LEARNING THE 50 STATES

Amanda Martin
Grade 4
Geography

PURPOSE:

The idea behind this project is to get the students to learn from the teacher, each other, and themselves using different sources about the 50 states. The facts that will be learned are where they are located on the map, their capitals, their large cities, population, flags, state flowers, mottoes, and anything else they find interesting. The internet will be used to find out much information over the states. Because the 50 states hold a lot of information, the students will only do an overview of each state. Most importantly they will be able to locate states and capitals on maps. The students will be involved in a wide variety of activities to help them grasp all of this new knowledge about the 50 states. Hopefully we can make this a fun experience and not an overall panic of chaos when learning about America.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHY STANDARDS:

1. Knows and understands how to use maps, globes and other graphical tools to acquire, process and report information. Students will have to be able to read a map and locate places, including the capitals.

4. Knows and understands the physical and human characteristics of places. Students will be expected to give examples of these, like the state mottoes and what makes the state so special, and also the flower, tree, or flag that are physical characteristics of the state.

APPLICABLE TEXAS ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

The student understands the relative location of places.

The student uses simple geographical tools such as maps, globes, and photographs.

The student understands the locations and characteristics of places and regions.

OBJECTIVES:

To locate states and their capitals.

To learn the 50 states song.

To learn physical and human characteristics of the states.

To learn how to use the Internet.

OVERVIEW OF PRESENTATION:

Most importantly in this lesson, students will learn the 50 states, their capitals, and where they are located on a map. They will learn songs, work with clay, do art, use the internet and worksheets to learn all of this information. Also, there will be games played to test the amount of knowledge they have obtained throughout the time. This lesson is to be spread over 10 days, and therefore hopefully not rushed. We will spend one day learning about Texas, and children will gain a better perspective of their state. After students learn what makes up a state, ( the animals that live there, capitals, mottoes, state flower and bird, etc.) they will make up their own state. The purpose is to reinforce the idea of what a state is, and a good example of a state. At the end of the 10 days the students will have an entirely new outlook on what America is made up of.

PROCEDURES:This is assuming there are 25 students in the class

DAY 1

1. Sponge Activity- Have the Animaniacs video of the 50 states and their capitals song for the students to watch. The kids love the Animaniacs and the lessons they present with songs are not only funny and entertaining, but it will grab the kids’ attention and make them want to learn the song too.

2. Opening- Explain to students what we will be learning the next 10 days (50 States and Capitals). Talk to them about the song, maybe even watch it again. Let students know how the show is going to run, and the games, art, and the competition that they will be having.

3. Guided Practice- Talk to the class, or have a discussion, about what the kids already know about the 50 states, any of them, just to sort of roam around the known to find out what they may already know. Maybe have them talk about trips they have been on to different states, where they would like to live, where some of their family lives, or they have lived in the past. Maybe even shows on TV or the movies that they have seen will have taught them something about the states. Next, assign each student two states that they will be working with later on. After that, play the Animaniacs video again and allow the students to hear it again so that they can start learning it. The video itself really does teach a lot.

4. Independent Practice- Today is an important time to spend reviewing the terms of a map they already know, like the key, the compass, etc. This will be important for them to know for later on when they must use the internet and maps to find their states and capitals.

5. Evaluation- A survey done by a worksheet will be given our Texas. This is just another way for the teacher to “Roam Around the Known” and find out what the students already know about Texas. (State bird, flower, motto, flag.)

6. Closure- Have a student in the class summarize what the goals are for the next 10 days in class. Let them know how important it is for them to keep up with the names of the two states they have been given to report on for later.

DAY 2

1.Sponge - play Animaniacs video again.

2. Opening- Explain that today is the day we are going to focus on getting started with our states that were assigned. There will be three groups, and will one at a time go to the computer lab to work on finding out information about their states. These sites will help:

1. http://www.50states.com/

2. __________________________

3. Guiding Practice- hand out the states worksheets and give them to each student for them to work on as well as the internet worksheet they were given. Before they get to the computer lab, be sure to go over in the room with the LCD how to log onto the internet, and how to go to the certain sites. Also, go over how to look through the sites.

4. Independent Practice- begin working on the states they were assigned to in the lab.

5. Evaluation- There will be no quiz or test today due to the fact that there is not enough information obtained yet to be tested over.

6. Closure- Go over so far what information each person has obtained thus far in the project.

DAY 3

1. Sponge- Animaniacs video again.

2. Opening- Review what is to be worked on in the computer lab. Answer any questions and go over the worksheets handed out. Let the students know this is the last day in the computer lab for them.

3. Guided/Independent Practice- computer lab working on state information and worksheets.

5. Evaluation- No evaluation today either.

6. Closure- Same as day before. Also, remind them they are to turn in their worksheets the next day.

DAY 4

1. Sponge- Video again

2. Opening- Have a class discussion about what they have learned at this point. Have them turn in their worksheets. Next, explain the activities of the rest of the class: try to commit song to memory, shape their states out of playdough, and prepare to give a short presentation over their states the next day, including showing where they are located on a map, the capitals, and other found important facts. They must have drawings of the state flower and flag, along with the bird for the presentation.

3. Independent/Guided Practice- Play the video while the students are working with the playdough to make it into the shape of their states.

After everyone is done, have them begin to work on their presentations.

5. Evaluations- no evaluation today

6. Closure- Go over what they have been working on today, and try to see if anyone will volunteer to give the capitals if you give them the states in alphabetical order (Just like the video).

DAY 5

1. Sponge- Video again

2. Opening- go over days activities: 1/2 the time work on presentations, 1/2 the time begin to give presentations.

3. Guided/Independent Practice- finish up getting prepared for presentations, probably the drawing of the flags, etc is what will take the longest. Next, have everyone pay close attention and write down what each person is saying about their sates during their presentations because they MAY be tested over the information.

5. Evaluations- no evaluations. The notes taken are serving the evaluation purpose.

6. Closure- Name off once again the states presented. As you list them off, have a student come up to the board and show where the state is located. The students that presented can not show their own state.

DAY 6

1. Sponge- video again

2. Opening- take newspaper clippings you have saved over the past week about news going on in different states. Tell a little about each of the articles and have students come up to the class and point to where each of the states are.

3. Guided/Independent Practice- Finish state presentations. Remind students to take notes over important facts said.

5.Evaluation- none

6. Closure- Same as day before.
 

DAY 7

1. Sponge- Video again, or it students are tired of it, see who can sing it (or say it) alone. Remind them there will be a competition and reward for those that can recite it.

2. Opening- Talk about the states of Alaska, New York and Washington D.C. (even though it is not a state). Since I have bee to each of these places, I will give a short slide show over these states, and sort of share my experience with them. I will use old pictures, stories, even souvenirs of these states to help take them on a short trip to these states by way of available materials. (Talk about the plane ride, where I stayed, weather, what I did, etc.)

3. Guided Practice- Talk about Washington D.C. last, and how it is not a state. Talk about why D.C. is so important, what is there, and neat stories like the national archives.

4. Independent Practice- after discussing how D.C. is famous for it’s cherry blossoms in the spring, have them make “Blossoming Cherry Tress”.

5. Evaluation- no evaluation. Today a is relaxing day due to all of the research and presenting being done the following days.

6. Closure- Have a volunteer describe D.C. and how/why it is not a state.

1. Sponge- Video again. Make sure they are all singing along.

2. Opening- Go over activities for the day: Make cross-word puzzle, play BINGO, review for test.

3. Guided/Independent Practice- Pass out grid paper. Have students mark off 30x30 square to use as a frame for the puzzle. Have them fill it in using at least 10 capitals. Then, they will give it to the person behind them for them to do. Next, we will play BINGO. I will call out the name of the state, and students are to see if their card has that state’s capital on it. Last, we will review for the test for the following day by going over the notes they took over the presentations given. I will then point out specific information they will need to know besides the states and capitals, and where they are located.

5. Evaluation- none

6. Closure- Remind students of test the next day. Have the creator of each puzzle grade it to see how the participator did on them.

DAY 9

1. Sponge- give students time to look over their notes or map quickly.

2. Opening- ask if there are any questions about the test. Pass out the test and go over it.

3. NO GUIDED OR INDEPENDENT PRACTICE TODAY

5. Evaluation- they may start the test

6. Closure- Pick up the test and go over the answers if everyone is present. Also, remind students that they have now completed learning the states and their capitals. Tomorrow will be a celebration day.

DAY 10

1. Sponge- Have students make up their own state with their own capital. They are to draw it, give it a motto, where it is located, state flower, bird, etc. Then present it to the class.

2. Opening- Congratulate students on all of their hard work on the 50 states.

- The rest of the period is to spent eating red, white and blue cake, and playing state BINGO again. Last, there is to be a compition to see who has learned the Animaniacs song by heart. The person(s) who can win bubbles, but then give everyone else bubbles aslo as to reward the class as a whole and not individual
6. Closure- Have class discussion over how they felt about the project, and what they may have learned, ect.
 

MATERIALS:

-newspaper clippings kept throughout the week dealing with events in other states

- playdough

- grid paper
                                        `
- State Bingo

-  Animaniacs Video

- Blossoming Cherry Trees ingrediants (given on sheet)

- crayons, scissors, paper, glue = supplies for making their own states and coloring the ones they were assigned

- bubbles

- cake, plates, napkins, drinks, ice, forks

-

EXTENSIONS:

As with all states, there are histories, imporant people, and so on to be studied for social studies.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Warner Bros. Animaniacs, States and the Captials.  (Home Copied).

Hale, Janet and Richard Raybury.  Our Fifty States.  California:  Teacher Created Materials Inc.,
Forte, Imagene.  One Nation, Fifty States.  Tennessee: Incentive Publications, 1993.

Mckinnon, Elizabeth.  Special Day Celebrations.  Washington:  Warren Publishing, 1989.

htttp://www.awl.com/sf-aw/sfaw/resources/state capitals/

"50 States and Capitals."  1996.  http://www.50states.com/ (April 22, 1998)
 

Type hhtp://www.50states.com/

Use your two states to finish this:
 
 

1. What are your states? ___________ and _____________.

2. What do you like about these states? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

3. What are the lattitude and longitude of your states?

A. ______________

B. ______________

4. What are the hightest and lowest points of your states?

________________________________________________

5. Name the governors of your two states.

________________________________________________

6. Name some of the resources found, or produced in your states.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

7. How many democrats and republicans are in each of your states?

A. _________________________

B. _________________________

8. List the surrounding states of your states.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

9. What are the colors in the states’ flags?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________.

10. Do you like the states’ mottoes? Why or why not? What are the states’ mottoes?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

 Created 4-27-99

Return to Education Plans and Research Papers, 1999