One of the best things about being a fifth-grade teacher is teaching the 50 States and Capitals.
Before you scroll away, hear me out.
Why Teach the 50 States and their Capitals?
First, American students need to know at least the names of the states and where they are located within the United States to communicate in an informed way. For example, I had students asking if Canada was a state or an ocean? Hmmm…
Our students should also have a working knowledge of the United States because as our world gets smaller, the chances are greater that they will contact people from other states. Although we are all one country, each state and region have distinct characteristics.
Do you order a soda, a fountain drink, or pop when you are thirsty? If your business needs to ship something to upstate New York, do you know approximately where that is or how far?
Finally, teaching students how to memorize information, in a way that works for them, is a lifelong skill.
Chunk the 50 States Into Regions
Just handing students a paper with a list of the states never worked for me and was meaningless to my students. I found chunking the states into smaller regions worked so much better. I start with the western states because that is where I teach, the states are more familiar to my students, and they are more prominent on a map.
I created an independent learning packet for each region. It includes spelling skills using the state name, map coloring, identifying the state on a map, and a flipbook to write notes about the state.
Each week we complete a different region and have an assessment before we ever start all 50 States.
Use Songs to Help Students Remember the 50 States and Capitals
Putting facts to music is a great way to memorize! I can sing every word to some eighty’s songs, but I can’t remember what I had for dinner last night! YouTube has some great songs to help students learn the states.
Here are some of my personal favorites:
Games for Remembering the 50 States and Capitals
Games such as “Go Fish,” “Memory,” or “Trivia” are fun games to help students gain knowledge and interest in the US States.
In my 50 States and Capitals resource, I include lots of different game ideas, along with State Name Cards, State Trivia Cards, Capital City Cards, and Postal Abbreviation cards.
I put them in a bin, and students make up games during quiet times.
Use the Names of the States as Spelling Words
While we are working through the state region packets, I use the state names as spelling words. This list is often shorter than the usual spelling list, so it gives me extra time to teach the correct spelling of the states and allows me to teach spelling test procedures simultaneously. A win/win!
Connect the Names of the States With a Visual
I am a visual learner, so I use visualization and connection as a tool for memorizing.
I have found many of my students’ styles are similar. I explicitly teach visualization techniques while teaching about the states. For example, Vermont is shaped like a “V,” Louisiana is shaped like an “L,” Massachusetts looks as though it is kicking England away, the lower part of Michigan looks like a “mitten.”
When students color their regional maps, I tell them to make a conscious decision about the color they choose. Color is a great memory tool. For some reason, I think of California as orange (orange groves, maybe?) and Iowa as green (corn growing?). I don’t know why I associate them, but it does help me remember.
Use Digital Games
Students need practice, but flashcards can get tedious. For that reason, I created some Digital 50 States and Their Capitals Games. I assign these in Google Classroom, and my students use them to practice. They love them!
If I have a competitive group, we compete with brackets and a winner.
If I have a group that prefers to play independently or with partners, I have games for those learners as well.
Have Fun and Celebrate Learning all of the States and their Capitals
Finally, have fun! At the end of our 50 States and Capitals Unit, we party! We have a State Fair, in which each student completes a State Report. They make an exhibit, bring in a food dish native to their state, and dress up as either a famous person or historical person from the state.
Happy Teaching!
