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Geography

100 BEST Books for Kids from all 50 States (Easy Geography)

December 27, 2024 | 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have books for kids from all 50 states. Too, look at my page Homeschool Geography for hands-on and simple ideas and tips.

Book lists are a great resource for beginning a homeschool unit study.

Also, this list is great for helping kids learn the geography of the 50 states because they engage children with both visual and textual learning.

Too, they revive learning when you feel the homeschool doldrums, or to use them for a geography unit study when you want to move away from boring textbooks.

And books, especially picture books can have colorful illustrations and maps of the state.

100 BEST Books for Kids from all 50 States (Easy Geography)

Pictures help children cement information about the state.

In addition, state specific books will highlight landmarks, major cities and sometimes famous people.

Additionally, some books are living books which presents facts about the state in a narrative or story form.

Rather than dry reference books, many of the books are about persons who lived in specific states or about events that happened in certain states.

Also, look at more books about the United States.

  • The Benefits Of Using Games That Teach Geography | Review Of Scrambled States
  • Professor Noggin’s Geography of The United States Trivia Card Game
  • American History Game Fun U.S. President Go Fish Unit Study
  • 18 American History Board Games Which Brings History to Life

Today, I rounded up 100 best books for kids from all 50 states.

BOOKS FROM ALL 50 STATES FOR KIDS

Alabama

My Name Is America: The Journal Of Biddy Owens, Birmingham, Alabama, 1948
Who Was Rosa Parks? (Who Was? series)

Alaska

The Adventures of Balto: The Untold Story of Alaska’s Famous Iditarod Sled Dog
Sweet Home Alaska

Arizona

Wright on Time, Book 1: Arizona
Arizona (Lucky Luke)

BOOKS ABOUT THE 50 STATES 

Arkansas

Lost Mines and Buried Treasures of Arkansas
The Fifth Rule

California

By the Great Horn Spoon!
What Was the Gold Rush? (What Was? series)

Colorado

Down the Colorado: John Wesley Powell, the One-Armed Explorer
In the Heart of the Rockies: An Adventure on the Colorado River

Connecticut

The Moffats
The Forgotten Flag: Revolutionary Struggle in Connecticut Paperback

Delaware

The Last of the Mohicans
Dear America: A Light in the Storm

Florida

Because of Winn-Dixie
Defeat of the Ghost Riders (Trailblazer Books)

Georgia

My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers Growing Up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Diary of Carrie Berry A Confederate Girl

Hawaii

Shipwrecked!: The True Adventures of a Japanese Boy
What Was Pearl Harbor? (What Was? series)

Idaho

West to a Land of Plenty: The Diary of Teresa Angelino Viscardi, New York to Idaho Territory
High Wind to Idaho

Illinois

DK Biography: Abraham Lincoln
What Was the Great Chicago Fire? (What Was? series)

Indiana

The Bears of Blue River
Oliver’s Travels: An Indiana Adventure

Iowa

Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Iowa Story
Searching for Anne Frank: Letters from Amsterdam to Iowa

Kansas

Prairie Skies: Cabin in the Snow
Moon Over Manifest

Kentucky

Daniel Boone: Young Hunter and Tracker (Childhood of Famous Americans)
Abandoned on the Wild Frontier (Trailblazer Books)

Louisiana

Lorenzo And the Turncoat
Down in Louisiana

Maine

The Sign of the Beaver
Lost on a Mountain in Maine

Maryland

Goliath: Hero of the Great Baltimore Fire
Listen for the Whippoorwill (Trailblazer Books)

Massachusetts

Three Young Pilgrims
What Was the Boston Tea Party? (What Was? series)

Michigan

Brothers of the Heart: A Story of the Old Northwest
Who Was Henry Ford? (Who Was? series)

Minnesota

Farmer Boy Goes West (Little House, Big Adventure)
Wright on Time, Book 5: Minnesota

Mississippi

The Mystery on the Mighty Mississippi (Real Kids, Real Places)
Mississippi Morning

Missouri

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
What Was the Lewis and Clark Expedition? (What Was? series)

Montana

First Dog: Unleashed in the Montana Capitol
Magpie Treasures

Nebraska

Night of the Twisters
My Face to the Wind: the Diary of Sarah Jane Price, a Prairie Teacher, Broken Bow, Nebraska 1881 (Dear America Series)

Nevada

The Last Stubborn Buffalo in Nevada
The Mystery at Area 51 (Real Kids Real Places)

And if you love learning geography through literature, look at another one of my favorites from Beautiful Feet books which is Geography through Literature.

New Hampshire

The Trouble with Jeremy Chance
A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl’s Journal, 1830-32

New Jersey

The Fighting Ground
Who Was Thomas Alva Edison? (Who Was? series)

New Mexico

The Day It Snowed Tortillas
Loco Dog in the Santa Fe Rail Yard (Historical New Mexico for Children)

New York

Roundup of the Street Rovers (Trailblazer Books)
Who Was Jackie Robinson? (Who Was? series)

North Carolina

The Mystery of the Lost Colony (Real Kids! Real Places!)
The Mystery of Biltmore House (Real Kids Real Places)

North Dakota

The Long Winter (Little House)
Gift Horse: A Lakota Story

Ohio

The Boy Who Saved Cleveland
Who Was Neil Armstrong? (Who Was? series)

From Textbook to Living Book for Homeschool Geography

Oklahoma

Beautiful Land: A Story of the Oklahoma Land Rush
Oklahoma Prairie Tales: Mostly True Stories My Grandma Told Me

Oregon

Attack in the Rye Grass: Marcus and Narcissa Whitman (Trailblazer Books)
Attack in the Rye Grass (Trailblazer Books)

Pennsylvania

The Madcap Mystery of the Missing Liberty Bell
What Was the Battle of Gettysburg? (What Was? series)

Rhode Island

The Art of Keeping Cool (Aladdin Historical Fiction)
The World in One Square Mile: Central Falls

South Carolina

Sylvia and Miz Lula Maye
The Mystery at Fort Sumter (Real Kids Real Places)

South Dakota

Wright on Time: South Dakota
The Mystery at Mount Rushmore (Real Kids Real Places)

Tennessee

Flaming Arrows (Odyssey Classics)
The Perilous Road (Odyssey Classics (Odyssey Classics)

Texas

A Line in the Sand: The Alamo Diary of Lucinda Lawrence (Dear America Series)
What Was the Alamo? (What Was? series)

Utah

The Great Brain
Wright on Time, Book 2: Utah

Vermont

Aaron and the Green Mountain Boys
John and Tom (Vermont Folklife Center Children’s Book Series)

Virginia

With Lee in Virginia
The Mystery at Mount Vernon (Real Kids Real Places)

Washington

The Seattle Puzzle (The Boxcar Children Mysteries)
Exiled to the Red River (Trailblazer Books)

West Virginia

Way Down Deep
October Sky

Wisconsin

Little House in the Big Woods
Caddie Woodlawn

Wyoming

Lost Mines and Buried Treasures of Old Wyoming
Wright on Time, Book 3: Wyoming

100 BEST Books for Kids from all 50 States (Easy Geography)

Also, you’ll love these other books:

  • 8 World War II Historical Fiction Books for Middle School
  • 5 Steps to Choosing Geography Living Books Your Children Will Love
  • 5 BEST Books to Create an Around the World Unit Study (and Hands-on Activities)

This blog hop is organized by iHomeschool Network, a collaboration of outstanding homeschool bloggers who connect with each other and with family-friendly companies in mutual beneficial projects.

1 CommentFiled Under: Geography Tagged With: book lists, books, geography, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolanguagearts, homeschoolgeography, homeschoolreading, livingbooks

Lewis & Clark Free Mighty Mississippi Book and Easy Sediment Activity

December 3, 2024 | 3 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have a Lewis and Clark Mighty Mississippi book and hands-on sediment activity. Also, look at Lewis and Clark Fun Homeschool Unit Study and Lapbook and Hands-On Simple And Best Homeschool Geography Ideas & Tips for more ideas.

This past week we have bee reading about the Great River, The Big Muddy, Father of Waters, Old Man River, and an American Treasure otherwise known as the Mighty Mississippi River.

Lewis & Clark Free Mighty Mississippi Book and Easy Sediment Activity

Today, I have the Lewis & Clark – Mighty Mississippi book & sediment activity to tell you about.

After digging into this topic, the Mississippi River alone could be a super fun and awesome unit study on its own. It has just been a fascinating topic and more than I planned for this past week.

Ojibwe – Big Muddy

We got bogged down (corny pun intended) on this study because we just didn’t want to move on too quick.

Mississippi River Guide

What sidetracked us was finding this really super helpful and well-laid out fun downloadable packet from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Download this awesome and free 352 page pdf. from the Corps of Engineering. Super resource!

At first glance, it said it is about 5/6th grade level, but after looking at it, there were also activities for lower grades and for 7th to 12th grade.

It is truly a multiple age unit study.

Lewis and Clark Mighty Mississippi @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

It is a unit study with science, geography and even history tied in together on this download.

There are game cards, lots of hands-on activities and I love the writing suggestions for high school.

We just couldn’t resist reading over it and doing some of the activities.

Sediment Activity 1 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus1Sediment Activity 2 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus1
We did this easy activity to show sediment as we talked about hydrologist and what they used to measure water temperature, ph, dissolved oxygen and salinity.

Pretty cool stuff to read about considering I didn’t know there was so much stuff to learn about water.

For the sediment bottle, we gathered sticks, dirt, different size rocks, twigs and even some litter and Tiny made a paper funnel to put it in the bottle.

Add water and shake it well.

We took a picture right after doing the activity and then about an hour afterward, we looked at the bottle again to see the difference.

Sediment Activity 3 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus   Sediment Activity 4 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus
It was a quick activity for things we had around the house.

And easy as the activity was to do, it really makes the point of helping Tiny to remember how sediment is the stuff that gets swept along by the river and then settles to the riverbed when the flow slows down.

Big Muddy free minibook about the Mississippi River @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus1Big Muddy free minibook about the Mississippi River 2 @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus1
Learning about legends surrounding the river, the many people who traveled alongside it and stories told about the Mighty Mississippi, which covers a huge part of the states, it’s a great geography topic to spend some time on.

We stayed on it, like I mentioned, longer than I planned, but then again you know that is why we do unit studies. We don’t want to be told to move on.

MORE LEWIS AND CLARK ACTIVITIES

  • Lewis and Clark Expedition – The Ultimate Guide
  • Lewis and Clark Louisiana Purchase Edible Map
  • How To Make An Easy Ink pot & Quill Pen with Berry Ink
  • 7 Fun Sacagawea Facts For Kids | How To Make Lewis & Clark & Sacagawea Peg Dolls
  • Lewis and Clark: Hands-on History. Make a Char Cloth
  • Lewis and Clark:Cooking on the Trail
  • Spectacular Lewis And Clark Plants Drawings | 7 Quick Botany Art Lessons
  • Lewis and Clark Free Botany 1 and 2 Minibooks
  • What Plants And Animals Did Lewis And Clark Discover on their Famous Trek & Bitterroot Craft

Next, look at the Lewis and Clark lapbook.

LEWIS AND CLARK LAPBOOK

Lewis & Clark Free Mighty Mississippi Book and Easy Sediment Activity

You can purchase this lapbook now.

  • Dynamic Lewis and Clark Lapbook for Multiple Ages

    Dynamic Lewis and Clark Lapbook for Multiple Ages

    $4.00
    Add to cart

Now, how to grab the freebie. It’s a subscriber freebie.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get my emails in your inbox and you get this freebie.

HOW TO GET THE FREE MIGHTY MISSISSIPPI RIVER MINIBOOK

1) CLICK HERE ON THIS LINK TO SIGN UP ON MY EMAIL LIST & TO GET THIS FREEBIE.

2) Grab the freebie now.

3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

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3 CommentsFiled Under: 1. My FREE Learning Printables {Any Topic}, Geography, Geography Based, Hands-On Activities, History Based, Science Based Tagged With: geography, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolgeography, lewisandclark

Arctic Region Salt Dough Map and Free Map Flag Printables

September 26, 2024 | 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

We did a fun Arctic Region Salt Dough Map to learn about the Arctic region. Also, look at my pages Arctic Region and Arctic and Inuit Unit Study Free Lapbook & Hands-On Ideas for more fun.

The Arctic Ocean is about 5.5 million square miles of water and sea ice floats on top of the ocean.

Sea ice or the polar ice cap covers most of the ocean and some of the ice is perennial meaning it is frozen year around.

The Arctic is surrounded by land in Greenland, Canada, Russia and parts of these countries as well as part of Alaska is in the Arctic Circle.

So, I thought making a salt dough map would be the perfect way to show the geography of the land and polar ice cap.

Arctic Region Salt Dough Map and Free Map Flag Printables

Salt dough maps are not only appealing to all ages, but they are just plain fun to do.

We had a bit of controversy in our house before we started this because the Arctic region covers land and the polar ice cap.

According to my boys the polar ice cap is like “frozen land” that is moving. So they wanted to be sure it showed up that way on the map.

They decided to give it “texture and form” by using the dough to show that portion.

BOOKS ABOUT THE ARCTIC FOR KIDS

First, look at some of these books about the Arctic.

I prefer living books when I can find them.

12 Arctic Books about People & Animals of the Arctic

Studying about the region of the Arctic is a fascinating topic. Grab some of these books about life in the Arctic and animals of the Arctic.

The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter's Wonder

How do snow crystals form? What shapes can they take? Are no two snow crystals alike? These questions and more are answered inside this exploration of the science of snow, featuring photos of real snow crystals in all their beautiful diversity. Perfect for reading on winter days, this book by a nature photographer and a snow scientist will inspire wonder and curiosity about the marvels of snow. Snowflake-catching instructions are also included for aspiring young snow scientists!

In Arctic Waters

This arctic adaptation of “This is the House that Jack Built” follows polar bears, walruses, seals, narwhals and beluga whales as they chase each other around “the ice that floats in the Arctic waters.” Not only is the rhythmic, cumulative prose good for early readers; it is a pure delight to read aloud. The “For Creative Minds” section helps children learn how these animals live in the cold, icy arctic region.

Arctic Fox: Fascinating Animal Facts for Kids (This Incredible Planet)

Fascinating Animal Facts Arctic Fox Learn all about the amazing and adaptable Arctic fox. This small yet hardy creature survives in the harshest of environments!

This Incredible Planet series provides young readers with interesting information about the Earth’s most fascinating creatures.

Beautiful color photography makes each animal come to life. Learn about the Arctic fox’s habitat, diet, breeding, lifespan, behavior, threats, and so much more!

Over and Under the Snow

A wonderful winter book for kids from the author and illustrator of the beloved Over and Under series, now in paperback! Part of the acclaimed nature book series that includes Over and Under the Pond, Over and Under the Rainforest, and Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt, this volume takes readers on a cross country ski trip through the winter woods to discover the secret world of animals living under the snow.

Animals in Winter (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science)

Read and find out about how animals cope with winter in this colorfully illustrated nonfiction picture book.

This is a clear and appealing book for early elementary age kids, both at home and in the classroom. Introduce kids to basic science ideas as part of discussions about the seasons and animals.

Have you ever seen a butterfly in the snow? Probably not. Butterflies can't survive cold weather, so when winter comes, many butterflies fly to warmer places. They migrate. Woodchucks don't like cold weather either, but they don't migrate; they hibernate. Woodchucks sleep in their dens all winter long. How do these and other animals handle the cold and snow of winter?

Read and find out in the proven winner Animals in Winter!

This is a Level 1 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out, which means the book explores introductory concepts perfect for children in the primary grades.

The Inuit Thought of It: Amazing Arctic Innovations (We Thought of It)

Today’s Arctic communities have all the comforts of modern living. Yet the Inuit survived in this harsh landscape for hundreds of years with nothing but the land and their own ingenuity. Join authors Alootook Ipellie and David MacDonald as they explore the amazing innovations of traditional Inuit and how their ideas continue to echo around the world. Some inventions are still familiar to us: the one-person watercraft known as a kayak still retains its Inuit name. Other innovations have been replaced by modern technology: slitted snow goggles protected Inuit eyes long before sunglasses arrived on the scene. Andother ideas were surprisingly inspired: using human-shaped stone stacks (Inunnguat) to trick and trap caribou. Many more Inuit innovations are explored here, including: • Dog sleds • Shelter • Clothing • Kids’ stuff • Food preservation • Medicine. In all, more than 40 Inuit items and ideas are showcased through dramatic photos and captivating language. From how these objects were made, to their impact on contemporary culture, The Inuit Thought of It is a remarkable catalogue of Inuit invention.

Mini Arctic Animals Figurines Set, Polar Animals Toy for Kids Plastic Arctic Reindeer,Walrus,White Whale,Polar Bear,Arctic Fox,Wolf Figures,

Tiny Animals Figures Party: 18 PCS Package include orca, walrus, white owl, reindeer, husky, 2pcs seal, 2pcs beluga whale, 2pcs arctic wolf, 2pcs arctic fox, 2pcs arctic rabbit, 2pcs polar bear figurines and igloo model.

Who are the Eskimos? Arctic People's Traditional Way of Life

Who Are The Eskimos is perfect for early to middle elementary students and makes a great addition to your library.

North: The Amazing Story of Arctic Migration

“A treat for middle-graders of an ecological bent.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review) At the top of our world is a huge wild place called the Arctic. In the winter, it is a cold and barren land, where few animals can survive. But when spring comes, it attracts animals from every corner of the earth. This lushly illustrated picture book celebrates the resilient wildlife and barren, beautiful landscapes of the Arctic Circle, tracing the awe-inspiring spring migration of millions of creatures to the Arctic and reminding the reader of the hardships and harmony of life in the wild.Back matter includes additional information about the arctic, a glossary, and an index.

Arctic White

When you live in the Arctic in winter, everything is a shade of white. A young girl looks around her home in the Arctic and sees only white, white, white...but one day her grandfather takes her on a journey through the tundra.  And at the end of their cold walk across the ice, they find something special that brings color into their world.

Farthest North: The Incredible Three-Year Voyage to the Frozen Latitudes of the North (Modern Library Exploration)

In 1893, Fridjtof Nansen set sail in the Fram, a ship specially designed and built to be frozen into the polar ice cap, withstand its crushing pressures, and travel with the sea’s drift closer to the North Pole than anyone had ever gone before. Experts said such a ship couldn't be built and that the voyage was tantamount to suicide.  This brilliant first-person account, originally published in 1897, marks the beginning of the modern age of exploration. Nansen vividly describes the dangerous voyage and his 15-month-long dash to the North Pole by sledge. Farthest North is an unforgettable tale and a must-read for any armchair explorer.

This Place Is Cold: An Imagine Living Here book

Can you imaging living in a place where it's so cold your breath turns instantly into tiny ice crystals that glitter in the sun? Where temperatures can drop fifty degrees below zero and even lower and the sun only comes out for a few hours per day? In This Place Is Cold readers will learn how people and animals survive in Alaska's ferocious cold, and how because of global warming this region is now in trouble. Vicki Cobb and Barbara Lavallee travelled the world together to research this groundbreaking geography series, that is now updated and redesigned to appeal to today's readers.

This is unique for us because unless we study the Antarctic, it probably will be our only salt dough map that looks like this meaning a portion is white.

So many other parts of the world have defined land, water and land forms masses that are blue for water, green for land and brown for mountains.

Having the white portion on the map representing the polar cap is unique.

Dye is optional if you don’t want to paint but we chose to paint ours this time.

Tiny grabbed some blue glitter thinking that it might work good on the blue or water part of the map.

EASY SALT DOUGH RECIPE

  • 4 cups flour
  • 2 cups salt
  • 2 Tablespoon cream of tartar
  • 1 piece of cardboard.. For example, lid from a used box or pizza box lid (clean as possible)
  • acrylic paint
  • pencil and black sharpie
  • tape to hold your map down
  • Optional blue sprinkles, dye
  • The map we used as a template is here by Atlas on the Arctic.

I don’t have pictured the acrylic paint we decided to use later instead of the dye.

Arctic Region Salt Dough Map and Free Map Flag Printables

I printed the map on 3 pages because we used a pizza size cardboard lid and too, we didn’t want our map too big.

If we were focusing on one country, we probably would have made it a bit bigger.

Since this is the top of the world, we wanted it to keep it with an aerial view.

Tape the map lightly to your box to hold it in place.

Arctic Region Salt Dough Map and Free Map Flag Printables

Trace over the map outline with a pencil to make a faint outline.

You’re just trying to get a pattern to follow.

Arctic Region Salt Dough Map and Free Map Flag Printables

Too, color the entire back side of your map which is a nifty tip and then the faint outline is more noticeable.

Also, if your template is big enough, at times, I have just glued the template straight onto the box.

If it is a simple outline you can just try free hand.  In my earlier days, I used traced paper too. But this way is easy enough and we like it.

Then come back with a black marker to trace over your pencil outline.

Arctic Region Salt Dough Map and Free Map Flag Printables

We went ahead and made our dough because Tiny couldn’t wait a minute longer to get his hands into it. 

I do like to add in the cream of tartar because I think it makes the salt dough smoother, soft and creamier.

Arctic Region Salt Dough Map and Free Map Flag Printables

It also kept and didn’t get dry while we painted.

So we painted the water and it doesn’t take too long for it to dry.

Arctic Region Salt Dough Map and Free Map Flag Printables

Also, on these kinds of maps you can lightly spray paint. As long you spray pay lightly you can still see your outline.

Slowly, they formed the land and the frozen polar ice cap.

Arctic Region Salt Dough Map and Free Map Flag Printables

Then what is it about making this salt dough map that makes every kid bring out all the tools they have from their play-doh making days?

Arctic Region Salt Dough Map and Free Map Flag Printables

We let our map dry for a day or two. I have read where you can put in the oven also to get it hard but you have to watch it. And bake it on low.

We weren’t in a hurry, so we just let it dry for a while after they painted it.

Important: Don’t forget to put holes in the dough where you want to put your map flags or animal tooth picks before it dries completely.

It is hard to place them after it dries completely.

We added one more country after it dried and you can use an ice pick and tap LIGHTLY so it doesn’t crack.

Kind of twist it and tap lightly and we got it in without breaking the land.

The boys wanted to make their own flag for the North Pole so they added that before it dried.

Arctic Region Salt Dough Map and Free Map Flag Printables

I created some flags so that we could locate these countries and areas.

Next, we placed all the flags after we read about the area again.

Ta da, all done and tons of fun.

There is no better way to study geography. Okay, I can think of a few more ways but they all have to be fun.

I have a little something for you too. I have made these flags on the Arctic.

Arctic Region Salt Dough Map and Free Map Flag Printables

Also, I have flags that just have animals on it for the younger sweeties.

You know most young kids equate countries or lands with where an animal lives.

Land of the polar bear and land of the seals equals the Arctic.

As they grow older, they know the countries, etc. So I created a set of map flags.

One page has the countries or regions, one is blank if you want to write them in yourself and one page has flags with the animals, igloo and the Saami, etc

Use the page with flag markers that are blank to write in your own animals or points of interests.

HOW TO GET THE FREE ARCTIC PRINTABLE MAP FLAGS

Now, how to grab the freebie. It’s a subscriber freebie.

Arctic Region Salt Dough Map and Free Map Flag Printables

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get my emails in your inbox and you get this freebie.

1) Sign up on my email list.

2) Grab the freebie now.

3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

2 CommentsFiled Under: Geography, Geography Based, Hands-On Activities, My Unit Studies {Free Printables & Hands-on Ideas}, Science Based Tagged With: salt dough map

Discovering Geography Through a Field Trip to Incan Ruins

August 19, 2024 | 4 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I am excited today to share discovering geography through a field trip to Incan ruins. Also, look at my page Meso-America Free Unit Study and Lapbook. And Homeschool Geography for more hands-on and simple ideas and tips.

After finally finding a home here in South America, we’re ready for some “school”.

We have all been excited about folding geography back into our school day.

You know I told you I use North Star Geography for two really big reasons.

Discovering Geography Through a Field Trip to Incan Ruins

One reason I love is is that I can adapt it for both my middle school and high school teen.

Bright Ideas Press North Star Geography

It is easier with a high school geography to tweak it to fit a younger child.

And not so easy to lesson plan for an older kid with an elementary resource.

Second, there are two or more activities or ideas listed to do with each lesson plan.

North Star Geography Activities

Geography at the middle school and high school level should stay hands-on and interactive. 

However, resources for interactive activities are not easy to find at this age.

Not many provide the teacher with two or three brainstorming ideas to enhance the curriculum with.

I feel a resource should always ease the teacher planning by providing activities.

Incan Ruins Geography

So when we studied about the biosphere, which includes learning about the flora, fauna and ecosystems, I just knew we had to do the second activity suggested in the curriculum.

We wanted to learn about the area we live in now.

 Pumapungo

(inhibited child of mine)

We didn’t have to go far to do this activity.

Look at these local ancient Incan ruins or Pumapungo Archaeological Park.

We took a field trip there; they were built in the late fifteenth century.

flora and fauna

Here we could learn not only about the native flora and fauna, but also tie in history.

It’s almost impossible to study either geography or history separately.

Why? Because things like the ecosystem and surroundings affected the development of a culture and it’s history.

 tumipampa

It reads “Tupac inka Yupanqui, and later his son Huiana Capac, dignified these provinces of the Canaris and what they called Tumipampa with buildings and royal houses, adorned the chambers with herbs, plants, and animals of gold and silver; the entrances were plated with gold, and settings of fine stones, emeralds, and turquoise; they constructed a famous temple of the sun, also plated with gold and silver . . .” Inca Garilosa de la Vega

 Incan Terraces

Pumapungo was made of several buildings like the Palace of Wayna-Kapa.

Learning World Geography Hands-On

This had a high temple, terraces and even a cool tunnel of the northern Incan empire.

 terraces

Though this isn’t quite all of the view of the ruins, I just had to pull back when taking the picture.

I want you to get the full flavor of this majestic site.

 Terraces

The ancient ruins are part of an old Incan city Tomebamba. 

Most of the stones were carried off by the Spanish conquistadors to build the city of Cuenca.

The Spanish conquistadors left very little, but enough that one could determine each section. 

Inside were the Temple of the Sun and the Convent of the Virgins of the Sun.

making bricks

This is where the Incan made brick. These were like underground big furnaces.

 making bricks

Then below this level is where they housed birds native to the area along with local fauna. 

Of course all of this entails different levels and much walking.

bird house

We just had to take our time walking down. This is the view going down.

 stairs down

And this is the view coming up. 

 back up

Flora and Fauna of South America

But the walk was well worth the time and oxygen needed to get back up.  Look what we learned about in the walk down.

 fauna of the inca

It reads “The Inca . . .had a house and patio full of birds, and monkeys and long-tailed monkeys, and macaws and parrots, and parakeets, and sparrow hawks and cururi . . . and many other birds of the highlands and the yungus . . .” Guaman Poma de Ayala

 toucan

White-Throated Toucan.

 Bearded Guan

We hadn’t seen a guy like this at our zoo back home.

This is a Bearded Guan.

 Macaw

A Chestnut Fronted Macaw.

 llama

Next, look at a few books to add to your unit study.

Books About Meso-America for Kids

5 Resources for Learning about Meso-America, the Aztec, Inca, and Maya

Add some of these books to your unit study about Meso-America.

DKfindout! Maya, Incas, and Aztecs

This fun, fact-filled book for kids ages 6–9 is the ultimate guide to three great civilizations of the American continents—the Maya, Incas, and Aztecs. Entertaining and educating young readers through a combination of close-up images, quirky trivia facts, quiz questions, and fascinating tidbits,
it’s the perfect book for any kid who can’t get enough of ancient history.

DK Eyewitness Books: Aztec, Inca & Maya: Discover the World of the Aztecs, Incas, and Mayas―

Journey back in time to experience the rise and fall of the Aztecs, as well as other Mesoamerican peoples, including the Incas and Mayas. You’ll explore their vast empires and lost worlds in spectacular detail, and meet their gods and goddesses and marvel at their precious stones. Join them farming and hunting, team up for sports and games, taste the food and drink, and dance at their celebrations. Then, after centuries of growth and progress, discover how the Spanish conquest
brought these civilizations crashing to their knees.

Llamas and the Andes: A nonfiction companion to Magic Tree House #34: Late Lunch with Llamas

Track the facts about llamas and other animals of the Andes in this nonfiction companion to the bestselling Magic Tree House series!When Jack and Annie came back from their adventure in Magic Tree House #34: Late Lunch with Llamas, they had lots of questions. Why do people raise llamas? What are llamas' closest relatives? How tall are the Andes mountains? What other animals live there? Find out the answers to these questions and more as Jack and Annie track the facts about llamas and the Andes.

Secret of the Andes (Puffin Newberry Library)

An Incan boy who tends llamas in a hidden valley in Peru learns the traditions and secrets of his ancestors. 

Incans Aztecs Mayans

Fascinating account of three major civilizations that existed in the New World before Europeans arrived. How did they live? What did they achieve? What happened to them? Seeks to interpret history from a biblical perspective.

More Meso-America Activities

alpaca
  • Make Stunning Salt Dough Incan Jewelry | Incan Crafts for Kids
  • 7 Facts About the Inca Empire & Make a Fun Incan Ruins Model
  • Geronimo Stilton Adventure The Journey Through Time #2: Back in Time (Mayan Craft)
  • Free Lapbook Maya and Fun Hands-on Meso-America Unit Study Ideas
  • 9 Free South America Country Reports for Kids Notebooking Pages
  • Meso-America Free Unit Study and Lapbook.
variable hawk

Variable Hawk.

Discovering Geography Through a Field Trip to Incan Ruins

Signs were about each bird and the text was in both Spanish and English.

South America Ruins for Kids

The signs explained about diversity and whether it was endangered or not.

 parrot

Bronze Winged Parrot.

Black chested Buzzard Eagle

We had to look at this guy for a while too. It is a Black-Chested Eagle. 

Everywhere along the site there were signs like the one below in both Spanish and English.

That helped us to appreciate where all the complexes and water sources were located.

Agua Los Andes

(Water in the Andes)

It reads “Water, the essential origin and energizer of life, inspired its sacralization in Andean man.  For this reason the myths of it’s origin are linked to rivers and lakes.  This conception generated a network of knowledge that developed an ideology of belonging to nature, freed of individual forms of private property.  Rather sustaining technologies of the environment were appropriated with systems of supportive social organizations.”

Water of Andes

There were beautiful brooks and streams located in the park. 

Learning About Ancient Ruins With Kids

Wayna-Kapac ordered a qucha constructed. It means moist ground.

This was in honor of Tiksi Wiraqucha, a divinity venerated in the Andes.

 Incan Gardens

(Orchards and Gardens of the Inca)

It reads “In the time of the Incas that cultivated area was a garden of gold and silver, as existed in the royal house of the King, where there were many herbs and flowers of diverse types, lesser plants, large trees, animals small and large, wild and domesticated, and creatures, such as snakes, large lizards and tiny ones, snails, butterflies and birds, and other large flying fowl . . .there was a large field of corn and the seed called Quinua . . .” Inca Garcilaso de la Vega

We ended our day of geography and history discoveries by adopting the local Ecuadorian way.

That means eating ice cream just about each day. 

Delicious homemade ice cream and parlors are found everywhere.

After all, because we don’t want to stand out, we have to blend in.

Adopting Local Ecuadorian Ways

I hope you and your kids enjoyed the pictures.

We want you to be able to savor this geography adventure as much as we did.

Discovering Geography Through a Field Trip to Incan Ruins

4 CommentsFiled Under: Geography, Hands-On Activities, Living Abroad, Plan, Attend, and Explore Ideas for a Field Trip Tagged With: geography

Edible Rock Cycle Fudge | Hands-on Rock Activities & Free Notebooking Pages

June 3, 2024 | 4 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

We really love to do rock activities that are easy. Also, look at my Free Earth Science Lapbook & Unit Study Ideas.

There are so many different hands-on activities to do when learning about rocks.

We did a Metamorphic Edible Rocks & Notebooking Pages activity a while back and today we decided to whip out an edible rock cycle fudge. (yum)

Edible Rock Cycle Fudge | Hands-on Rock Activities & Free Notebooking Pages

Your kids will love seeing the different processes of the rock cycle while making rock cycle fudge. This is great for your middle school kids to do.

Your kids will love seeing the different processes of the rock cycle while making rock cycle fudge. This is great for your middle school kids to do.

Make Edible Rock Cycle Fudge

Let the younger ones measure and stir the ingredients when they are not hot.

Edible Rock Cycle Fudge | Hands-on Rock Activities & Free Notebooking Pages

Otherwise, turn this activity over to your kids. Yes, easy activities are my style.

Let’s go. Here is what you need.

  • Microwave | two bowls (one needs to be microwave safe)
  • spatula
  • wax paper
  • thin cookie sheet
  • liquid and dry measuring cups
  • 1/2 cup silt (sweetened condensed milk)
  • 1/2 cup quartz crystals (sugar)
  • 1 T. sediment (softened butter)
  • 1 cup limestone pieces (marshmallows)
  • 1/4 cup or more sandstone pieces (we used walnuts because we love them, but pecans are fine too)
  • | 3/4 cup basalt pieces (chocolate chips)
  • 1/2 t. vanilla extract

Add the milk, sugar and softened butter in microwave safe mixing bowl and stir to mix. Set aside.

Edible Rock Cycle Fudge

In the second bowl combine the one cup of marshmallows, 1/4 cup of walnuts or pecan pieces, 3/4 cup of chocolate chips, and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Edible Rock Cycle Fudge | Hands-on Rock Activities & Free Notebooking Pages

Place the mixing bowl with the milk, sugar, and butter in the microwave.

Microwave it three times for 45 seconds each.

After each time, take it out, stir, and microwave again.

Edible Rock Cycle Fudge | Hands-on Rock Activities & Free Notebooking Pages

After the third time, pour the marshmallows, walnuts and chocolate chips into the bowl.

Everything should start melting.

(By the way since the mixing bowl has been microwaved 3 times, it’s hot. So your kids may want to use an oven mitten.)

If it’s not hot enough and melting, stick it in the microwave again and give it a few more seconds.

Edible Rock Cycle Fudge | Hands-on Rock Activities & Free Notebooking Pages

Pour out onto wax paper which is placed on a cookie sheet and refrigerate overnight.

Or, if you’re like us and can’t wait that long, stick it in the freezer for a while and cheat.

Here are some questions to ask about the rock cycle.

  1. What is the rock cycle? It’s how rocks are formed, it’s how rocks breakdown, and it’s how rocks form into other rocks.
  2. How is the fudge similar to the rock cycle? (Magma is chocolate, different pieces are sediment and when it cools, it’s igneous rock.)
  3. What is sediment? (Metamorphic rocks can break down and turn into sediment).
  4. What happens when we apply heat to a sedimentary rock?
  5. What is magma?

Look at some other hands-on rock activities I’ve rounded up and love.

 Rocks Unit Studies

  • Free Grand Canyon Unit Study.
  • Geology Leader Notebook 92 pages.
  • Free Homeschool Geology Unit Study And Easy DIY Eggshell Geode
  • Hands-on Science: Rocks & Minerals Unit.
  • Rocking the Cycle Unit Study 45 pages.
  • 4th Grade What are Minerals? 61 pages.

 Rock Printables, Lesson Plans and Activities

Now, look at some rock printables, lesson plans and activities.

  • Sedimentary Rocks Notebooking Pages.
  • Hands-On Rock Cycle: Crayons & Cookies.
    Metamorphic Rocks.
  • Rocks and Minerals: Scratch Test.
  • Geoscavenge – A Rock and Mineral Hunt & Printable
  • How Sedimentary Rocks are Formed.
  • 40+ Rocks and Stones Learning Activities for Kids.

Living Books About Rocks

And my favorite rock living book with hands-on activities.

6 Rock Unit Study Books & Fun Resources

Whatever grade you're teaching, you'll love adding one of these books or resources to your day.

1. A Rock Is Lively (Family Treasure Nature Encylopedias)

From dazzling blue lapis lazuli to volcanic snowflake obsidian, an incredible variety of rocks are showcased in all their splendor. Poetic in voice and elegant in design, this book introduces an array of facts, making it equally perfect for classroom sharing and family reading.

2. LED Lighted Pocket Microscope

 A pocket microscope is a great addition to a science shelf or to add to your bag for nature walks.

3. Rock Cycle Kit, 12 Pieces - Includes Metamorphic, Igneous & Sedimentary Rocks

You can grab a set like this one to start your collection, it contains rocks from each of the 3 types- Sedimentary, Metamorphic, and Igneous.

4. My Book of Rocks and Minerals: Things to Find, Collect, and Treasure

Identify colorful gemstones, sparkly crystals, the toughest rocks, and ancient fossils. Packed with fun facts, information, and extensive photos all about the rocks and minerals that make up the world around us.

Basher: Rocks & Minerals: A Gem of a Book

Simon Basher is back with another zany primer to science! Following his 3 successful titles on the basics of chemistry, physics, and biology, BASHER SCIENCE: ROCKS AND MINERALS is an in-depth look at the ground beneath our feet. Like his other titles, Basher presents these topics through charming and adorable illustrations and pairs them with basic information told from a first person perspective. He develops a community of characters based on the things that form the foundations of our planet: rocks, gems, crystals, fossils and more. And what's more, he makes it understandable, interesting, and cute. It's not what you expect out of a science primer.

Everybody Needs a Rock (An Aladdin Book)

Everybody needs a rock -- at least that's the way this particular rock hound feels about it in presenting her own highly individualistic rules for finding just the right rock for you.

Edible Rock Cycle Fudge | Hands-on Rock Activities & Free Notebooking Pages

Media About Rocks

  • Be a Rock Detective.
  • Fun – Sing Karaoka.
  • The Rock Cycle
  • The World Under a Rock
  • Our World – The Rock Cycle.

More Ideas for Edible Rock Activities

  • Rock Stacking.
  • Rock Activities For Kindergarten And Fun Edible Rock Cycle
  • Edible Rocks, Munching Meteorites
  • Metamorphic Edible Rocks & Notebooking Pages
  • Edible Sedimentary Rocks.
  • How to Identify Rocks Using a Nature Guide
  • Rock Candy Crystals.
  • DIY Agate Candy Slices.

Free 3 Notebooking Pages

Next, use my pages below to add your child’s thoughts about rocks.

  1. 3 Types of Rock Definition Page
  2. How Are Rocks Formed, Define Weathering, & Describe the Rock Cycle
  3. The ABCs of Rocks.

How to Get the Free Notebooking Pages

Now, how to grab the freebies. They are subscriber freebies.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get my emails in your inbox and you get this freebie.

1) Sign up on my email list.
2) Grab the freebie now.
3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.


Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

Your kids will love seeing the different processes of the rock cycle while making rock cycle fudge. This is great for your middle school kids to do. And grab some free hands-on homeschool ideas for studying about the fascinating topic of rocks. Click here to make this delicious and fun activity!

4 CommentsFiled Under: 1. My FREE Learning Printables {Any Topic}, Geography, Hands-On Activities, Middle School Homeschool, My Unit Studies {Free Printables & Hands-on Ideas}, Science, Science Based Tagged With: earthscience, freeprintables, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool, homeschoolscience, rocks, science, sciencecurriculum

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