United States & Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura Ingalls Wilder - wonderful addition to our Sarah, Plain and Tall/Pioneers Unit.  Here's a great website for research:  Laura Ingalls Wilder


And now we're learning about the United States - its regions, its states, the capitals and oh, so much more.

One site for fun:

USA Capitals Game

And back to that 50 Nifty United States song!

Another helpful tool:  50states.com

State Name                    Abbreviation                     Capital                                    Region

 

1. Alabama                             AL                                Montgomery                          Southeast

2. Alaska                                  AK                               Juneau

3. Arizona                               AZ                               Phoenix                                   Southwest

4. Arkansas                              AR                               Little Rock                               Southeast

5. California                            CA                               Sacramento                             West

6. Colorado                             CO                               Denver                                    West

7. Connecticut                         CT                           Hartford                                  Northeast

8. Delaware                             DE                               Dover                                      Northeast

9. Florida                                 FL                                 Tallahassee                             Southeast

10. Georgia                             GA                               Atlanta                                     Southeast

11. Hawaii                               HI                                Honolulu                   

12. Idaho                                 ID                                Boise                                       West

13. Illinois                               IL                                 Springfield                               Midwest

14. Indiana                              IN                                Indianapolis                             Midwest

15. Iowa                                  IA                                 Des Moines                             Midwest

16. Kansas                               KS                                Topeka                                    Midwest

17. Kentucky                           KY                                Frankfurt                                 Southeast

18. Louisiana                          LA                                Baton Rouge                           Southeast

19. Maine                                ME                               Augusta                                  Northeast

20. Maryland                          MD                              Annapolis                                Northeast

21. Massachusetts                  MA                              Boston                                     Northeast

22. Michigan                          MI                                Lansing                                   Midwest

23. Minnesota                         MN                              St. Paul                                    Midwest

24. Mississippi                         MS                               Jackson                                   Southeast

25. Missouri                            MO                              Jefferson                                 Midwest

26. Montana                           MT                               Helena                                     West

27. Nebraska                           NE                               Lincoln                                     Midwest

28. Nevada                              NV                               Carson City                             West

29. New Hampshire                NH                               Concord                                  Northeast

30. New Jersey                        NJ                                Trenton                                  Northeast

31. New Mexico                      NM                              Santa Fe                                  Southwest

32. New York                           NY                               Albany                                     Northeast

33. North Carolina                  NC                               Raleigh                                     Southeast

34. North Dakota                    ND                               Bismarck                                 Midwest

35. Ohio                                  OH                               Columbus                               Midwest

36. Oklahoma                         OK                               Oklahoma City                        Southwest

37. Oregon                              OR                               Salem                                      West

38. Pennsylvania                     PE                                Harrisburg                              Northeast

39. Rhode Island                    RI                                 Providence                              Northeast

40. South Carolina                 SC                                Columbia                                Southeast

41. South Dakota                   SD                               Pierre                                       Midwest

42. Tennessee                         TN                               Nashville                                 Southeast

43. Texas                                 TX                                Austin                                     Southwest

44. Utah                                  UT                                Salt Lake City                          West

45. Vermont                            VT                                Montpelier                             Northeast

46. Virginia                             VA                               Richmond                               Southeast

47. Washington                      WA                              Olympia                                  West

48. West Virginia                    WV                              Raleigh                                    Southeast

49. Wisconsin                         WI                                Madison                                 Midwest
 

50. Wyoming                          WY                           Cheyenne                               West

Busy-work for both boys

Some days, especially since taking on my new job as Town Clerk, the boys have to keep themselves busy. But I don't mean entertaining themselves by making messes, watching TV, sitting on the computer or playing! I mean LEARNING!

Some good sites: (for the boys to work on)

ABC Mouse
PBS Kids

Clever Dragons
Math Blaster
JumpStart

Websites that I'm using to make worksheets, etc. for them:

Kids Learning Station
All Kids Network

Brazil, Pioneers & Flowers!

We've got a couple things going right now. Since we're reading Sarah, Plain and Tall, we are also studying pioneers. At bedtime, we're reading a chapter of Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The boys love it!

Wildflowers

We're doing wildflowers right now (because Sarah and Caleb picked wildflowers together)  Sites to use:

Wildflower Color pages  & Kansas Wildflowers

With the wildflower links, we will investigate different wildflowers. Then he will make a 'Guidebook of Wildflowers' where we will write the names, draw pictures, and write where it grows and interesting facts about each wildflower.  (The pages are in his workbook and can be torn out, and the edges trimmed.)

Little Passports

We've started receiving our Little Passports!  We are now travelling to Brazil.  Here is where Colin can play games:  Little Passports

Spelling & Vocabulary

Of course, we must continue to study our spelling words and vocabulary words:

Spelling City  Where we can work on List #4 & Vocabulary for Sarah, Plain & Tall

Natural Resources & National Parks

We are also studying Natural Resources.  We will be discussing the difference between a renewable and nonrenewable resource.  Colin should soon be able to describe ways natural resources can be conserved.

Here are some links to many protected National Parks.  They are protected because of their natural resources.  Investigate & explore these places to find out why they are protected.  The information he finds can be put in his journal.

Glacier National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Grand Canyon National Park
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Everglades National Park
White Sands National Monument

*Extra! See if Colin can find a National Park on the NPS website that WE just recently stayed at!

Sarah, Plain & Tall

We are starting the next unit: Sarah, Plain and Tall and Maps and Mapping.  (Kind of nice to have a surveyor in the house for that one...)

Additional Sarah, Plain and Tall lesson plans:

Literature Learning Ladders
Student Study Guide
Easy Fun School

Spelling and vocabulary words:

journal
classified ad
dusk
familiar
murmur
pungent
eerie
collapse
horrid
stern

Practice here:  SpellingCity

I think this is going to be a fun unit!  Ironically, they are studying the Oregon Trail and other pioneer/frontier lessons at the charter school.

Here is one site for Pioneer Days - Thinkquest & Kid Info

Spelling List #4

Spelling List #4

very
after
things
our
just
girl
dirt
shirt
third
thirst
birth
system
produce
consume
life
cycle

KidsSpell
Spelling City