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Name of Activity: State Geography

Academic content: Social Studies

Purpose of Activity: This activity reinforces the students' knowledge of the locations of the states.

Prerequisites: The students need to know where the states of the United States are located in relation to each other. Example: South Carolina is below North Carolina.

Suggested Grade Level: 3-5

Materials Needed: Strips of paper with the names of the states printed on them and an overhead with an outline of the United States for students to check with as needed during the activity.

Physical activity: Locomotor skills

Description of Idea

Have the students start at the edge of the playing area. Each one draws a slip of paper with the name of a state. (For a small number of students, focus on the regions of the states.) When the teacher says, "Go" the students jump, skip, or crawl to the area where their state should be. To figure out who they should stand by, the students ask the other students which states they represent until every state is in the correct spot.

Variations:

Instead of telling the names of their states, the students can give hints such as:

• The state bird is...
• The state capital is...
• This event or this landmark is here.

If the activity appears too difficult for the students then let each student start with an outline of the USA to assist in the activity.