One of my favorite parts about teaching fifth grade is sharing all the fun facts about United States history. One part of the Social Studies and US history curriculum that everyone can remember from fifth grade is memorizing the 50 states and capitals. When it comes to learning facts, I always like to try and make the learning more than just memorization. Here are some engaging teaching ideas to help your students focus while learning their 50 states and capitals. Be sure to grab the free Regions Packet here!
Competition
Class competitions always make things more exciting. I love using this States and Capitals Bingo game to help foster healthy competition among my students. My favorite part about this bingo game is that kids are having fun while they're learning. This game is so helpful in supporting my students' memorization of the states and capitals. It's a game they even love playing during those rainy day indoor recesses.
The States and Capitals Matching Game is another great way to encourage friendly competition between students. I have two sets of this matching game. When students play together in pairs, students time each other to see who can find matches the fastest. This matching game is also great for cooperative groups!
Cooperation
When I found this Class Size United States Map Poster, I knew it would be the perfect fit for my classroom!
Our grade-level team rotates for our math intervention, so I have other fifth grade students enter my room daily. They're a part of this giant art activity, too. This poster not only helps my students identify the place of the states on the map and their capitals, but it also builds community and a sense of friendship. We're all in it together, just like the United States of America.
Collaboration
I have been using these Regions Books to foster collaboration among my students. These books are chock full of information about each region in the United States. They are the perfect tool for fostering collaboration.
I separate my students into groups for each region and have them read and extract information from the book about each region. Finally, they work together to create a short report on the region using my Region Packets. Download the FREE Region Packets here. Each group then presents what they've learned when they're done reading and finding information. Finally, I have each group create a United States poster. These are perfect for displaying at an open house at the end of the year.
With each of these resources, your students will be reciting their 50 states and capitals all while having fun and being engaged.
