The 50 States Challenge

I provided my students with a Geography Challenge, which I know they can all rise to, yesterday. They are to learn the names and placement of all 50 states on the U.S. Map by Thursday, June 11^th. They’ll work in teams of three to coach each other to make this happen. As in Ron Clark’s Book, which gave me this inspiration, there will be two scores: 0 and 100. I told each student that I’m confident everyone in the class will get a 100. (They don’t believe it, but I do!)

They began filling in a blank map of the United States yesterday to determine how much work was ahead of them. Today, for our Poetry Friday Share at Morning Meeting, I’m providing them with Rebecca Kai Dotlich’s Poem “Washington, D.C.” so that they realize that it’s not a state, but is still part of the country. Here’s an excerpt from Dotlich’s Poem:

Washington, D.C.

On the east bank of the Potomac,

lies Washington, D.C.

the capital of our Nation

which stands for liberty.

It’s here our U.S. Presidents

are sworn into command;

where the courtly U.S. Capitol

and stately White House stand.

Click here to read the other six stanzas.

This week, Poetry Friday is hosted at “Picture Book of the Day,” Anastasia Suen’s Blog.