Saturday, July 16, 2011

The United States - Montessori Inspired

 Sorry for the lack of posts.  Our summer has been incredibly busy.


We'll be studying the United States this year.  We're memorizing the States and capitals for Classical Conversations.  Bear has bit the bullet and has already memorized them all!  All the credit goes to Kathy Troxel, whose States and Capitals Songs I purchased.  We've been listening to the songs all the time in the car to the point that I'm begging both Bear and J-jo to listen to something else! Even J-jo asks for "Nited Stays" as soon as he sees the car.

I set up our geography shelf with some United States work.

  • First, I used 1+1+1=1's (I thought they were Carissa's but I am having a hard time finding them again to include the link) geography flashcards and printed them reduced size (select more to a page on your printer settings).  These small states are perfect for pin pricking, always one of Bear's favorite activities.  Bear puts her finished ones into the baby food jar.
  • The States flashcards are form the Target dollar section.  
  • I also have the American president flashcards, but need to buy another business card holder to display them.
  • There are two US landmarks from the Landmarks Toob.
  • Lastly, a Target dollar section lift-the-flaps book of the U.S.A.

The other shelf has 
  • an activity book (from the Target Dollar section).  It has dot-to-dots of each state and Bear loves those, as well as a line for practicing writing the names of each state.  She's already half done the book in just one sitting!
  • The Scrambled States of America card game.
  • our North America box.  I later decided to only take out the postcards and other items that pertained from the States and display those and put away the box.


We'll be watching 1+1+1=1's USA Geography Power Point show too and I am hoping to win a copy of Confessions of a Homeschooler's Road Trip USA to use as well for our study of the USA.

5 comments:

  1. I love Kathy Troxel's geography songs but I can't get myself to listen to anything that many times. It's great that Bear already knows the states and capitals! I have all the materials ready to go (some of them are on your list) but haven't gotten around to it. So, are you enjoying Classical Conversations?

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  2. Thanks to singing songs, my daughter knows the names of all the states and many of the capitals. Its amazing how music can do that.

    I am working on some USA geography games, but I have been working very SLOWLY on them lol.

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  3. We have these songs too (also for the continents), but I just can't bring myself to play them often enough. Good luck with studying USA. I suppose we do that eventually, but I still find country studies a lot more fun.

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  4. There's a landmarks toob? I didn't know that, that's so tempting to get.

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  5. I can't find you email!!! GRRR... Anways, wanna plan some state studies together?? I'm planning on picking this back up in a week and a half when we "officially" start school back.
    :-) Leann

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