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The Hero Academy · Geography

The Cartographer's Journey

Familiar places become a starting point for maps, landscapes, regions, and the connections between people and environments. Scale, sources, and representation matter.

Proposed K–12 pathway · initial section available
Read & downloadView the learning sequence
The Cartographer's Journey illustrated curriculum cover

Available section · GEO-K-01

Position and familiar places

No reading, compass use, or left-right mastery is required. The learner may point or use object models.

  1. GEO-K-01-L01

    Places and positions

    Describe where an object is using a reference object.

    Companion activity: GEO-K-01-W01
  2. GEO-K-01-L02

    A picture can represent a place

    Relate a simple overhead drawing to a real arrangement.

    Companion activity: GEO-K-01-W02
  3. GEO-K-01-L03

    A map key explains symbols

    Use and check a key for a simple map.

    Companion activity: GEO-K-01-W03

A proposed path from K through 12

The learning sequence

Levels organize increasing complexity. They are not age deadlines. Detailed standards coverage, prerequisites, and topic research remain in development beyond the starter section.

Kindergarten entry

Adult-supported observation, communication, and access adaptations; no independent reading required

  1. GEO-K-01Position and familiar placesIntroductory section available; further strand coverage in development
  2. GEO-K-02Pictures, symbols, and simple mapsPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. GEO-K-03Land and waterPlanned · research and writing pending
  4. GEO-K-04Weather and places people livePlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Locate an object relative to a named reference
  • Make a simple map and explain its symbols
  • Describe an observed difference between a land area and a water area

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 1

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level K; placement is skill-based

  1. GEO-1-01Neighborhood maps and routesPlanned · research and writing pending
  2. GEO-1-02Landforms and bodies of waterPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. GEO-1-03Seasons and local environmentsPlanned · research and writing pending
  4. GEO-1-04Places and everyday movementPlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Draw a route through a familiar place using a key
  • Classify pictured landforms using taught observable features
  • Record local seasonal observations without generalizing them to all places

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 2

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level 1; placement is skill-based

  1. GEO-2-01Directions, keys, and map purposePlanned · research and writing pending
  2. GEO-2-02Globes, continents, and oceansPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. GEO-2-03Communities and resourcesPlanned · research and writing pending
  4. GEO-2-04Connections between placesPlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Use a key and cardinal directions on an oriented map
  • Locate the continents and oceans using an explicitly named convention
  • Trace one documented connection between two communities

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 3

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level 2; placement is skill-based

  1. GEO-3-01Scale and relative locationPlanned · research and writing pending
  2. GEO-3-02Regions of the United StatesPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. GEO-3-03Climate, landforms, and livelihoodsPlanned · research and writing pending
  4. GEO-3-04Transportation and settlementPlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Use a simple map scale to estimate a distance
  • Compare two United States regions using physical and human evidence
  • Explain one documented relationship among transport, settlement, and environment

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 4

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level 3; placement is skill-based

  1. GEO-4-01Latitude, longitude, and reference mapsPlanned · research and writing pending
  2. GEO-4-02State and local geographyPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. GEO-4-03North American environmentsPlanned · research and writing pending
  4. GEO-4-04Population and resource usePlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Locate a place using supplied latitude and longitude
  • Compare physical and human features of a state and a North American region
  • Read a population map and distinguish total population from density

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 5

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level 4; placement is skill-based

  1. GEO-5-01World regions and map comparisonPlanned · research and writing pending
  2. GEO-5-02Watersheds and land processesPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. GEO-5-03Biomes and human adaptationPlanned · research and writing pending
  4. GEO-5-04Trade routes and migrationPlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Compare two maps of the same world region and explain their purposes
  • Trace water through a mapped watershed
  • Use evidence to describe a migration or trade connection without treating it as a universal pattern

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 6

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level 5; placement is skill-based

  1. GEO-6-01Africa and regional diversityPlanned · research and writing pending
  2. GEO-6-02Southwest Asia and North AfricaPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. GEO-6-03Europe and physical-human systemsPlanned · research and writing pending
  4. GEO-6-04Population maps and field evidencePlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Compare places within an African region rather than presenting Africa as uniform
  • Describe a physical-human relationship in Europe or Southwest Asia using maps
  • Explain a population-map pattern while separating description from proposed cause

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 7

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level 6; placement is skill-based

  1. GEO-7-01East, South, and Southeast AsiaPlanned · research and writing pending
  2. GEO-7-02Oceania and Pacific regionsPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. GEO-7-03Latin America and the CaribbeanPlanned · research and writing pending
  4. GEO-7-04Resource distribution and urbanizationPlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Compare environmental and settlement patterns in two Asian regions
  • Describe a Pacific or Latin American case using specific local evidence
  • Explain how a resource-distribution map can support and limit an urbanization claim

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 8

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level 7; placement is skill-based

  1. GEO-8-01Projection, scale, and map distortionPlanned · research and writing pending
  2. GEO-8-02Global climates and hazardsPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. GEO-8-03Migration and settlement patternsPlanned · research and writing pending
  4. GEO-8-04Political boundaries and disputed mapsPlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Identify a distortion produced by a specified map projection
  • Explain a mapped hazard using probability and exposure evidence
  • Compare boundary depictions and attribute any disputed territorial claim

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 9

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level 8; placement is skill-based

  1. GEO-9-01Geographic inquiry and GIS foundationsPlanned · research and writing pending
  2. GEO-9-02Physical systems and spatial dataPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. GEO-9-03Culture, identity, and placePlanned · research and writing pending
  4. GEO-9-04Population and development indicatorsPlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Create a simple GIS map with a stated coordinate system and source
  • Compare development indicators without equating an average with every resident
  • Support a place-based explanation with both physical and human data

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 10

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level 9; placement is skill-based

  1. GEO-10-01Agriculture and land-use systemsPlanned · research and writing pending
  2. GEO-10-02Cities and infrastructurePlanned · research and writing pending
  3. GEO-10-03Economic networks and globalizationPlanned · research and writing pending
  4. GEO-10-04Environmental change and riskPlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Compare land-use patterns using a consistent spatial scale
  • Trace an economic network through documented exchanges
  • Distinguish hazard, exposure, and vulnerability in an environmental-risk case

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 11

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level 10; placement is skill-based

  1. GEO-11-01Remote sensing and cartographyPlanned · research and writing pending
  2. GEO-11-02Water, energy, and resource decisionsPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. GEO-11-03Geopolitics and regional case studiesPlanned · research and writing pending
  4. GEO-11-04Fieldwork, sampling, and uncertaintyPlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Interpret a remote-sensing image while identifying resolution limits
  • Compare water or energy options with an explicit evidence table
  • Design field sampling and identify a likely source of uncertainty

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 12

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level 11; placement is skill-based

  1. GEO-12-01Geospatial analysis and accessibilityPlanned · research and writing pending
  2. GEO-12-02Comparative regional researchPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. GEO-12-03Geographic models and ethical data usePlanned · research and writing pending
  4. GEO-12-04Evidence-based geographic capstonePlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Analyze a spatial question with reproducible data steps
  • Compare regional findings while accounting for scale and data gaps
  • Present a geographic capstone with sources, uncertainty, and an accessible map

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Subject strands inside this book

  • Map Skills and Navigation
  • Physical Geography
  • Human Geography
  • Climate and Biomes
  • Natural Resources and Land Use
  • World Regions and Continents
  • Countries and Capitals
  • United States Geography
  • Population, Migration, and Settlement
  • Geographic Tools and Fieldwork

Evidence and scope

Introductory work toward C3 D2.Geo.1.K-2 and D2.Geo.2.K-2: representations of familiar places; not full attainment.

Read source notes and release limits →