Teaching the 50 States in 4th Grade

[PachiSusan]

In our curriculum this year, we are required to teach the 50 states, and an in depth study on our state of residence. I have that part covered pretty much, but I would like to pick your brains for how you teach the other 49.

 

I will be doing it in our 4th quarter and we have 9 weeks to do it. So far I have this:

 

Aims:

• To learn all 50 states by:
  
• identifying their shape
  
• Identifying and memorizing their capital
  
• Identifying where they are located on a map
  
• Identifying them by region
  

 

 

Accomplished by:

• Stack the States Game
  
• Fill in Blank Maps
  
• Drill
  
• Maps of each state and placement of capital in the state.
  

 

 

Do you have any other suggestions about how to learn them? Anything I've missed?

[UrbanSue]

What about a puzzle? I memorized all the state and their locations and capitals using a puzzle when I was a kid. Look for one where each state is its own piece.

[PachiSusan]

What about a puzzle? I memorized all the state and their locations and capitals using a puzzle when I was a kid. Look for one where each state is its own piece.

 

 

Darnit - we had a 50 states floor puzzle and I sold it in a yard sale when we moved. That's a great idea!

[BatmansWife]

Get States & Capitals Songs dvd and/or cd by Audio Memory. We really like having the visual of the dvd...but the cd is nice too when you're away from the tv. My youngest daughter started this last weekend and already knows the states and capitals all by heart. She LOVES singing the songs. I can randomly ask her the capital of any state and she knows them (once in awhile she gets stumped)....she doesn't have to sing a string of them to remember a particular state, either. My oldest daughter sang these when she was little...and she and I still remember the songs from way back then. We are going to start Geography Songs this week (oldest dd & I had a lot of fun with that one too).

 

and

are samples of the dvd (same songs on the cd).

[PachiSusan]

Get States & Capitals Songs dvd and/or cd by Audio Memory. We really like having the visual of the dvd...but the cd is nice too when you're away from the tv. My youngest daughter started this last weekend and already knows the states and capitals all by heart. She LOVES singing the songs. I can randomly ask her the capital of any state and she knows them (once in awhile she gets stumped)....she doesn't have to sing a string of them to remember a particular state, either. My oldest daughter sang these when she was little...and she and I still remember the songs from way back then. We are going to start Geography Songs this week (oldest dd & I had a lot of fun with that one too).

 

and

are samples of the dvd (same songs on the cd).

 

 

Thank you very much!

[Mommy22alyns]

Yes, that States & Capitals DVD was perfect!

[RootAnn]

Eldest also likes to play some of these games "for fun." It keeps her skills up from when we studied them a couple of years ago.

[ChrisB]

I have my DD doing crossword puzzles for each state. You read a summary about the state (one page) and complete the crossword. Each state has its own crossword. I think I got it off of Scholastic a few years ago as a download during one of their sales. I'm using it in conjunction with memorizing state capitals and location of state.

[Kathleen.]

What about "The Little Man in the Map" book about the states by Martonyi?

[Mystie]

My boys love the USA Geopuzzle, where the pieces are entire states, in their shape. The same company makes a US States card game that I have on my wish list for when we get to the modernity cycle.

 

and I second the Audio Memory songs. We have Geography Songs, which includes the states (sung in order along each of the four borders + middle) but not capitals.

[ByGrace3]

We are planning on learning the 50 states next year and planning to use:

States and capitals Song

Games: 10 days in the USA and Sequence States and Capitals.

[Spetzi]

We did a little notebook page for each state. My kids liked The Complete Book of Presidents and States http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Book-Presidents-States-Grades/dp/0769659349/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1360449164&sr=8-1&keywords=complete+book+of+presidents+and+states It has simple crosswords or other word games and some facts about each state. We have Yo! Sacremento (not nearly as good as Yo! Millard Filmore for learning the presidents.)

 

They also loved this site for mapping games. It's simple but it works! I've used it to help myself with world geography. http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/web_games.htm

 

Collecting state quarters might be fun, too.

[mom31257]

When we do this next year, I plan on purchasing the Great States Game. I have the Junior version, and ds learned a lot from it.

[ProudGrandma]

Scrambled States of America is a fun game too. http://www.amazon.com/Gamewright-5505-Scrambled-States/dp/B0009XBY1W/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1360459148&sr=1-1&keywords=scrambled+states+of+america

[MomatHWTK]

http://www.usmint.gov/kids/teachers/lessonPlans/50sq/

[Alte Veste Academy]

In your shoes, I would plan a virtual 9 week whirlwind trip through the states, using travel guides and info from state web sites (which will be treasure troves for free activities, guides, coloring pages, maps, etc.). You could give your DD a travel journal and let her plan the route, pick landmarks to visit, etc. and pick a recipe to make for some states or regions (Tex-Mex for TX, sushi for CA, lobster for Maine...whatever the budget allows :lol:). I posted some about my plans in this thread. http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/452917-secular-world-geography-for-6-and-8yos/#entry4670952

 

ETA: We are going to use the Learning Walls pinnable maps to plan our route and then track our journey. We can color capitals, landmarks, geographical features, etc. as we go. http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/sku/019690/94a706ff4a228938e56aead9

[Χά�ων]

In your shoes, I would plan a virtual 9 week whirlwind trip through the states, using travel guides and info from state web sites (which will be treasure troves for free activities, guides, coloring pages, maps, etc.). You could give your DD a travel journal and let her plan the route, pick landmarks to visit, etc. and pick a recipe to make for some states or regions (Tex-Mex for TX, sushi for CA, lobster for Maine...whatever the budget allows :lol:). I posted some about my plans in this thread. http://forums.welltr...s/#entry4670952

 

ETA: We are going to use the Learning Walls pinnable maps to plan our route and then track our journey. We can color capitals, landmarks, geographical features, etc. as we go. http://www.rainbowre...a228938e56aead9

 

Virtual is not as much fun as jumping in the car and just driving. DS learned the names of most of the midwest states when he was 5 this way. I am seriously tempted to do it again next year when DS starts this topic. I need someone to slap me upside the head and tell me not to do this that it is too expensive and not in the budget.

[Mert]

Scrambled States of America is a fun game too. http://www.amazon.co...ates of america

 

 

Sheppard software and this Scrambled States games are very popular here.

[Saraswati]

Scrambled States of America is a fun game too. http://www.amazon.co...ates of america

 

:iagree:

 

My kiddos love this game, as well as the storybook. My 5 y/o is able to name states by their shapes and show where they belong on the map from reading the story. My dd9 has all of the capitals and nicknames memorized from playing the game - definitely an enjoyable way to learn the states!

[Alte Veste Academy]

Virtual is not as much fun as jumping in the car and just driving.

 

Of course. But it is more fun than workbooks. And certainly more attainable and budget friendly than an actual trip to all 50 states. Definitely budget in to see what you can in real life, though! You are right that it is memorable.

[lillybell]

We set up a bulletin board of the US and as we studied each state the kids would add the state name and capital. We also kept a quarter map and inserted the quarter for the state we

studied. Our favorite game was 10 days in the USA and we did have a big puzzle also. We also used recipes each week from Eating you way through the USA.

[...................]

All I did was give my dd a US map and had her do Seterra.net every day. At first she has to reference the map constantly (and if she was frustrated I would casually point). Now it's 4 months later and she knows every single state.

 

Now and then she and I have timed races to see who can put our states puzzle together the fastest.

 

I did the sans thing with my ds actually...they both pretended that that they were white and red was the ememy(it turns red if you don't find it in 5 clicks)

 

Took less than 10 minutes, was free, and fun

[houseofkids&pets]

I read about a book called Yo! Sacromento on a different thread. It is available in our local library, so you may find it in yours. I found a pdf on line if you want to take a look.

 

EDIT: I cannot get the link to post.

 

If you google search Yo! Sacromento, you will find a pdf from luesd.k12.ca.us. You can look through the book there.

[Walking-Iris]

As well as The Scrambled States game, don't forget the book. We liked the book better than the game. There's also 5 State Rummy card game. Collect state quarters and then look at each state quarters website. Travel The Great States is an interesting read aloud book. Puzzles. Wooden ones and bigger ones. Hang a map and recite them. Blank outline maps. We also like a deck of cards called State License Plates. Lots of state info on the back.

 

Another fun project is to make a country cookie. Basically a huge cookie shaped like America (put an aluminum foil tent over Florida) and then frost it with mountain ranges, rivers and great lakes, state outlines, use candies to put in place landmarks.

 

Also the Holling C Holling books are good. My ds will never forget the great lakes after reading paddle to the Sea. And then make lists. Of the states with their abbreviations and another with capitols. We then would use those lists (that I had my ds write) to study and have an oral drill. Call out an abbreviation and they give the state, or call out the state and they give the abbreviation and so on.

[CatholicMom]

We are working through Memoria Press's States & Capitals workbook, along with Don't Know Much About the 50 States. The kids actually like the coloring of the maps and learning trivia about the states, which helps the state stick in their minds.

[Bensmom]

My ds loves the free GeoMaster Plus app. He learned to identify the states with ease. Of course he was pretty motivated since I had a reward for him when he could beat my time ( it is a timed game).

[hsmom2011]

We like the Great States games and Geopuzzles.

[MiniBlondes]

My kids memorized the Animaniacs 50 States Song to help them remember their capitols.

[freeindeed]

My ds9 will be using this next year: http://www.home-school-curriculum.com/product/cantering-the-country

[CatholicMom]

Scrambled States of America is a fun game too. http://www.amazon.co...ates of america

 

ditto. My kids also like this game.

[Clarkd]

Get a states coloring book(be sure it is a quality on the maintains size perspective). As you read about a state have them draw/write the info about the state on the appropriate state and color it in if desired. Have them cut out the state. Put the states together on the wall to eventually create a big US map on the wall.

[birchbark]

I highly recommend the Sheppard Software games mentioned and the Yo Sacramento! book. It makes memorizing the capitals super fun and easy. My DS loves it.

[tomandlorih]

I'm putting together a study on the 50 states as well. I'm taking a little more time than you have though.. I also recommend the Kathy Troxel/audio memory States and Capitals songs and the Sheppard software. Here is a list of other links I have collected for ideas.

 

Great, great video that I can't stop singing=D http://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=_E2CNZIlVIg

Salt Dough state map.. perhaps just for your home state? http://www.squidoo.com/salt-dough-maps

Links, links, ideas and information galore from this ladies states notebook http://www.squidoo.com/50statesnotebook

State map(and much more) coloring pages by state.. Presidents/Nat'l Parks/Famous people & places and more in menu on left http://www.usa-printables.com/50_States/

State lapbook (more time than you have but lots of great worksheets etc.) http://www.homeschoolhelperonline.com/lapbooks/state.shtml

Confessions of a Homeschooler blog (Road Trip USA author) for ideas by state http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/blog/tag/us-geography

Wonderful Free outline maps (states, regions, capitals, physical etc.) http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/usa.html

Another site with game choices.. http://games.co.za/topography

The 50 Nifty United States song (states in alphabetical order)

Technical details by state http://www.50states.com/

Here's the link for the previously mentioned Seterra game http://www.seterra.net/

Major physical features map of US http://www.yourchildlearns.com/make-your-own-usa.html

More states games http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/us_state_games/50_states/linematch_state_nicknames.html'>http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/us_state_games/50_states/linematch_state_nicknames.html

Different spot on the previous site.. http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/us_state_games/

Think it was mentioned Place the State game http://www.history.com/games/puzzles/place-state/play

More maps n things http://classroom.jc-schools.net/SS-units/maps.htm

 

We will also be using the Highlights Which Way USA? puzzle books and maps. There is a full set on ebay right now (not for sale by me). for pretty cheap.

 

Will be :bigear: for others ideas since we aren't doing this until next year. Have fun.

[PachiSusan]

You gals are so awesome !!! I am rely feeling so encouraged that this is going to be fun!!!'

[GTJo1996]

We also use the GeoPuzzles. I have ever been able to memorize the western states but by golly I've got it now! For the past year we have read the ABC books for each state i.e. A is for Aloha, G is for Golden. My dd is 9 and in 3rd grade. I read the books aloud and she has to listen and pick out the key facts like state bird, famous people, or important locales or monuments. She draws and takes notes while I read. Now these books are not in-depth but it takes us about a 1/2 hour to read them and finish the drawing/notes. There are more thorough books but we try to supplement by adding a biography about a famous person from the state.