Journey through the states

Why can't I find the time to blog!

That sounds so funny and looks worse in type...I can't find the time to sit and write because there are parties to prep for, cookies to bake, lists to compile, books to check out...so much to do.

This particular post has taken almost a week to finish.  I'm glad I got it in because it was a really cute night.

On this day, pictured above, a group of travelers came by.  We've been traveling back in time and visiting some of our countries very first states.

~ The Thirteen Colonies ~

Together the kids and I have learned a lot

read a lot

baked/cooked a lot

&

watched and sang

a lot!

A few weeks ago we invited our two families (it was a big group ;-D) over to check out what we've learned.  This post is a little recap and shout out to the efforts of these kids.

Each, who are dear to my heart (sniff-sniff)

Each of the kids chose one specific state to display for the evening's showing.

They illustrated what they liked about their state, learned about one of that state's famous citizen, drew the state's flag onto the poster and

wrote a little piece that each shared with the audience.

That was a couple of weeks of works. 

Then kids spent the day cooking for our guest. 

We used this book here for our recipes.

The United States Cookbook

Jessica had mentioned using this book for her states studies with her children.  I really recommend it.  We began to use it sometime last year.  Our library carried the book so I kept checking it out to use with the kids.  So often in fact that our librarian, at the time, finally told me I should just consider buying it.

I have bought it...

But boy have we gotten some good use out of it....

~ Menu ~

Italian Submarine Sandwiches

Crab (Crabby) Cakes

Baked Beans

Banana Bread

Peach Roll Ups

Pretzels

Italian Subs

"New Jersey" 

Crab Cakes

"Maryland"

Baked Beans

"Massachusetts"



They made a feast!!

We had their posters up throughout the room and some of the pictures that captured this journey of ours. 

They did so well with their speeches, some had them memorized!  We then closed with singing

 "The Star Bangle Banner".

They had long since memorized the song and we read the full version of the poem a while back.  But that afternoon the kids kept singing the song as they cooked.  We had the Edison guy come by during the afternoon and I wish I could have captured his face.  He smiled and smiled and chuckled a few times; finally stating he hasn't heard kids of their age sing that song...let alone know it.

It was really cute.

Now we are off on some other adventures!

Thanks to Jessica for first sharing her use of these fabulous books.  I'm not sure when or where I first saw the books, I know it came from someones blog.  Perhaps it was Elizabeth Foss....

Who knows

but

Thanks to you too for sharing such an awesome find!

Discover America State by State Series

F is for the First State: Delaware

G is for the Garden State: New Jersey

K is for Keystone: Pennsylvannia

P is for Peach: Georgia

P is for Palmetto: South Carolina

N is for Nutmeg: Connecticut

M is for Mayflower: Massachusetts

B is for Blue Crab: Maryland

G is for Granite: New Hampshire

E is for Empire: New York

M is for Maple Syrup: Vermont

State 2 State Studies ~

"L is for Liberty Bell,

which made a patriotic ding

in historic Philadelphia,

proclaiming, "Let freedom ring!"

K is for Keystone

(also available at our library)

We start each new state with an email announcing the new state.  I found a website that sells vintage postcards.  To buy each would be pricey so, I just copy and paste the picture to the email. 

~ Our plans for this state ~

 

locate Pennsylvania using this map

 

Look closely at our state by using this enchanted learning's web site.  The kids will color it and paste in their notebooks

Using KidZone Geography the kids will color and learn about the

• state bird
• state flag
• state flower 

We also use this product from notebookingpages.com for this:

1. state inventors
2. famous people of the state
3. and added symbols for scrapbooking 

Going back to this site for state facts:  population, capital, rivers, motto, and learn the state song

The state song can be heard on youtube and the lyrics found here

  

~ To fill our tummies ~

United-States-Cookbook

Making pretzels 

For the INSPIRATION/ IDEAS, CREDIT goes to Jessica, Mary Ellen, & Dawn

New Jersey

It was a good intro to the Garden State of New Jersey.  The kids awoke to a post card email sent to them by their teacher (me).  It was a nice little picture of a 1907 Life Insurance Building found here. It was a lovely building and the kids immediately asked if it was still there.  I have to look that up b4 the next class.

So here is a recap to what we did:

~ We began with finding where New Jersey is located.  There was lots of questions like is New Jersey on the west coast or east cost of the United States, what ocean is New Jersey nearest too, and asking them why they thought the state was known as "the Garden State". 

~ We then found it on the map and colored the state in on this map and added it to their notebook.  We actually used a map I found at the homeschool share web site for a lapbook my kids were working on.  I thought it was a nice map for geography too though.

~ We looked at the symbols of the state map and briefly talked about the ones that caught there attention.

~  For reading we read through G is for Garden State.  Luckily our library carries most of this series.

~  For fun, I mean for an added learning experience, we played Junior Great State game.  This took up most of the time but, it was worth it.

That was mostly it.  Funny how it took over an over to get through.  The game really took a while to complete. 

Unitl next week...

State by State

Tomorrow C and the triplets begin their state study of New Jersey.  I thought it would be a cool idea to send the kids a post card from each state we go to prior to the lesson.  Well, of course, that idea doesn't come until late into the night when I should be in bed.  It's obviously too late to send a post card via mail...plus I have to first get the post cards from each state.  I wonder how much that'll cost?

Anyway, I found a cool site here and sent an email version of a post card to each child.  Maybe I can download the pictures in the future and send them the old fasion way.  We'll see.

State 2 State Studies Guide

What we are doing

2009-2010

Following down the Amercian Trail for histroy, we'll be trotting through geography too.  Learning about the great states of the U.S as they joined the union.  

There are tons and tons of options in learning about the states.  Since I have a 3rd and kinder doing this study I needed to make it simple and fun.  So jumping off both Jessica's and serendipity's suggestions we started a notebook for each kid.  We'll be reading, drawing, writing, pasting, and eating our way through this awesome country...state by state. 

We'll also allow ourselves the flexibility to do more or less each time.  I plan on moving slowly with this.  Especially since we'll be joined by my SIL's little ones too.  I'll have 5 students for about and hour to hour and a half each week. Hopefully our time will go something like this:

week one:  Locating the state on our big map, reading from the state book, taking time to look at the pictures, studing the state's flag and it's symbols...an introduction day

week two:  Taking a closer look at the state's bird, flag, and seal.  Coloring their own flag, hearing the call of the state bird, illustrating (w/ narrations) a favorite characteristic of their state and color a closer map of the state.

week three:  We'll look at the famous inventors and people that have come out of the state.  Who were they and what were their contributions.  We'll find pictures to paste into their notebooks and begin to assemble their state's pages.  We'll listen to the state song and end with a game of Junior Great States game.

week four:  Cooking!  We'll find a symbolic treat or snack to make together and eat while we admire a well done job.

~ Resources ~

• The Discover America Series (also located at our county library)
• Student Activity packages and examples
• G is for georgraphy (Serendipity)
• Kidzone Geography

state facts

state flowers 

state bird  

• The Enchanted learning website

State Map
State Facts

• U.S mint website for the states quaters 

Lesson Plans (worksheets) 

coloring pages  

• U.S Leaders coloring book
• Sections from our notebooking pages
• Great States Junior game 

We'll borrow books from the library from time to time too.  To assemble their pages the kids were given 3-ring binders with pockets.  I use sturdy cardstock paper for the scrapbooking pages. and try to stay with the state colors.  The notebooks are sectioned off to have a place for their scrapbooking and a additional place for history.  In the history section they can add their narrations.  

 

Only Boy and Rose's front covers...decorated and ready to go