Welcome back, everyone!
I hope you had a fabulous summer and are now ready
to buckle down with some fabulous U.S. Geography.
What an awesome opportunity we have to study the history and geography
of this wonderful Promised Land given to us by Heavenly Father.
I hope you will join me for History Journeyman each month
and have a great time learning about U.S. Geography.
******************************
GAME PLAN FOR THIS YEAR:
1.) Focus on learning the name of EVERY state, including their state capitals.
2.) Focus on learning the locations of EVERY state, using maps and games.
3.) Focus on learning a little bit of trivia and extra details about these states.
4.) Play some games and have a little fun.
5.) Mini projects that will help to give context, personal meaning, and experience to the things we are learning.
Thumbs up??
HERE WE GO!
******************************
STUDY & LEARN
Assignment #1:
Find one of those cheesy, goofy, fun songs that will help you to learn the names of all the 50 states and their capital cities. I have included links to a few videos here, but you are welcome to find something that you love, or at least something that you can tolerate for the year. ;-)
Fifty Nifty United States
50 States and Capitals (New)
50 States and Capitals (Old)
50 States and Capitals Song
The 50 States Song
Sing the States - Jack Hartmann
Please be serious about this assignment. Week 6 will be a fun day of challenges after all our learning, to establish our KING/QUEEN OF GEOGRAPHY.
But you will need to learn the information and practice it throughout the year in order to do well with those challenges and win the title. You don't have to use a cheesy video to help you memorize, but please establish your own process for learning the state names and capital cities and practice it on a regular basis, not just once a month on History weeks. Maybe,.... Practice them while you do your push-ups each morning? Say them while you wash your hands or do the dishes for your sweet, angelic mother? Or go for a walk and say one state and its capital for every two steps you take....? That's only 100 steps! Easy Peasy!
Assignment #2:
Watch these two short videos to learn more about the Original 13 Colonies.
Assignment #3:
Complete this worksheet, finding the information online, in the videos you just watched, in an encyclopedia, an atlas, from your Great Aunt Agatha or Uncle Bob - from whatever source has the most up-to-date and accurate information.
Assignment #4:
Print out this blank map and write in the state names and capital cities, being careful to spell everything correctly.
YOU WILL NEED TO SHOW ME
THESE TWO PAPERS IN ORDER TO ATTEND CLASS,
SO PLEASE HAVE THEM READY AT THE START OF CLASS.
******************************
KNOW & UNDERSTAND
Assignment #5:
Please complete AT LEAST ONE of the following items to bring to class and share with us all. You can do more than one, if you'd like. I will give out a Vanbuck for every one that you DO complete, so do as many as you'd like or have time to do.
I KNOW THIS LOOKS LIKE A LONG LIST!
But you only need to complete ONE of the following options.
- If you have visited one of the states that we are studying this week and have pictures of cool places you've been while there, please bring 1-3 pictures to class and be prepared to tell us about your visit. What awesome scenery did you see? Which landmarks did you visit? Why were you there? (Vacation, choir tour, a funeral, flea market, you won a trip on The Price is Right, etc.)
- Do some family history research to learn about any ancestors you have who came from one of the states that we are studying this week. Tell us about them! What were their names? In what town were they born or buried? How many children did they have? Did you find a cool story about them that you can share with us.
- Pick ONE of the states that we are studying this week that is home to one of the U.S.A.'s 63 National Parks (look them up!). Research this National Park and come prepared to: a) Tell us the name of the park. b) Show us a picture of it. c) Tell us why you think it is so cool.
- Pick ONE of the states that we are studying this week and find an awesome tourist attraction found there (preferably a natural physical feature or something more interesting than Disneyland or Disneyworld!). Research it and come prepared to: a) Tell us the name of this attraction. b) Show us a picture of it. 3) Tell us what is so awesome about this place.
- Print a blank map of the area/region we are studying this week and mark it with all of its physical features - mountain ranges, lakes, rivers, volcanoes, deserts, forests, etc. Add all the state names and capitals for this area/region. Add a compass rose to the map. Color the map well and make it artistic.
- Pick ONE of the states that we are studying this week and find a prominent historical person from this state. Do a little research about this person and come to class prepared to tell us why their life is notable - something they did to contribute light and goodness to the world.
- Print a blank map of the area/region we are studying this week. Add all the state names and capital cities, as well as the 2-letter abbreviation for each state and its State Nickname. (For instance, Utah's nickname is "The Beehive State," and its 2-letter abbreviation is UT).
- Find a Commemorative Quarter for each state on the list this week, or as many as you can find.
- Memorize all of this week's states and their capital cities and be prepared to recite them for us from memory - ALPHABETICALLY BY STATE NAME!
- Cut up a map of the states that we are studying this week, carefully cutting out each state to preserve its shape. Write the names of the states and their capital cities on the appropriate pieces. Do a little research to find the size of each state in square miles, and write that on the piece. Then, glue or tape the pieces onto a sheet of paper in the order of their size, from smallest to largest.
- A project of your own that will help you to learn more about one of the states we are learning about this week. I will give you TWO Vanbucks for this option, if your project makes sense and you've carried it out well.
AND ONE LAST THING.....
Complete this short questionnaire to let me know you will be in Journeyman class!
No comments:
Post a Comment