How we are studying the states.

How we are studying the states.

I send for all the tourist info i can about the states, using the internet. Make up a few worksheets for matching capitals with states, filling in the info of each state chart and a labeling the map worksheet. we make the flag out of felt, color pictures of the state bird and state flower, (these all go into a notebook)

i copy off a couple of maps, one to label and one to cut out for the BIG map on the wall.We play state bingo game and a game where the kids go by 2s and run to find the state im calling out on the huge map on the wall, they have to tell me the capital to get 2 points.They also play the matching capital to state game at http://www.yourchildlearns.com/owlmouse.htmWe go through library books, finding out what the states are popular for, famous people, sometimes i just have them do a report of the state or any people from the state that are interesting, and they do a presentation in front of us or a powerpoint. i like to switch it around on them!

if i can find a movie about the state we will watch it, but they have to go tell someone what the movies was about.when we are done with each state we make a poster out of it. I cut the state out of poster board(so its a big state) then have the kids look on the interent for the state bird, flower , pictures of things from that state, pictures of the places in that state, we use all the info we sent for to find pictures and whatever we want to put on our poster and we glue them to the poster board where they belong. we put on a compass and a small info chart at the top or bottom.On the game map on the wall i put north, south, west and east in the right places, so when we play the running to the map game i can help them, get to the right area.

Evenually they dont need that help.I have another blank map that we do the same game with except they cant read where the states are, more challenging!we also use a timeline where they put the state on the right date it became a state and anything else thats interesting in the state.ive also made a state puzzle out of hard stock, i used the church transparency machine to make my map big on the wall and traced it on hard stock.