The students pick one state that they research and learn about all year long. It is a practice of reading text and finding information through reading materials (instead of being able to google search and have information handed to them). I have been building our library of individual state informational text but have found Scholastic Which way USA Book/Magazine Club which highlights each state in a magazine along with a map. This magazine is a great resource for students to use in assisting with their report. With each fun and engaging puzzle book and map set, children will learn about geography, history and culture, and even practice school skills — all without ever leaving school! After they collect information on their note catchers, they each write and do an oral presentation about their individual states. This set of magazines will be a great addition to our state library.
This set of state magazines will benefit the whole class of students for many years. They are a set of study magazines and students will not write in them as they are used for gathering information for their own note catchers. These will help in aiding students not only with information but geographical mapping skills, interest and critical thinking skills and history and culture of each state.
The program is very successful as students are very empowered with their own research skills to find out information about their state.They success is also measured as they are confident with their oral presentations to the crew and as they share their report with their parents at Celebration of Learning night.
The program is implemented at the beginning of the year as we learn about the states and sing state songs. The students work on these reports every Wednesday as our activity during crew meeting. They have about a half hour every Wednesday morning ALL year long to work on this report. There are many facets to this activity such as sending out letters to family across the USA asking for postcards, sharing postcards, pinning the states and post cards up as they come in through the mail, singing songs, mapping skills, learning about history of individual states, and representations such as state bird, flower or tree. It truly is a year long journey of discovery about a state.
Absolutely, I will share the magazines with my co instructor who has 24 students as well. So this will hit 48 students annually.
Which Way USA! Book/magazine- One for each state = 50 at $9.50 each includes shipping and Tax