country research project questions

Teach with Holly Rachel

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How to Teach a Country Research Project

February 17, 2022 By Holly Rachel

I love teaching a research project on a country. They are so much fun and students gain so much from studying them in your social studies curriculum. I have found that students find them fascinating and love learning interesting facts and recognising the similarities and differences between the country they are learning about and their own way of life.

What is a country research project?

In simple terms, as part of social studies, students create a report on a country by researching facts about it. Their country report could be a wide range of presentation mediums such as a written project, an oral presentation, a poster, worksheets, a performance or even a video, you can be as creative as you like! Student can use a range of methods to research their chosen country. This could be through books, the internet, interviews or from teaching presentations and information sheets.

Why are country research projects important?

It is so important that we teach students about different cultures to their own and to accept and respect differences, as well as to look for the similarities between us all. This is especially important in the interconnected world we live in today.

There are so many benefits to teaching a research project on a country. These include:

-Gaining knowledge about new places and different culture

-Sparking curiosity and a love of learning

-Understanding and accepting differences

-Recognising that even though cultures may have differences, we all share similarities

-Gaining a deeper understanding of their own culture as they learn about others

-Because they are so much fun!

How to do a country research project

A research project on a country may be part of your curriculum, or you may teach the project as part of a whole school cultural week. Alternatively you could set the project as homework for your class. It’s also a great idea to use the project to support learning across other subject areas. For example, students could use the knowledge they gain from their country study and use it in their writing, such as a story setting or an information text. Students could recreate art from the country or develop map skills.

What to include in a country research project

This is the fun part! You may wish your students to lead their own research and report on the areas that interested them, or you may wish to give some guidance. Some great ideas for your research project on a country could include:

Identify the particular country on a map of the word. Where is it located? What continent is the country in? What is the capital city? You could look for physical geographical features such as mountains and rivers. Does the country border any seas? What are the neighbouring countries?

Research the country’s flag. What does the flag tell us about the country? What is the population? What sort of climate does the country have? Students could use graphic organizers to help them record the information they find.

Food is such a great way to learn about a country. It really tells us a lot about the sort of flora and fauna that can be found the country. It can also tell us a lot about the climate of the country. Is it common to preserve food in a particular way? For example through pickling or using spices? Why might this be?

This is such an important skill. As we become more globally connected, learning an additional language is such a valuable skill. You could start with some key phrases and greetings.  Maybe choose certain activities where you could speak in language, such as greeting each other first thing in the morning, or asking. ‘How are you?’ after lunch.

Sight seeing

Learn about the iconic landmarks of the country. When, how and why where they built? What do they tell us about the country and the people who live there?

Recreate art from the country. This could be a study of a particular artist or art movement. Students could recreate a particular painting. What does the painting capture? What can we learn from it? Or perhaps use a painting from the country as inspiration for students’ own work, this could even span different subjects. Create a bulletin board of the students’ own work!

Teach students songs from the country. This is also a great way to learn a language. Listening to and singing songs can really help students gain a valuable insight into the culture.

Sweden Country Study

If you’d like to get started with a country research project, check out my FREE Sweden country study when you subscribe to my email list. These are perfect for your Social Studies 2nd Grade curriculum.

Included is a PowerPoint presentation with 10 slides packed full of information to teach your students all about Sweden. Slides include a map of Sweden, the Swedish flag, basic Swedish phrases, Swedish foods, Swedish landmarks, the Northern Lights and Dala horses, a traditional Swedish craft. That’s right, I have done all the research for you, so it is NO-PREP and ready to go!

Teach the topics as part of your social studies weekly lesson. Alternatively, allow students to complete the project at their own pace or assign out as homework.

Along with PowerPoint slide is an associated social studies worksheet for 2nd Grade students to complete with the information they have learned from the slide show. So this means no trawling the internet finding a worksheet to match a PowerPoint and spending hours making your own. It is all done for you!

Not only that, the activities are differentiated on two levels to support a range of ability levels in your class.

Do you spend hours prepping work for early finishers? Well, I’ve got you covered with a wordsearch all about Sweden!

Also include are summary activities about the project. This includes a worksheet for students to record their favorite facts and a postcard template. Students imagine they have visited Sweden and write postcard home about their travels!

Finally it comes with a super cute cover sheet so your students can make their own booklet with the worksheets. Did I mention this is all FREE? Grab your FREE Sweden Country Study today!

If you’d like to check out my other country studies, I have a whole range of countries available:

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Research Project Planning

To make any project go smoothly, you want to be organized and prepared.  Here are some questions and tips to consider before diving in:

W ho will be conducting the country research project?  

• the whole class (benefit: an opportunity to introduce and model research skills)  
• in small groups (benefits: incorporate cooperative learning skills; provide choice/meet individual needs ; compare and share information about different countries)  
• independently (benefits: provide choice/meet individual needs; compare and share information about different countries)

W hat country will be explored? 

Options include:

• Teachers choose the country based on available resources or as a connection to a book, event, or unit of study – for example, researching China during Chinese New Year celebrations, exploring South Africa while reading Long Walk to Freedom , or investigating Brazil as part of a study of the Amazon rainforest .
• Students choose the country based on interest or personal connection (heritage, travel).
• Leave It to Chance & Spin the Wheel!

W hen will the country research project(s) take place? 

Over several weeks? Once a quarter or semester? Throughout the year?  

Will it be tied to a book or specific curriculum?

Plan the dates and times for researching , creating , and presenting projects. 

W here will students find reliable information about the country?

Setting younger students loose on the internet and providing them with books they can’t read or understand is a recipe for disaster. When learning about countries and cultures, it is critical that the information is accurate and does not promote stereotypes. 

See our RESOURCES section below for recommended websites and booklists we use. In addition:

• invite guest speakers such as school staff, families, and community leaders to visit
• establish global pen pals
• join National Geographic’s Explorer Classroom  

W hy is it important to do a research project on a country? 

Benefits include:

• developing an understanding of world geography and cultures
• building a foundation for future global learning
• preparing for living and working in a globalized world 
• learning new perspectives
• practicing a variety of important skills, including researching, reading, writing, and communication, while discovering our world
• add your own!

H ow will students share what they learn?

There are many ways students can share their discoveries. An interactive notebook, poster, or presentation board, a slideshow, movie, or travel ad are just some ideas. Encourage your students to come up with their own ideas, too!

Think about who students will be presenting to : classmates, school, families, community …

Plan for where the presentations will be held: classroom, gymnasium, outdoors, online …

Reserve any space needed, and have students create invitations to send out at least one week prior to the event.

Research Project Resources 

Introduce the resources you’ve previewed and chosen for students to use. Establish any necessary parameters. 

Google Earth

Google Earth Education   

National Geographic Kids

Globe Trottin’ Kids   

Yep! I needed a reliable, kid-friendly resource for my young students to explore their world. So… I built it! 

(Well, I’m building it. More countries continue to be released!) Come explore!

Each country profile page includes:

• detailed map
• infographic of quick facts (population, currency, etc.)
• National symbols
• photo gallery
• informational video
• activities for exploring the country’s food, sports, animals, and more
• video read aloud
• book suggestions
• country “challenge” – interactive tasks for learning about the country’s geography and culture. Also available as a PDF.  

The Explore section under the “Students” tab has additional resource links on a variety of topics.

Another purpose for building Globe Trottin’ Kids was to share global learning information and resources with my fellow educators. Browse our Educators tab, Events calendar, and Blog ! Subscribe to our Go Global newsletter for monthly ideas and inspiration.  

Provide a variety of books to support students during their research. From facts to folktales, explorers will discover important information for their projects.

Integrate the books into literacy lessons and read-alouds. Leave them accessible for independent and buddy reading. Offer them for checkout to share at home.

Finding Titles

Our country profiles include book suggestions – plus a video read-aloud is included in each country challenge! 

Lee & Low  

Kids Travel Books  

Prepare the Room for Research Projects

• world map to hang or project on a screen
• world atlas – online or book
• globe – physical or virtual
• make it a festive environment with world flags decor  
• country map(s) – posters or printed
• posters of famous landmarks, people, inventions, etc.
• vocabulary wall
• culture kit – check with your school/district resource centers and local libraries
• country artifacts such as clothing, tools, art, and musical instruments
• traditional music 
• websites* 

*See the Resource lists below.

Prepare the Students for Research Projects

Background knowledge & vocabulary.

Before students investigate their world, have them review their place in it. 

A basic understanding of map skills and relevant vocabulary (hemispheres, continents, oceans, equator, countries, cities, capitals, borders) are necessary.

Our free geography Flip Book is a great review and reference tool.

Set the Purpose

Ask students why, or share why (from the W hy section above) it is important to learn about other countries.

Invite them to share what they want to discover as the “Explorers.”  For example, they might be interested in finding out the country’s official language, typical weather, or popular foods and sports. 

Make a list of the topics. Guide as needed.   

Get Started!

Prepare a notebook (or staple sheets of paper) with pages dedicated to different topics.

Review/model how to take notes using your own words.

Remind students to use several references for cross-checking facts. 

Guided Research Project on a Country

To make the project even more organized and engaging for students, try our Guided Country Research Projects for Young Explorers which pair perfectly with our website!

The Country Research Project Draft Book guides students through the research process with step-by-step directions and graphic organizers for collecting information. 

The Country Research Project Templates help students make their interactive notebook or presentation board creative and engaging. 

Extension ideas, project rubric, answer guide, and student passport are also included!

“This is a great resource that scaffolds the students’ research and allows them to present their information in such a fun way.” (Germany) Pastel Classroom

“I used this resource during a country study and it helped students find and organise the information easily. I used it to model research skills for supported students as well.” (Thailand) Honor H.

“I really appreciated how this helped the student to take charge of their own research.” (Canada) Mandy M.

Countries Currently Available 

Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Egypt, England, France, Germany, India, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, United States (and more coming soon).

Sold individually and bundled.

All proceeds are used to maintain our free global learning website. Thank you in advance!

Purchase a Research Project on a Country on Globe Trottin’ Kids or Teachers Pay Teachers

Related posts & products.

Country Research Project

Our Country Research Project is ideal for older elementary students and middle school students. Before tackling this Country Research Project, we introduce, review, and solidify basic map skills with our FREE Printable World Maps & Activities . By the time my students reach 4th grade, they do one of these projects a year for the next two years.  In this project, you can implement research, writing, reading, and more into your homeschool. Our FREE Country Research Sheets & Maps make teaching and learning about different countries around the world easy!

*If you teach in a school setting or would like to download all of our Country Research Project Printables at once, check out our shop . For those of you looking for more free social studies resources , check this post out!

*Be sure to have these on hand when starting to teach geography. Do you have a  globe ? Check. Do you have a world map ? Check? Do you have an  atlas ? Check. Then, you are all set!

As a Christian Book and Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support. As always, we only recommend items that we truly feel will benefit your homeschooling experience. We appreciate it.

What is included in our Country Research Project?

Country research sheets.

Our Country Research Project always starts with one of these country research sheets. There are two options to choose from. Years ago, my oldest did his research using a brainstorming sheet. We made it work, but it was much harder to organize his notes since they were random. The Country Research Sheets give students focus and guide them to information that would make a solid research paper. From experience, these research sheets make it easy to organize information for a 5 paragraph essay.

DOWNLOAD COUNTRY RESEARCH SHEETS

Blank continent maps with outlines.

This set of Blank Continent Maps with Outlines coincide perfectly with the FREE Country Research Sheets. Whatever country your student is studying, print the corresponding continent map out. Your student can then locate, label, and color their country within its continent. The worksheet then instructs the student to label the countries bordering countries and oceans. This map is an excellent addition to the Country Research Project.

The second version includes the outlined map, but has no instructions written at the top. For those you wanting to use these to color all continents rather than one, then you can!

DOWNLOAD BLANK CONTINENT MAPS

Research paper.

Once my student completes the country research sheet, it is easy to sit with them and discuss what facts should go into each paragraph of their essay. We literally looked over the facts, and then wrote a 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 next to them. This was an easy guide for  my student to follow when he sat down independently to write his country project paper. If the fact had a 1 next to it, that meant he was to include that fact into his first paragraph. 2 meant second paragraph and so forth. When I teach my kids to write a 5 paragraph essay, I like to break it down into an introduction paragraph, 3 body paragraphs, and then a conclusion or closing. Each paragraph should include at least 3 sentences, but 5 sentences are encouraged. You might be interested in checking out our  5-paragraph graphic organizers . They make creating an essay outline easy!

DOWNLOAD COUNTRY RESEARCH PAPER

Project visual.

Creating a visual for the Country Research Project is one of the last pieces of this assignment. Some kids will love this aspect of the project and this is where their creativity will shine. Other students will not enjoy this part of the project. No matter, encourage them to write notes and facts about their country, add a title, draw pictures, color it neatly, display a flag, and so much more. We choose to create a poster display. Your student may create a PowerPoint presentation, a hanging mobile, or a cardboard display. There are several options to choose from.

Country Project Presentation

End the Country Research Project with a presentation. For those of us who  homeschool, this can be easily down at the dinner table. Allow your student to present to the family before dinner or after dinner. Encourage them to share their visual and what things they learned about their country. Some of my kids have read their paper out loud. In a classroom setting, presenting their project is a must. Public speaking is a skill that should be encouraged when possible. Some kids will really shine when presenting, while others will struggle. Regardless of their strengths or weaknesses, it is always a good rule of thumb to give your child the opportunity to share.

OTHER FREE HOMESCHOOL RESOURCES

Looking for a more Permanent Curriculum?

For the first few years of homeschooling, I created and put together my oldest sons curriculum. On one level, I enjoyed this. It was fun to look at all of the free options and ideas on the web. On the other hand, I got overwhelmed and distracted like a kid in a candy store. As I had more children, life became busier too. It became evident to me that ordering workbooks and textbooks to guide us was ideal for our schedule and life. I still create interactive units to supplement and meet individual needs, but I have found that the workbooks give us  a sense of direction and consistency.

For me, compiling engaging curriculum for each of my kids became time consuming and daunting. It is a huge blessing being able to buy math and grammar workbooks. It gives me a piece of mind to know that I am not skipping around or leaving gaps in their education. Some of you may scoff at this. I am not condemning those that go it wholly on their own. Personally, it was just too much. If I was unable to purchase these books, then of course I would change my strategy to use more readily accessible materials. If you are interested in checking out some of the most popular and effective homeschool curriculum available, follow the link below. Happy homeschooling…

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