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50 states book
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We’re having trouble in our house getting to our 50 states study – which is what we’re doing for geography this year. Currently, what we’re doing (okay, what we’re NOT doing, but what I WANT to do) is to fill out very simple notebooking pages (2 per state) that I found for free on the internet. I print out the states’ flags and birds and then read a bit to the girls about the states we’re doing that week. Then we cut and paste the flags and birds in. Then we hand write in their proper places the state motto, when it joined the Union, etc. We try to do two states per week.
The trouble is, we’re not getting it done! It seems like such a hassle to get the flags and birds printed out (it means 10 minutes on the computer) and then to get everything to the table and get everyone quiet and read the little bit and help the 5yo so she doesn’t feel left out (or get her to stop her tantrum)….I try printing things out earlier, but that doesn’t seem to help.
Is there some way to do a 50 states study that’s easier??? And that is something we can put in the portfolios? (We live in PA, so having “proof” is necessary.)
Is it just me? It just seems like this 50 state study is one of the things that gets dropped when something comes up. And naturally, it seems that something comes up nearly every week.
We’re using Trail Guide to US Geography by GeoMatters. You can get the CD with all the maps on it and then do mapping. I don’t think it would be any easier than what you are doing, though. It doesn’t involve cut and paste but it does involve reading the Atlas to place the capital, main rivers, etc.
I have the Children’s Illustrated Atlas of the U.S. and I just had my daughter use the pictures and text from it to draw the state bird and the state flag and add a few facts from the description.
If you use plain notebook paper (or plain blank paper) there’s no printing or computer use needed. 🙂
You can buy state flag stickers and probably the state birds.
What about printing it all out ahead of time?
Oh, the sticker idea sounds good!
Well, the printing ahead of time sounds good, but doesn’t work for me. IF I do get it printed out ahead of time, it gets lost or the girls find it and it becomes play-school. Or I have it and no where it is for the longest time – and then go to use it and it’s disappeared.
Or I forget to do it.
Thanks for all the ideas!
I highly recommend SCM’s Visits to series. There is one for N. America that covers all of the states as well as Canada and the provinces. These have been very beneficial to us. We’re currently using Visits to the Middle East in our CM co-op of 25 families. It’s simple, all laid out, and just fabulous. We use it successfully with ages 6+. My 5 year old simply colors when we do it, but it would be easy to copy a page for him if he were interested.
You know, I bought the Visits To North America- just a month ago. I think I’ll stop what we are doing and start that!
Thanks!
We used the Dover coloring book for the 50 states. They are all contained in a nice keepsake book then.
I plan, though we still have a few years before we begin, to spread the 50 states over two years and include Little Passports for some hands on. We have so many resources that were not available in CM days, though we don’t have a nanny, a maid, or a nurse. (What I wouldn’t do or a maid some days!) I know I love getting mail and my son loves his monthly mail days. I figure it will make us focus at least a day or so on them and then we can do some inclusions through the rest of the year.
I created my own binder using a couple of different resources on the web. It was a LOT of work to put it together but, it turned out great. I also made one for the presidents. I intended to do it this year but, went with Module 1 from SCM. I might add it in the fall. But, I plan to do only one each week… State of the Week & President of the Week and have her give a brief oral narration on each for Daddy on Friday. Keeping it all in a binder makes it easy for me to keep it organized. My U.S. Binder includes a State Notebook I purchased for a small fee on Teachers pay Teachers. Made by PrimaryGraffiti.com. This includes 1 page for every state with pictures to cut out (both in color & black & white). 2 blank template student pages (50 of each to be printed for each state) with spaces to glue the pictures: state name, flag, map, flower, bird, license plate, state seal & quarter. spaces to fill in a fun fact, the motto, nickname & capital. (Perfect for my hands on learner). I also included the following coloring pages (all found free online): State Fact Maps (the outline of the state with various facts/symbols), State Flag, State Flower and Finally, Name that State (to be used after going through all states) which is a printed outline of each state w/out the names or capitals. So each day of the week we will read a bit about the state while she colors (this is a must in order for her to listen and absorb) and on Friday she will do the cut, paste & fill in activity. And my daughter (7) already knows every capital because of this musical CD we have that she LOVES to listen to.
The Dover coloring books are their standard size, I think 8 1/2 x 11. There is one page per state and includes state bird, flower, etc. And for some states I read the Discover America book, like S is for Sunshine for Florida.
Dover also has Around the World coloring books with countries we have used. My kids love them. I think we have every one they make for history and geography. My son was really into coloring the colonial and Revolutionary War books with colored pencils from age 8 -10. I like that they are historically accurate and have a paragraph to read at the bottom of the page, and inexpensive too. I bought many of them at one time on the Dover site with a coupon code…But now my mailbox gets flooded with their catalogs. They have some nice resources for artist study too.
I just ordered the Dover coloring book on the States….and I think I’ll combine it with the Visits To North America. I also ordered some tracing paper, since the Visits To…. has the children trace the outline of the states. I think we’ll just trace our state and maybe one more.
I’m aiming for LOW stress here! 🙂
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