UNIT TITLE:  The Fifty States of America

Author: John Banks

Mail Address: banksj184@aol.com
School: Wentworth Intermediate School : Calumet City, IL.
School Home Page URL: (optional)

THEME :  States and Regions of the U.S.

BROAD CONCEPT: Unity

GRADES: 4th-5th Grade

INTEGRATED SUBJECTS: Social Studies, Reading, Language Arts, Technology and Mathematics

UNIT GOALS AND PURPOSE: The purpose of this fifty states unit is designed to help students learn the states and regions of our country. During this unit, they will learn how to graph and read data, estimate distances, find the mean, median, mode, range and research using the internet. Students will also use Inspiration, PowerPoint, Excel and Microsoft Word. Throughout the unit, evaluation will be based as ongoing. The assignments will be graded both as group work and individual. Most of the assignments will be graded using a rubric.

TIME FRAME: 11 days
 

OBJECTIVES:

In this unit, students will:

Social Studies

•  Recognize all 50 states and their capitals
•  Identify the regions of the United States
•  Identify major bodies of water and other landforms associated with a particular region
•  Identify natural resources of regions in the U.S.

Math

• Graph the temperatures, precipitation of a given state
• Estimate and measure the distance from a given point
• Estimate the amount of gas needed to travel to and from a destination
• Find the mean, median, range, and mode of their favorite sports teams scores in the U.S.
• Convert favorite basketball teams free throws from fraction to a percent.
• Look up a famous food in a certain state, find a recipe and figure out how much ingredients is needed to feed the entire class.

Language Arts

• Create a biopoem of their state
• Write a letter to an imaginary friend in another state.
• Write a State report
• Listen attentively as teacher reads book aloud

 Technology

• Construct a travel brochure on selected state using Desktop Publishing
• Research information on a specific state
• Type a web address correctly
• Edit compositions using Microsoft Word
• Construct a bar graph using Excel
• Create a slide show to present biopoem using KidPix
• Type a letter using correct format in Microsoft Word
• Read a brainstorming web using Inspiration

• General materials and equipment

        graphic organizer created by teacher

        Read aloud Book

        Video on the 50 states

• Technology tools

        Computer

        Internet

• Software Used in this Unit

        Word Processing- Microsoft Word

        Desktop Publishing- Print Artist

        Multimedia- KidPix

        Brainstorming- Inspiration

        Spreadsheet- Microsoft Excel

        Break-Tru Software

Language Arts

1.B.1a  Establish purposes for reading, make predictions, connect important ideas, and link text to previous experiences and knowledge.

1.B.1d  Read age-appropriate material aloud with fluency and accuracy.

1.C.1f  Use information presented in simple tables, maps and charts to form an interpretation.

3.B.2a  Generate and organize ideas using a variety of planning strategies (e.g., mapping, outlining, drafting).

3.C.2b  Produce and format compositions for specified audiences using available technology.

4.A.1a  Listen attentively by facing the speaker, making eye contact and paraphrasing what is said.

5.A.2b  Organize and integrate information from a variety of sources (e.g., books, interviews, library reference materials, websites, CD/ROMS).

Math

7.B.1b  Compare estimated measures to actual measures taken with appropriate measuring instruments.

10.A.2b Using a data set, determine mean, median, mode and range, with and without the use of technology.

10.B.2b Collect, organize and display data using tables, charts, bar graphs, line graphs, circle graphs and stem and leaf plots.

Social Studies

17.A.1a Identify physical characteristics of places, both local and global (e.g., locations, roads, regions, bodies of water).

17.A.2b Use maps and other geographic representations and instruments to gather information about people, places and environments.

• represent data using tables and graphs such as line plots, bar graphs and line graphs
• model problem situations with objects and use representation such as graphs, tables and equations to draw conclusions
• select and use benchmarks to estimate measurements
• students demonstrate a sound understanding of the nature and operation of technology systems
• students practice responsible use of technology systems, information, and software
• students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity
• students use a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences
• students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources
• students use technology tools to process data and report results
• students employ technology in the development of strategies for solving problems in the real world.

STUDENT ACTIVITIES WHICH WILL PROMOTE ENGAGED LEARNING:

Lesson 1: Take the class to the computer lab. To introduce the unit, the teacher will read the United States of America by Martin Hintz. The teacher will use Inspiration and construct a web, mapping the important concepts discussed from the book. Students will use their webs as a graphic organizer for organizing information that will be learned throughout the unit. The students will return to the classroom and view 50 states and 50 capitals video.

Lesson 2: Take the class to the computer lab. The students will visit www.netstate.com website. Students will research important facts about their selected U.S. state. The students will record notes on the state's geography, symbols, and history using a graphic organizer created by teacher.

Lesson 3: Students will go to the computer lab and visit www.usatoday.com/weather. Students will compare and contrast the monthly average temperatures and precipitation of 2 cities within their selected U.S. state. Students will use Microsoft Excel to graph the temperatures and precipitation of their selected cities. Students will create a spreadsheet from Microsoft Excel.

Lesson 4: Students will go to the computer lab. In this lesson, the students will use Desktop Publishing to construct a travel brochure about their U.S. state. Their brochure should be a well attractive looking advertisement that will attract visitors to tour their area. The brochure should include: 5 interesting facts about the city, a catchy slogan, a picture that represents the city and a clear explanation of why it is a great place to visit. The students will be graded by a rubric developed by the teacher.

Lesson 5: Students will go to the computer lab and visit www.50states.com. The students will find their favorite sports team. The students will use Microsoft Excel to compute the mean, median, mode and range of the teams statistics. They will create a spreadsheet using the data from the teams scores.

Lesson 6: Students will go to the library and use encyclopedias to research the natural resources of each U.S. state. The students will jot down the percentage of each kind of natural resources that makes up the state. The students will then use Microsoft Excel to create a pie graph that illustrates the percentage of natural resources that is used by the U.S. state. This pie graph will be done on a spreadsheet.

Lesson 7: In this activity students will work in pairs of 2 to create a biopoem about their state. The students biopoem should include the following: Their U.S. state on line 1, two adjectives that describe their state in line 2, three action verbs in line 3, a phrase in line 4 and one word to summarize their poem in line 5. The students will then use KidPix software and create a slide show presentation on their biopoem.

Lesson 8: The students will go to the computer lab. They will write a letter to a friend that lives in another U.S. state. The letter must include the following: Proper heading, greeting, body, closing and signature. The students will use Microsoft Word to compose their friendly letters.

Lesson 9:  Take the students to the computer lab. The students will work in pairs of 2 in planning a vacation to another U.S. state. The students will need to figure out how many miles their destination is. They will also need to estimate how much gas will be needed to travel to their destinations. The students will use Break-Tru Software to compute their calculations. The class will then compare and graph the groups results using a spreadsheet from Microsoft Excel.

Lesson 10: Take the students to the computer lab and visit www.sheppardsoftware.com/. The students will have an option of playing the following games on the U.S. states: Locate the State, Place the State, State Capitals or State Postal Abbreviations. This is an excellent website that students can use to learn about the 50 states. After playing a game on the above mentioned activities, the students can take a quiz on the State capitals.

Lesson 11: Take the students to the computer lab. In this activity the students will work in pairs of 2. They will research a famous food in a state and find a recipe, using the web. They will then be required to figure out how much ingredients is needed to make enough of this recipe to feed the entire class. The students will use Break-Tru Software to compute their calculations. The students will make this recipe at home and share it with class. The class will then have a wonderful feast on the different foods in the United States.

SHARE YOUR IDEAS:  For the culminating project, the students will write a State report on one of the U.S. states of their choice. Their report must include the following: 5 to 6 paragraphs that describe their states geography, major bodies of water, climate, state symbols, natural resources, famous attractions and an overall summary of what was learned while writing their reports. The students' reports should also include a bibliography. The state reports will be graded using a rubric.

Rubric For Research Report

*This rubric was adapted by http://www.enchantedlearning.com/report/state/
 
 

STUDENT AND TEACHER ROLES: During this unit the students will perform many roles. The students will become investigators as they navigate their way through software and websites. They will also be teachers as they aid each other with the new learning. They will become generators as they develop their end results for grading.

The teacher will perform the role as facilitator as the students attain new skills throughout the unit. The teacher will also perform the role of a monitor as he leads the students in the right direction into learning about the fifty states.

ADDITIONAL REFERENCE PRINT RESOURCES STUDENTS MAY USE :

World Book Encyclopedia
 
 

THE FOLLOWING BOOKS CONTAIN INFORMATION ABOUT THIS TOPIC:

The United States of America by Stein Conrad

The United States of America by Martin Hintz

Countries of the World-USA by Elizabeth Berg

Our Fifty States: Flags, Facts, and Fun by Hammond

Fabulous Facts about Fifty States by Wilma S. Ross

The United States-Faces and Places by Kathryn Stevens

FOR ADDITIONAL ONLINE INFORMATION AND MEDIA PERTAINING TO THIS UNIT, TEACHERS MAY WANT TO USE THE FOLLOWING INTERNET ARTICLES:  (minimum 6 sites)