Around the States in 50 Postcards: 2012

Monday, October 22, 2012

Maine

We start our state study with the spot where the sun first touches the United States every morning...Maine.

We have found some fantastic resources on Maine at our local library. My favorite so far has been, Maine from the America the Beautiful Series. It is jam packed with information. It is a perfect fit for my sixth grader as far as reading level and difficulty and it challenges my third grader. We have learned many fantastic facts about the state as a result of reading this book. I am a little sad that looking ahead, our library does not have the complete series of these books. They have several but not all 50 of them.

There are also some great resources that come from our All American 1 History Curriculum. Every day we read a few pages from Kids Learn America and United States of America State by State. Winter Promise has some great sheets to do on each state as part of the curriculum. Many of them came from a great resource from Homeschool in the Woods in particular their New World Explorers kit and US Map CD's. I also found the resources I posted earlier to go with the postcard exchange and the lady who originally started the postcard exchange is posting great packets every week or two for the study of states. Beth from the Living Life Intentionally Blog is posting these phenomenal state packs, From Sea to Shining Sea.

Guess I best get to work today. When the kids finish their study, they're each going to write a blog about their favorite facts about Maine.

Thursday, September 06, 2012

The Great State of...Emma

Hi, my name is Emma. I am 8 years old and in the third grade. My mom is my teacher and overall that's pretty awesome! I like the color green. I love English Bulldogs, animals, creating art with paint and pencils and crayons.

My mom and I go to this place called Cold Stone Creamery. It's very tasty.

I like Cheetahs because they are the fastest land animals.

I have a big family. I live with my mom, my dad, my big sister and my big brother. We also have three puppies (Lily, Humphrey & Joey), two cats (Snowflake & Sugar), three puffer fish, tons of guppies, and two leopard geckos .

My Mom and Dad work in the family business, a comic book store, it's really cool!

I'm reading this really cool book, it's called Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

There are over 350 different species of sharks in the world. We learned that this week in Language.

Matthew Facts 9/6/12

This is a post that is all about ME! My name is Matthew and I'm 11 years old and live in Kentucky. I go to a school at Bulldog Meadows where we are home schooled.

For people who don't know, I am doing a postcard exchange with other kids from around the United States. In the postcard exchange, everybody shares something about their state.

We are currently working on Early American History. We are learning about Native Americans. I have also learned about animals and my favorite animal is the wolf because of their courage. Did you know that there over 350 species of sharks in the sea? The biggest is called the whale shark and the smallest is the dwarf lantern shark.

I have three dogs, two of them are english bulldogs, a boy named Humphrey and a girl named Lily. Our other dog is a female Rat Terrier named Joey. We have two cats that are both girls, there is a nice one named Snowflake and mean one named Sugar. We also have 3 puffer fish, a bunch of guppies, and a lizard.

My family is my dad, Mark; my mom, Priscilla; my younger sister, Emma; and my older sister, Heather.

My favorite thing to do is to play an online game called Minecraft. It's a game where you spend daytime in the game scavenging for things to build items with and night in the game using the items you built to survive monsters.

Well thats the end of the blog for today and goodbye.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Sites with Great Materials for Studying the States

Here's where we found the blank state flags:

http://www.homemade-preschool.com/State-Flag-Coloring-Pages.html

Here's where I found the State Notebook by ThistleGirl Designs that is state by state:

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/State-Notebook

You may have to create an account, but the Notebook is free to download.

It is an amazing resource. I had trouble printing the how to pages that are at the beginning, but when I started with page 9 or 10 (where the materials started), it printed great. Also, be aware, there are 50 pages of color materials (one for each state) and then black & white copies of the same information for each state. I printed the whole thing without looking through it *_*

Then I found these great coloring sheets of postcards here:

http://www.education.com/slideshow/state-postcards/

Blank State Maps:

http://www.coloringcastle.com/state_coloring_pages.html

http://www.kidzone.ws/geography/usa/

http://www.yourchildlearns.com/megamaps.htm

You can see geographic features on these maps:

http://www.factmonster.com/statemaps.html

http://www.yourchildlearns.com/classroom-maps.html

This page has some great resources, but it's print from the page not pdf. I guess I'm finicky, but I like pdf's better ^_^ It does have some great on-line activities like coloring sheets and others.

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/coloring-pages/usa/state-outline/

I don't know what this is, but it looks cool. I'm in the process of figuring it out:

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/03/gk2/exploremaps.html

I know I have others that I haven't printed yet, I'll add them soon!

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Our Beautiful Kentucky Postcards

Here is our photo gallery of our postcards!

I mentioned before that the kids and I thought it would be really cool to have 49 different postcards for each of our 49 postcard exchange partners. Emma also thought it would be awesome to put pictures of each on our blog. She was right! We ended up with a few extras.

You might ask, "What's up with all the horses?" Kentucky is the home of the Kentucky Derby Horse Race which has been run every year since 1875. It is one of the top three races in the country and part of the Triple Crown (which was last won by a Kentuckian, Steve Cauthen). We take great pride in the quality and beauty of the horses we raise in the state. Personally, I just look at them as we drive by the horse farms though.

©Souvenir Factory, Inc.

©Souvenir Factory, Inc.
Emma loved all the animal cards!

©Souvenir Factory, Inc.

It was funny, but we decided it was inappropriate.
We ended up keeping it ^_^

©Souvenir Factory, Inc.

©Kentucky Souvenir Sales
Both kids want to learn more about Lincoln
and they want to visit his birthplace.

©Kentucky Souvenir Sales
My parents took me here 10 years straight,
we loved it. I Can't wait to take the kids
there later this year! Matthew really liked this
card too. He wants to go there soon!

©Kentucky Souvenir Sales
Kentucky Horse Park is a beautiful place!

©Kentucky Souvenir Sales

©Kentucky Souvenir Sales
The Belle of Louisville (steamboat) on the waterfront
During Thunder Over Louisville

©Kentucky Souvenir Sales
Kentucky Mountains

©Kentucky Souvenir Sales
Sunrise from Kentucky Mountains
Matthew's 2nd favorite

©BG Sales, Inc. & Jeff Durham
Sunset in Kentucky

©Blue Grass Souvenirs
Kentucky's Floral Clock
Frankfort, Kentucky

©BG Sales & Bob Gray
A local state park that filled with awesome
experiences (like learning how to throw tomahawks)

©Souvenir Factory, Inc.
Kentucky Thunderstorm
This is Matthew's favorite

©BG Sales & Barry Ezrine
Rare non-albino white thoroughbred and baby

©BG Sales & Ron Garrison
Mare & foal enjoying the sun

©BG Sales
This is one of my favorites..."unknown" ^_^

©Kentucky Souvenir Sales

©Kentucky Souvenir Sales
Mammoths & Mastodons, oh my!

©Souvenir Factory, Inc.

©Kentucky Souvenir Sales
Big Bone also has a herd of Bison

©BG Sales
Fort Knox. Emma was very excited to learn that during
World War II, the US Government stored the originals
of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution
here. They also store 4600 tons of gold here.

©Kentucky Souvenir Sales
Shows the Carroll Chimes Bell Tower, Covington
The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, Covington
Racehorse at Turfway Park Race Course, Florence
Roebbling Suspension Bridge over the Ohio River, Covington

©BG Sales, Inc.
Beautiful Sunset in Lexington

©Souvenir Factory, Inc.
Learn more about the Quilt Trail here:
http://www.kentuckyquilttrail.org/

©Charles Products, Inc.
We love the Newport Aquarium. It's a great
trip to take especially when it is 102 degrees outside!

©Blue Grass Souvenirs
I love the fox on this one.

©Charles Products, Inc.
In 2005, Sweet Pea the shark ray was the first shark ray
on display in the Western Hemisphere.

©Charles Products, Inc.
Scooter was added two years later, in 2007.

©Charles Products, Inc.
Loggerhead Sea Turtle, he's very handsome
when you see him in person!

©Charles Products, Inc.
Rockhopper penguins look like Rock Stars!

©Charles Products, Inc.
Sand Tiger Sharks have LOTS of teeth!

Gentoo Penguins are playful and seem to fly
through the water!

©Charles Products, Inc.
Scuba Santa
(I thought it was the wrong time of year, but the
kids insisted)

©Charles Products, Inc.
Mighty Mike, the largest alligator in America
outside of Florida

©Souvenir Factory, Inc.
Lake Cumberland is such a beautiful place to visit
Rent a pontoon boat and just tool slowly around, when
the sun gets too hot, HOP IN!

©Arcadia Publishing
These were just the neatest cards. This is the front card of a pack
of 15. The company does local interest books & postcard sets
for areas all over the country. These are all authentic, historic
photos of Civil War troops. I thought these were exceedingly
neat.

Camp Boone, 1860

Citizen Guards of Louisville at Camp Boone, 1860