Italy Unit Study | Geography Curriculum & Hands-On Activities for Kids

Discover Italy with our hands-on, literature-based unit study that includes lessons in geography, language arts, science, music, math, and more.

Meet Strega Nona, read Telephone Tales by Gianni Rodari, explore the work of Leonardo da Vinci, and study the geography of Italy through mapwork and notebooking activities.

Along the way, you’ll discover Sicilian folk music, study Antonio Vivaldi, learn about artist Michelangelo, enjoy Caprese salad and gelato, and learn how to play bocce ball and Scopa.

✅ What You're Purchasing:

Our unit studies are literature-based learning frameworks built around carefully curated books, mapwork, journaling, and hands-on cultural activities. While books and select media resources are referenced, they are not included. Each country study provides flexible lesson plans, ready-to-use printables, and engaging activities that make it easy to explore the world together as a family or classroom.

✅ What's Included:

• Italy Notebooking Page: Students record important facts, color the national flag, document their favorite discoveries, and draw scenes from Italy’s geography, culture, plants, and wildlife.
• Italy Mapwork Activity: Students will locate major cities, geographical features, and cultural landmarks on an outline map and are encouraged to personalize their maps with illustrations, labels, and symbols that reflect what they’ve learned about the country.
• Literature Study: Explore the tales of Strega Nona and read and discuss Telephone Tales by Gianni Rodari, a popular collection of children’s stories.
• Circle Round: Listen to several folktales from Italy and then follow up with guided writing activities based on Judith C. Hochman’s The Writing Revolution method.
• The Writing Revolution Resources: Build writing skills with sentence-based exercises that connect directly to what students are learning about Italy.
• Science Notebooking: Discover how Leonardo da Vinci combined science, engineering, and art while completing a science notebooking activity inspired by his inventions and observations.
• Elapsed Time Task Cards: Build real-world math skills by solving elapsed time problems connected to places throughout Italy.
• Artist Study: Learn about Michelangelo, a famous Italian artist during the Renaissance.
• Music Appreciation: Explore Sicilian folk music and learn about Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi.
• Cooking Class: Enjoy Caprese salad and gelato, two classic Italian favorites.
• Global Games: Learn how to play bocce ball, one of Italy’s oldest outdoor games, and Scopa, a popular Italian card game.

✅ Bonus Materials:

• Printable Global Explorers Cookbook Page for Italy
• Discover Italy: Bingo Challenge activity sheet
• Italy Unit Overview Sheet
• Access to our optional digital planning tool in Notion
• Plus, more than a dozen extra printable resources, such as book passports, food chain pyramid templates, and more!

Format: Printable PDF + Optional Digital Access

Best For: Homeschoolers, co-ops, enrichment, Montessori continent studies, and classroom geography units

Why Choose Global Explorers?

At the Global Explorers Club, we believe geography should be an adventure and not just a list of places to memorize. Our secular, literature-based unit studies allow children to explore the world through living books, hands-on activities, mapwork, and meaningful cultural experiences. Designed for flexible, family-style learning, each study encourages curiosity, critical thinking, and a deeper appreciation for the people, places, and traditions that make our world unique.