United States: January 31-February 6: Week 20

 United States:

Week 20

Craft Supplies:

• Map Frame: maps, glue, frame

1. Glue map pieces to a frame.
2. Cover top of map with glue too.  You can add glitter or decorations at this time.  Let it dry.

• Map Box: maps, glue, shoe box, glitter, sequins

1. Glue maps around a shoe box and its lid, overlap the sides.  Let dry.
2. Decorate the map box.

• Fold-Up Book: Smooth cardboard mat, colored or decorative paper, glue, double-stick tape, map, ribbon, scissors

1. Cut 2 cardboard sheets to the size you want your book.
2. Use double-sided tape to cover cardboard with map.
3. Cut a piece of a paper so that it is about double the height of the book cover.
4. Fold paper into an accordion.  Double-stick tape first and last page of accordion to front and back covers of books.
5. Glue a ribbon to the inside center of both covers and use as a tie to keep your book shut.

• Brown-Bag Scrapbook: Grocery bags, scissors, yarn, maps, glue, markers

1. Cut the large sides off of several grocery bags.  Place the sheets on top of one another and fold the stack in half to make a book.
2. Open the book to the middle and poke two holes in the fold.  String yarn through the holes and tie the ends together.
3. Cut the places from the map and glue them onto the book.
4. Decorate the cover with markers and write: My maps

• Easy Map Book Covers: Grocery bags, scissors, hardback book, maps, pencil, markers, highlighters

1. Cut down the seam of a bag, then cut off the bottom to form one long rectangle of paper.  Position it horizontally in front of you.
2. Place a book in the center of the paper.  Trace along the top and bottom of it onto the paper.  Remove the book.  Fold along each line. Glue map onto paper.
3. Place the book in the center of the paper again.  Fold over each side of the paper to form flaps.  If you wish, insert the book cover into the flaps.

• Map Mobile: Sturdy paper plates, maps, glue, yarn, scissors, index cards, markers, cereal box

1. Decorate the plate.
2. Punch holes around the plate
3. Cut out any of the shapes of the states.  Glue them onto a piece of cardboard. Let dry. Punch a hole at the top of state.
4. Thread a piece of yarn through each hole in the plate and in the state.
5. Punch a hole in the middle of the plate, thread yarn through it and hang it up.

• Map Fans: Poster board or construction paper, sequins, glitter, craft sticks or tongue depressors, yarn or ribbon, maps, glue

1. Cut your poster board or construction paper in the fan shape .  Glue a map onto this piece.  Let dry.
2. Decorate fan.
3. Glue craft sticks or tongue depressors together at the base, then fan them out in the width of your paper fan.  Add  fine line of glue to each of the craft sticks.  Glue the map fan on top.  Let dry, then add a yarn or ribbon tassel or bow to the base.

• Map Pencil Holder: Craft sticks, craft beads or other trims, clean empty tin cans, masking tape, maps, glue

1. Add tape around the can's edge to cover up add sharp edges.
2. Squeeze a thick line of glue at the top, bottom, and middle of the can, 2 to 3 inches at a time.  Place the craft sticks into the glued sections, covering almost all of the can except 1/4 inch.  Cover the gap with a thick line of glue.  Let dry.
3. Cover the sticks with a piece of map.
4. Decorate with beads or other trims.

• Map Puzzle: Poster board, maps, colored plastic tape, marker, zipper-closed bag, glue

1. Cut the poster board to the same size as the map you are using.
2. Glue the map to the poster board. Let dry.
3. Fold a strip of colored plastic tape over all four sides of the puzzle.
4. Use the marker to draw the shape of each puzzle piece on the back.  
5. Divide the puzzle into about twelve pieces or so.  
6. Cut the puzzle apart following the lines.  
7. Store the pieces in a zipper-close bag.

• Map Placemat: US Map, Contact Paper

1. If you want you can highlight where you live, the state capitals and trace around the borders.  
2. Unroll the contact paper, without taking off the backing.
3. Take your map piece and lay in on the contact paper.  Make sure there is enough contact paper to cover both sides of the map.  Make sure the contact paper will overlap all sides of the map.

Activities: 

• Printable Coloring Pages: Click Here
• 50 State Quarters Game: Need one of each state 

1. Your child can try to see if they know the state of each quarter.

• Wipe-Off US Map: Found in $1 section at Target.
• State Learning: 50 pieces of Heavy paper, glue, Marker, Print off each State Animals: Here, Capitals: Click Here, hole puncher, 3-ring binder

1. On each piece of paper, write a state on top.
2. Write the initials of each state under the their name.
3. If you want you can glue the shape of the state onto the paper too.
4. Glue on each state animals and capitals.
5. Punch 3 holes down the side to each paper to be able to put in the 3-ring binder.
6. Have your child decorate the binder and write the 50 States on top.

• Matching Game: 100 Index Cards, Marker

1. Write each state on an index card
2. Then write each abbreviation on an index card.
3. See if your child can find the state and its abbreviation.

• Learning Cards: Found in $1 section at Target
• Everything you wanted to know about a state: Click Here
• Learn the US through Online Games and Learning: Click Here
• Printable Coloring Pages: State animals, flowers, flag, tree, famous buildings: Click Here
• US State Abbreviations - State Capitals - State Links: Click Here
• State Symbols, Songs and Emblems: Click Here: Just click on each state
• Printable Geography Worksheets: Click Here 
• Printable Maps: Click Here

Books:

• The Scrambled States Of America by Laurie Keller
• A to Z United States of America by Jeff Reynolds
• Wipe Clean United States Activity Atlas by Roger Priddy
• Don't Know Much About The 50 States by Kenneth C. Davis

Foods/Snacks:

• State Foods: Click Here: Find out what your state foods/fruits are and recipes too.

Some ideas where found in the following book:

• Look what you can make with dozens of Household Items by Boyds Mills Press

United States: January 31-February 6: Week 20