United States Geography Resources : Half a Hundred Acre Wood

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Our geography focus for the coming year includes U.S. states & capitals, territories, trails, great lakes, rivers, and other prominent features.

Memorization is our first goal using the show-me / tell-me method, along with tracing or drawing the outline of the United States (and individual state outlines if you or your child feels so inclined). Of everything that follows, our family primarily uses Seterra.com (free download or online version).

We also occasionally use the U.S. States Coloring pages and a geography file folder game we’ve created for mastery of the states and capitals. Aside from practicing our show me/tell me drills and map drawing & tracing, that’s all we do for geography!

But in addition to this, you may want to pick and choose a few items we have listed here. Please remember that this is a reference list of resources, not a lesson plan. It’s just a place to find stuff.

Coloring Sheets, Copywork, and Lapbooking

Our boys (age 2, 5, 8) are each creating a “My United States Notebook” using the state coloring pages and state fact pages from crayola.com. Or use the free USA Notebooking Pages from Productive Homeschooling.
Create a United States Lapbook using Homeschoolshare’s lapbook components for each state or use this state notebooking page from Homeschool Creations.
To get an idea of the scope of our land’s resources, landmarks, and beauty, I’m hoping that we have the chance to complete Homeschoolshare’s Unit Study on How to Make a Cherry Pie and See the USA at some point during our school year. Homeschoolshare has many lapbook pieces and other printables for the United States.
Let your children make their own flashcards to study the capitals (and other facts) by printing Crayola’s state fact flash cards.

Maps

I like using National Geographic’s Outline Maps for maps. You can print out any country with (to study) or without (to test) borders, and you can print out each individual state with or without details.
Your Child Learns has interactive maps for study, quizzes for on-line practice of state capitals, map puzzles for memorization of state location and capitals, and instructions for printing megamaps from their site. It even has a cut and paste exercise for major geographical features in the United States.

Games & Other Fun Activities

U.S. States & Capitals Geography file folder game
The Passport to America File Folder Game helps with location and recognition of U.S. Landmarks.

The Oregon Trail File Folder Game provides a little history lesson to go with our memory work when we get to Week 19:

There are many additional geography games included below, like I Have… Who Has.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/State-Capitals-Game-746279

Practice your geography skills using these on-line games: Sheppard Software, Your Child Learns, and AAAWhere.com (Sheppard Software has many other games, including math practice, science, and preschool activities, just to name a few.)

Learn U.S History and Geography on this interactive U.S. History Map.
Our boys LOVE the Animaniacs version of the States & Capitals, to the tune of Turkey in the Straw.
We LOVE building Paper Toys from papertoys.com. Many paper toys are available, including The Statue of Liberty, The Empire State Building. The Brooklyn Bridge, The U.S. Capitol Building, The White House, The Mississippi Queen Riverboat, and Mount Rushmore. Be sure to download all of the pieces!
Include the U.S. States in your Timeline Notebook “Book of Decades” (or “Book of Centuries”) timeline notebook.

During our study of American history we use Draw the USA to memorize how to draw the entire United States from memory. It’s a great way to simplify memorizing how to draw the USA free-hand. In fact, if you’re memorizing how to draw the world freehand, we highly recommend the entire Draw the… [Continent] books by Kristin Draeger.

Draw the World — Learn to draw an outline map of the world

Draw the USA

Learn to draw and label the United States of America from memory! Draw the USA provides students with a simple method of committing the map of the USA to memory. Through simple, step-by-step instructions, students learn to draw each state as it connects to neighboring states. This resource is used in Units 5 & 6 of our Mission: Lasting Liberty curriculum.

Suggested grades: Elementary through High School
Price: $19.95
Format: Paperback.

For more detailed instructions, grab a copy of Draw the World and/or Draw the USA.

Draw the World

Learn to draw the world from memory! Draw the World provides students with a simple method of committing a continent outline map of the world to memory. Through simple, step-by-step instructions, students learn to draw each continent as it connects to neighboring continents. This resource is also used in the Mission Pacific Peacemakers Six-Week Unit Study.

Suggested grades: Elementary through High School
Price: $19.95
Format: Paperback.

States and Capitals Songs CD + Map Kit

Learn the names and locations of the 50 states and capitals with these catchy songs! Divided by geographical regions, these echo-style songs make it simple to memorize the states and capitals. The USA is divided into five geographical regions: Northern Border States, Southern Border States, Eastern Border States, Middle States, and Pacific States. This resource is used in Units 1 & 2 of our Mission: Lasting Liberty curriculum.

Suggested grades: Elementary School
Price: $12.95
Format: Kit consists of an audio CD and a 25″x36″ blackline map of the USA with 172 items to label. The lyrics are included on the map. Students sing the state/capital names in geographical order.