Here's the schedule for the 2026-2027 school year, along with links to the weekly chapters in the book.

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Download a printable copy of the schedule.

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September 2

Opening Celebration: The Itinerary

chapters 1-3

letter-writing, planning the route, experimentation

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Component I: The Race Begins
 

1. September 7-11: Departing
   heraldry, calculating 80 days, household servants, Stonehenge
   chapter 4
    

2. September 14-18: Global News
   architecture, newspapers, Joan of Arc, stock exchange, Galileo, scientific method, pizza dough, geography
   chapter 5
    

3. September 21-25: Egypt
   hieroglyphs, pyramids, pharaohs, mummies
   chapter 6
    

4. September 28 - October 2: Africa
   African face mask, map making, solar power, Suez Canal
   chapter 7
    

5. October 5-9: Middle East
   Islamic tile design, shortest route, planets, kites
   chapter 8
    

6. October 12-16: Yemen
   mehndi, geography, budgeting, compasses, trade routes
   chapter 9

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October 21

Celebration: Geography

map-making, telegraph, geography bee

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Component II: Jungles, Railroads, and Rescue in India

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1. October 26-30: India
   four-color theorem, cartography, population, caste system, chess
   chapter 10
    

2. November 2-6: Flora and Fauna of India
   elephants, diorama, tree diameter, animal tracks, jungles, Bengal tiger
   chapter 11
    

3. November 9-13: Rescue
   Holi, adjectives, gematria, sacred gates, finger cymbals, Diwali
   chapter 12-13
    

4. November 16-20: Global Transportation 
   cricket, modes of transportation, circumnavigation, transportation design, car race
   chapter 14
    

5. November 30 - December 4: Court
   Indian art, river systems, cause and effect
   chapter 15
    

6. December 7-11: Bay of Bengal
   panorama, fish types, map scale, knot tying, coral reefs, clownfish
   chapter 16

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December 11: Celebration: Joy to the World -- holiday celebrations around the world

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Component III: Ports, Performance, and Weather in Asia

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1. January 4-8: Southeast Asia
   batik, currency, planets, mangoes
   chapter 17
    

2. January 11-15: China
   Great Wall, ice cream, barometer, silk
   chapter 18
    

3. January 18-22: Hong Kong
   Chinese drum, substance abuse, Yang Hui Triangle, chopsticks
   chapter 19
    

4. January 25-29: Chinese Transportation
   sumi-e, cars in China, speed, maglev train, helicopters, Marco Polo
   chapter 20
    

5. February 1-5: Weather
   chapters 21-22
   Koinobori, how seasons are made, homophones, weather tracking, wind, El Nino
    

6. February 8-12: Japan
   chapter 23
   zen garden, 19th century Japan, soroban, sushi, otedama

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February 17: Celebration: Chinese Lantern Festival

lanterns, spring rolls, Chinese zodiac

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Component IV: Rails, Frontiers, and Machines in America

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1. February 22-26: Pacific Ocean
   ocean life, ocean currents, 24-hour clock, squid dissection
   chapter 24
    

2. March 1-5: San Francisco
   chapter 25
   fog, icons of San Francisco, earthquakes, Fisherman's Wharf, gold rush
    

3. March 8-12: US Flora and Fauna
   Bison, animal classification, cells
   chapter 26
    

4. March 15-19: US Religions
   religious symbols, fallacies, brine shrimp, acceptance
   chapter 27
    

5. March 22-26: Bridges
   water lilies, bridges of the world, jump a gap, build a bridge
   chapter 28
    

6. March 29 - April 2: Native Americans
   legends, hand game, Native American food, forts
   chapters 29-30

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April 7: Celebration: Art and Science Fair

art, science, and craft fair

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Component V: Fuel, Failure, and the Final Twist

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1. April 12-16: US Transportation
   trains, Route 66, plane capacity, telegraph, transcontinental railroad
   chapter 31
    

2. April 19-23: New York
   scheduling, hot air balloon, Broadway, tallest building challenge
   chapter 32
    

3. April 19-23: Atlantic Ocean
   shell painting, Titanic, coral, buoyancy
   chapter 33
    

4. May 3-7: Homecoming
   scrapbooking, book report, international dateline
   chapter 34
    

5. May 10-14: Losing the Bet
   lessons from losing, what was won along the way
   chapter 35
    

6. May 17-21: Winning the Bet
   International Date Line, scrapbook, book report
   chapters 36-37

 

May​ 26: Closing Celebration

geography bee, review the world, introduce next year​