PachiSusan Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 I was reading through our lesson plans for the next two quarters and somehow I missed something VERY big: I need to find a resource to teach my 9 year old 4th grader all the 50 states and their capitols. I already found the resource for our home state California. In reading it, I found out we are supposed to supply our own books and resources to teach the other states. What have you used and liked? I have a kid who hates to just read something. She likes to cut and paste and do art so I was thinking of a lapbook type thing. I was also thinking of this but I don't know if it's too young for her: http://www.confessio...m/u-s-geography I have about 9 weeks to get the curriculum and books and resources I might need so it's not an emergency, but it is important to get it ready and for me to get some lesson plans together. I'm not used to writing them myself so it may take me more time. I'm one of those "curriculum in a box" type gal! Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 I just clicked on the link for the resource. I do wonder if I had a really early version of that book. I pulled our own together with a huge stack of resources several years ago. That book actually looked amazingly like what we ended up with. It looks like it might have lots of cut and paste potential and all in one book. I would be tempted to do that combined with some travel type videos from youtube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 I'm wanting to do a study like this next year with ds. I got The Star-Spangled State Book as a free download, but it seems affordable and easy. There is a workbook to go along with it as well. I already own Trail Guide to US Geography, too, because it was included in a set I purchased used in order to get Trail Guide to World Geography this year. I like that it is simple to do the map work and research questions on each area, but to add in more than that requires pulling resources together. Some people don't want to have to do this. The recipe book for World Geography has has some good recipes in it, so I think the US book would as well. Here are a couple of books I plan on using regardless of which program I choose to go with. United Tweets of America and The Slightly Odd United States of America I got them at a Scholastic Warehouse sale and both seemed fun and interesting. I am still trying to decide, but I think either will be a good choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K&Rs Mom Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 We recently finished a states/capitols unit. I took two days per state (so it took all summer/fall), using Yo, Sacramento (silly mnemonics to remember the capitols), American Grub (recipe for each state - this was awesome and is on paperbackswap), a handwriting book from Seton that had facts about each state, Slightly Odd United States, Math America, and another book whose title I can't remember but it had things like the main tourist attractions, main industry, main agricultural products, etc, for each state. And the Animaniacs states & capitols video on Youtube - I think that was more effective for memorization than all the books combined. :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kagmypts Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 I actually like the Confessions of a Homeschooler Curriculum guide, and we may use it next year. I don't think that it is too young for 4th grade! Here are two other resources that may be helpful: http://www.amazon.com/National-Geographic-Our-Fifty-States/dp/0792264029/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1358536487&sr=1-3&keywords=states http://www.rainbowresource.com/wldetail.php?&id=012991 The first book has nice illustrations and a two page spread about each state. I also have a bookmark to a really cool (free) lapbook. Let me see if I can find it. I was able to find the link: http://marinecorpsnomads.com/2009/02/united-states-lapbook.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PachiSusan Posted January 18, 2013 Author Share Posted January 18, 2013 I actually like the Confessions of a Homeschooler Curriculum guide, and we may use it next year. I don't think that it is too young for 4th grade! Here are two other resources that may be helpful: http://www.amazon.co...keywords=states http://www.rainbowre....php?&id=012991 The first book has nice illustrations and a two page spread about each state. I also have a bookmark to a really cool (free) lapbook. Let me see if I can find it. I was able to find the link: http://marinecorpsno...es-lapbook.html Thank you!! Hey...do I know you from GF? Your username seems really familiar to me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeindeed Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 I'm going to use Cantering the Country with my ds9 next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PachiSusan Posted January 18, 2013 Author Share Posted January 18, 2013 We recently finished a states/capitols unit. I took two days per state (so it took all summer/fall), using Yo, Sacramento (silly mnemonics to remember the capitols), American Grub (recipe for each state - this was awesome and is on paperbackswap), a handwriting book from Seton that had facts about each state, Slightly Odd United States, Math America, and another book whose title I can't remember but it had things like the main tourist attractions, main industry, main agricultural products, etc, for each state. And the Animaniacs states & capitols video on Youtube - I think that was more effective for memorization than all the books combined. :o I forgot about the Animaniacs video - someone told me about that previously as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PachiSusan Posted January 18, 2013 Author Share Posted January 18, 2013 I'm wanting to do a study like this next year with ds. I got The Star-Spangled State Book as a free download, but it seems affordable and easy. There is a workbook to go along with it as well. I already own Trail Guide to US Geography, too, because it was included in a set I purchased used in order to get Trail Guide to World Geography this year. I like that it is simple to do the map work and research questions on each area, but to add in more than that requires pulling resources together. Some people don't want to have to do this. The recipe book for World Geography has has some good recipes in it, so I think the US book would as well. Here are a couple of books I plan on using regardless of which program I choose to go with. United Tweets of America and The Slightly Odd United States of America I got them at a Scholastic Warehouse sale and both seemed fun and interesting. I am still trying to decide, but I think either will be a good choice. I'm intrigued by the United Tweets of America and The Slightly Odd United States of America - thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydusk Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 I haven't used it yet (but will later this year) Memoria Press' States and Capitals (you have to scroll a little) looks straightforward and solid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 I'm intrigued by the United Tweets of America and The Slightly Odd United States of America - thank you! You are welcome! The Scholastic Warehouse sales are really great to find unique books. Here's the link to find out about them if they are near your area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunnyDays Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 I haven't used it yet (but will later this year) Memoria Press' States and Capitals(you have to scroll a little) looks straightforward and solid. We actually used the "Review" of States and Capitals further down the page. DS was already pretty familiar with them so we just used it for reinforcement. As for our study of our own state, I am going to pull something together later this year but I haven't figured out what yet. :) On another thread here a while back, someone shared that Monarch/SOS has a state study version for each state. We don't really use anything else by them, but it seems a pretty straightforward way to get that done!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PachiSusan Posted January 19, 2013 Author Share Posted January 19, 2013 Oh - the "Stack the States" app for the iPad and iPhone is amazing. SHe's already learning the state's shapes and capitols!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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