 link)

Suggested pacing: one wonder every week or two, depending on how deep you go

What Makes These Workbooks Different?

All three of these workbooks really invite your kids to go deeper, to think about the “why” and “how” of geography. Here are just a few highlights:

Open-and-go: The readings, maps, photos, and questions are all in the book, so prep is minimal.

Made for older kids: A clean, photo-rich design, so middle and high schoolers never feel like they’re doing little-kid work.

Critical thinking questions: Deeper-level questions to challenge older learners.

Room to go deeper: Every book includes extension ideas, from cooking recipes to researching additional countries and natural wonders.

How Do These Workbooks Fit With What You Already Use?

Alongside a full curriculum: Using something that feels a little repetitive, or surface-level?

Pull from these with each continent. Studying Asia? Add Japan from Exploring Countries of the World, Mount Fuji from Natural Wonders of the World, and the Japanese tea ceremony from Holidays, Traditions, & Landmarks Around the World.

As part of your own eclectic, mix-and-match plan: Use Exploring Countries of the World as your spine and weave in the other two as you go.

One at a time: Each book stands on its own, so start with whichever one fits your child’s interests. Holidays, Traditions, & Landmarks Around the World works especially well with younger kids.

If you’re looking for a foundation of geography skills and topics first, Foundations of Geography is a great place to start.

And if U.S. geography is on your list, too, take a look at my U.S. Geography Workbook Series.