Instead of flat paper maps, use map puzzles, 3D relief maps and models to help visual-spatial learners engage with the shape of countries, states or geographical features. If you use puzzle maps, be sure to start with a completed example, since visual-spatial learners learn best when they know the overall big picture in advance. Letting students make salt-dough maps is another way to engage multiple senses and kinesthetic activity in the learning process.
Lead students on an exploration of the neighborhood or local points of geographical interest. Give students a particular goal before you leave. Some examples include mapping the area you explore together; taking a survey of the types of trees, animals, cars or businesses they encounter on the way; or drawing a picture of a distinctive geographic feature they find. The basic principle in this sort of assignment is to connect the ideas in geography class to experiences and places the student finds familiar.
Let students modify or annotate paper maps in a way that will build up their grasp of the spaces the maps represent. Have students color or mark a map of the school grounds according to where they are at what times, or according to their experiences or emotional associations with different areas. Alternately, have students mark countries or states with a single characteristic image, such as a kangaroo for Australia, and give them resources to learn about places they can't think of images for.
Use interactive map software or online mapping sites to explore places or geographical features. Students can zoom in on coastlines in search of a certain feature, like a bay or a fjord, or examine satellite maps of cities to gain an understanding of urban sprawl or population patterns. To make the assignment even more engaging, design it as a scavenger hunt where students race to find each item on a list of cities, geographical features or similar.