Here are some ideas for how to use the state outline maps with your class.
- Have students paste outline maps onto heavy paper and then cut the maps along their boundaries to make state-shaped flashcards. Students can mark and label the state capital on each map and have other students try to guess the state by its shape and its capital.
- Have students label three natural features in their state using a colored pencil or crayon. Using another color, have them label three cultural features.
- Label each map with the state's neighbors. Have students quiz each other by having other students guess the state's name after reading the names of its neighbors.
- Pass out a different state map to each student. Call out the name of a natural feature, such as the Pacific Ocean or the Rocky Mountains, and ask all the students whose states border or include that feature to stand.
- Have students find any national parks located in their state and label them on the map.
- Give each student a different state map and have them use an atlas to add symbols and labels for features of their state. Play state sorts with students' labeled maps. Have students form groups by the initial letters of their states' names, by features the states have in common, such as rivers or mountains, or by location within the country.
- Help students discover three fun facts about their state: a favorite local pastime, the state animal or flower, or perhaps a cultural festival for which the state is known. Have them create a map key and use symbols to represent what they have learned.
- Focus on the theme of land and water. Have students draw and label any major landforms in their state. Also have them draw and label any major bodies of water in their state.
- Use the maps of states in your region as graphic organizers. Have students list features and facts they have learned about each state within its boundary.
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