Category Archives: State Studies
Geography On A Trading Card
You can use these printable trading cars as a tool to teaching kids where countries are in the world and a few facts about them. It will give athletic or sports-crazy kids a peg on which to hang their knowledge … Continue reading
South Carolina State Study
Print out this map of South Carolina and using a student atlas label the major cities and natural features of the state. While you’re kids are working tell them something of the history of South Carolina. South Carolina was inhabited … Continue reading
Florida State Study
Florida was the last settled of the eastern states. Its settlement and pioneer period was actually contemporary with the states of the west. The peninsula was controlled by the Spanish, though the French and the British both tried to control … Continue reading
Georgia State Study
Georgia has been home to many people, the Mississippian culture mound builders being the most advanced and prolific pre-Columbian people we know of. They were succeeded by the Cherokee, Creek, and Yamasee peoples who were descended in part at least form the Mississippian culture. The first European settlements in the area were short … Continue reading
Idaho Potato Gems: The Recipe
At Layers of Learning we’re in the midst of a 50 states contest for the best cookie in America, proudly representing IDAHO. After much trial and error and multiple taste tests, performed by my most willing sons, we have perfected the Idaho Potato Gems, which do indeed … Continue reading
Alabama State Study
Also known as the Heart of Dixie, the name Alabama, comes from the name of the Alabama tribe, which people are written of from the earliest Spanish explorations of Hernando de Soto on down to the French colonizers of the territory. The French founded the … Continue reading
Tennessee State Study
Tennessee was inhabited early by the Muscogee and Yuchi people. For unknown reasons many of these people moved or died out soon after their first contact with Europeans. They were replaced by the Cherokee who expanded into Tennessee from the … Continue reading
Indiana State Study
Indiana was the center of the Adena culture and the later Hopewell people, two highly organized and advanced groups of people who lived before the modern tribes that the Europeans found inhabiting the North American continent. When the Europeans did arrive it was … Continue reading
Idaho Tree Distribution
Ponderosa Pine Certain trees grow in certain places for very good reasons. Try making a species distribution map for Idaho. We’ll choose six common species. There are of course many more, but the map gets complicated enough with just six. … Continue reading
Michigan State Study
The Algonquin were the inhabitants of the state of Michigan before Europeans arrived. the French were the first to explore and make contact with the tribes in this area. The Indians traded furs for beads and metal tools to the satisfaction of everyone. The French Catholic missionaries followed … Continue reading
Louisiana State Study
Louisiana was of course part of the Louisiana Purchase, named after King Louis XIV of France, in whose name the territory had been claimed. Because of it’s unique position at the outlet of the Mississippi River, Louisiana attracted a more diverse population than … Continue reading
Arkansas State Study
As you learn about this state try some of the food, read a story that takes place here, read about some wacky facts, color a map, learn more about the Indian Tribes in the area, and add a little fun … Continue reading
Missouri State Study
Missouri was a part of the Louisiana purchase and it’s position along the Mississippi river made it important early on. Settlers began to pour in from the east and very early on they had to pick sides for or against … Continue reading
Iowa State Study
Spain claimed all of the western part of North America in the early 1600′s but only explored it in part and never settled most of it. In 1800 Spain sold much of the north American territory to France with the understanding that France would … Continue reading
Minnesota State Study
The known history of Minnesota begins with the Hopewell people (there were earlier people, but we know nothing of them). Next we move into the middle ages and the Mississippian culture influence over the area. The Dakota tribes who next inhabited Minnesota may be … Continue reading
Kentucky State Study
Kentucky, unlike most of the rest of the North American continent was uninhabited by any tribes when white settlers began to explore and settle there. The region was used as a hunting ground by several tribes including the Iroquois, the Shawnee, and the Cherokee. It … Continue reading
New Mexico State Study
The Spaniard, Coronado, traveled through New Mexico in about 1540 searching for the fabled city of gold, Cibola. He didn’t find gold, but he did find many pueblo villages. Many of them were ancient abandoned cities and many were still inhabited by the Pueblo … Continue reading
Oklahoma State Study
Oklahoma began as the tribal land of the Osage and Quapaw people. Well, that’s not really who lived there first of course, but those are the people who were there when the Spanish first explored the land in 1541 with … Continue reading
Nebraska State Study
The French were the first Europeans to explore and claim Nebraska, naming it Louisiana after the contemporary King Louis. The Americans bought the territory from France during the days of Napoleon and soon divided it up into smaller territories. Nebraska became part of the … Continue reading
Texas State Study
They say everything’s bigger in Texas, but it’s actually only the SECOND largest state (trailing Alaska of course). Although, the capitol dome in Austin IS bigger than the U.S. Capitol building’s dome by 7 feet! The name “Texas” means friends, … Continue reading
Hawaii State Study
To read about Hawaii’s history go here. Hawaiian fun facts: There are only 12 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet and five of those are vowels, making Hawaiian a very melodic and beautiful spoken language. (a, e, i, o, u, k, … Continue reading
Idaho State Study
Idaho became a state in 1890. Before that it had been explored by Lewis and Clark during their famous trip and exploited and explored by trappers. The first permanent American settlements were formed by the Mormon pioneers in southeast Idaho. Later the state became the center … Continue reading
Alaskan Beaches
One of the kids’ favorite activities we did in Alaska was visit the beaches. Definitely too chilly for swimming, but we did plenty of collecting and looking at things on our long walk down the beach. We stopped and dug … Continue reading
Alaskan Glaciers
One of our days in Alaska we headed up to see Exit Glacier, just one of about 40 glaciers descending from the Harding Ice Field on the Kenai Peninsula. We took a short hike up to the glacier and were … Continue reading
Alaskan Fireweed
Surprisingly, Fireweed was one of my favorite things in Alaska. This plant is often considered more of a pest than a lovely flower, but it is lovely indeed. It also has some really neat properties. It gets its name from … Continue reading
Fishing The Kenai
One of the things we most looked forward to on our travels to Alaska was going fishing. The salmon were running and the fishing was unlike any we had done before. They call it combat fishing. That’s right, COMBAT fishing. … Continue reading
Alaska Expedition
There’s just no better way to learn about a place than to go there and experience it firsthand. Our family just got to go to the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska to visit some friends who live there. Would you … Continue reading
Arizona State Study
Arizona was made a state February 14, 1912. Before that it had belonged to the Hopi, Navajo, Apache, and 19 other tribes. Then it was claimed by the Spanish in the mid 1500′s, being actually inhabited first by missionaries and … Continue reading
Montana State Study
When I study a state with my kids, I usually just spend an hour or two on it and then the older ones read a book about the state. We sit down and go over all the facts with my … Continue reading
Alaska State Study
Alaska’s natives are Eskimos and are believed to have crossed the Bering Sea from Asia thousands of years ago. The first Europeans to visit Alaska were the Russians who crossed the Bering Sea in search of new land and furs, … Continue reading
Nevada State Study
Each Friday we’ve been posting geography ideas on Layers of Learning, and we’re finally making it “official!” Welcome to “Where in the World?” Geography Day. For now we’re taking a closer look at each of the states, and in the … Continue reading
Massachussetts State Study
If there is a place that as Americans we associate with liberty and courage it is Massachusetts. The Massachusetts state motto is Ense petit placidum sub liberate quietem (By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty). Massachusetts … Continue reading
Kansas State Study
At Layers of Learning we’re running a Friday feature on the states. Every Friday you will see a new state featured with history, map work ideas, activities and fun facts on the US States. The Kansas state motto is “Ad … Continue reading
Dakotas State Study
The Dakotas were first inhabited by the Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikera, Sioux, and Chippewa tribes. The Mandan in particular were civilized with permanent settlements, farming, trading and language developments. The area was first explored by the French in 1743 and claimed … Continue reading
Colorado State Study
Colorado first inhabited by the Apache, Pueblo, Arapaho, Cheyenne, Comanche, Ute, and Shoshone tribes was explored early by the Spanish and claimed for Spain in 1706. There were no Spanish settlements in the area though. In 1821 Mexico won its … Continue reading
Wyoming State Study
Wyoming was one of the last states to be settled, though major wagon train trails went through there, the desirable land was in the gold fields of California or the fertile lands of the Pacific Northwest. Of course various tribes … Continue reading
Utah State Study
When teaching about a state start with a bit of the history behind the state. You don’t need to go into detail, just a brief re-cap will be enough. Utah was inhabited first by several Indian tribes among them, the … Continue reading
Oregon & Population Maps
Oregon, inhabited first by American Indian tribes, was settled temporarily by the Spanish in the 1600-1700′s. But the territory soon fell into other hands. Captian Cook in looking for the Northwest Passage landed at Oregon in 1778. Lewis and Clark camped on … Continue reading
California State Study
We recently studied about California. First we found California on a map of the United States, reviewing the North American continent for the younger kids. Then we went over some of the state facts. Flower: California Poppy Tree: Redwood Song: I … Continue reading
Hawaii’s History
Many centuries or perhaps millenia ago people arrived in Hawaii. Historians and archaeologists believe they came by way of the islands in the South Pacific, originally from Asia, but the truth is that no one knows for sure. Individual kingdoms … Continue reading
Pennsylvania
My kids and I have just started studying the 50 states, for the second time around. There are some key things we add to our state studies to make them interesting. We use books and movies from the library for … Continue reading
