Regions of the United States

My Social Studies Curriculum for the year focuses on the "Regions of the United States."  My school system is currently working on a new curriculum that will be aligned with the state of Massachusetts and the Common Core.  I was chosen to represent my grade and school and I am very excited to get started tomorrow! (even though I am new to the grade level) We will be working to create more integrated and thematic units.


Here are some things that my fourth graders have been doing this year in Room 210:

I bought a poster at the Dollar Tree, cut and laminated

http://www.mapofthemonth.com/product_info.php?products_id=4&id=featmap&c=4

I was awarded a grant in the fall from MEF, Marlborough Education Foundation.  They are a independent, community-based, non-profit corporation that raises funds for new programs and educational resources.  My grant was for the Ellison Dies of the 5 United States Regions and the states of Alaska and Hawaii.  I am in the process of creating some games with them.  The children will use the cut outs to label and include in their scrapbooks.  A big THANK YOU to all the people who work hard to raise the funds!

Tacky Tourist Day

• Kick off for our unit (could be an end of the year celebration)
• Dress up like a tourist visiting anywhere in the United States
• We danced to "Party in the USA"
• Took Pictures for out scrapbooks

Social Studies Alive

• text book
• resources
• maps

Five Regions of the United States: 5 complete units
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Five-Regions-of-the-United-States-5-complete-units
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Jill-Russ (well worth $22)

• 5 study guides
• 5 printable texts (I printed and put in binders to save)
• 5 scrapbook pages
• 5 anticipation guides
• 5 tests

States and Capitals

• Little Man on the Map- AWESOME book to teach location of the states!!!!

• Bingo http://www.teachersclubhouse.com/socialstudies.htm#unitedstates
• Connect Four http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/States-Capitals-Connect-Four-Printable-Color-Geography-Game
• Concentration http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/States-and-Capitals
• Pick Up States http://mrshallfabulousinfourth.blogspot.com/2011/12/pick-up-states.html

US Postcard Exchange

• I found a group on http://www.proteacher.net/ over the summer.  We ended up with 42 states.
• Here is my bulletin board as of February 29th (I need to connect cards to states with colored yarn)