Those "Nifty Fifty" United States!

by Jennifer Jordan, History & Latin Teacher

Fifth graders have been hard at work learning about U.S. geography the past two weeks. As a segue from Lewis and Clark’s westward expedition, we focus on the 50 states. Each student researched a state, learning a variety of facts, such as state capital, population, motto, bird, fruit, song, and flag. The class then took their facts, accessed their creative juices, and designed “great state plates”. We featured 8 plates, from New York to Wyoming!

Our second part of this unit is to learn the geography of all 50 states on a blank outline map. To understand the states’ placement, we utilized a variety of learning strategies. Some students worked with hands-on puzzles, others practiced computer games, and still others wrote their states on wipeable maps. Students often switched between the methods. As a treat, I brought out our “States Twister” game with a couple of limits to keep it COVID-friendly. Students are also studying state capitals as a bonus. Whichever way works best for their brains, 5th graders have demonstrated that they know the geography of our country.