"Do not go where the path leads;
Rather, go where there is no path and leave a trail."
-Emerson

Tomorrow is Veteran's Day, so I would like to take a moment to thank all of those men and women who have served these United States over the past two centuries. May we live every day honoring the freedom they have preserved for us through their devotion to duty.

There comes a time in every student's life when he or she must open eyes to the vast expanse which is the states which make up the United States of America. When that time comes, why settle for the usual research sources for your students? Check out this double issue of web sites of our 50 states! Looking for something more in line with the study of the original colonies? Check out Jerry Blumengarten's Thirteen Colonies and State Trivia at http://www.angelfire.com/ny2/library218/henry.html!

American Fact Finder - http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet

From the U.S. Census bureau, this site offers tables and maps for states, counties, cities, towns, American Indian reservations, metropolitan areas and zip codes. Based on the year 2000 census data, students can make all kinds of comparisons between states that encourage critical thinking and higher level data analysis skills.

Best Places - http://www.bestplaces.net/

Almost 20 years ago Bert Sperling developed a program entitled "Places, USA" that allowed people to enter their preferences to find ideal places to live. This site is the extension of that vision, and it allows students to compare more than 3,000 different cities in a variety of ways. Check out the school statistics for some interesting data for educators.

Color Landform Atlas of the United States - http://fermi.jhuapl.edu/states/states.html

Ray Sterner created this site, offering a nice range of maps on each state, from the political and topographic to shaded relief maps and satellite images. I especially liked the post script map format which allows the user to download and print a map image of a state with ease on any post script printer. This site offers a nice cross-pollination of Social Studies and Science.

Driver's License Web Sites for all 50 States - http://www.carbuyingtips.com/driver-licenses.htm

Want to motivate teen-agers to study the states? Tie it to driver's license information! You have to steer them through some of the distractions, but this site will encourage your students to learn the licensing policies and insurance rates for any state in the union. Jeff Ostroff has done a great job of bringing lots of resources together in one place.

Explore the States - http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/es

The Library of Congress has put together this user-friendly site of state-by-state information, covering not only state symbols but all kinds of fascinating tales from the history of each state. Here students will not only gather data but also get a true taste for the flavor of each state, its favorite sons and daughters, and its rich past.

Facts and Symbols - The Fifty States - http://www.angelfire.com/or/rosad/states.html

This home grown site makes my list of recommendations just on the sheer volume of information presented here in concise, fast-loading format. Lots of facts including the capital, the date admitted into the union, the state flower, bird and tree, the state mineral, gem, insect, fish and marine mammal, as well as fossils, songs and the region in which it is located.

50 Nifty United States - http://tqjunior.thinkquest.org/5201/

Ideal for younger students, this ThinkQuest Junior entry not only offers lots of basic information in a fun format, it also touts a JAVA applet that will show students the progression of states as they were admitted into the union. This site is perfect for a classroom learning center or as a follow-up to your state studies.

50 State Quarters Program - http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/index.cfm?flash=yes&action=50_state_quarters_program

Here's a great hook for studying the states - take a look inside the U.S. mints current 50 states quarters program and study the coins that have been minted thus far. Click on the educational initiative button and download sets of lesson plans for grades K-1, 2-3, and 4-6 that help you teach about this program in the classroom.

50 States - http://www.50states.com/

Here's an even more extensive list of facts than the Facts and Symbols site, including such interesting information as the economy, the origin of the state's name, the state's members of congress, Presidents born in the state, and even links to tourist information and white page and yellow page directories. The state songs even come with an accompanying MIDI music file.

50 States of the USA - http://www.teacheroz.com/states.htm

Tracey Oz has done a magnificent job of bringing together all kinds of school-friendly information for students on the fifty states. There's maps, rankings, governments, laws, genealogy sites and quizzes. What's more, you can look up any specific state and find at least half a dozen links that cover all kinds of aspects about its history and people.

50 States, One Nation, One Year - http://abcnews.go.com/onair/DailyNews/50States_sub.html

ABC News archives this ongoing collection of stories that it has created while roaming the fifty states and capturing the essence of everyday life around our country. It is a great cross-section of American character and a site worth coming back to check on every so often to see what has been added. You'll appreciate its professional format and tone.

50 States Weather - http://cirrus.sprl.umich.edu/wxnet/states/states.html

Part of the University of Michigan's 'One Sky, Many Voices' site, here you can find the weather for any state and its bordering neighbors. There's lots of data and graphics to present conditions and forecasts. Study the site over time and have students make generalizations about the kind of climate a given state has for a specific season.

Flags of the World - United States - http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us(.html

This site has been setting the standard for flag sites on the Web for several years now, and this particular section on state flags includes both printable images and fascinating trivia behind the flag of each state. It includes alternate flags used in the past and the choice of a clickable map or a text-based list for finding any state of interest.

Netstate - http://www.netstate.com/

Probably more due to its user-friendly format than anything, Netstate is bound to be a teacher's choice when identifying resources for student state research. The drop down menus are easy to manipulate and the information categories are straightforward and well-presented: symbols, almanacs, people, news, geography, schools, rankings, and quizzes.

Postcards from America - http://www.postcardsfrom.com/

Here's a creative way to immerse students in the length and breadth of this nation; have them experience the travels of Priscilla and Ken Rhodes through their postcard snapshots as they travel across the country. Starting on of Cadillac Mountain in Maine in 1997 and ending in South Point, Hawaii in 2000, this site offers a personal peek at America today.

State and Local Government on the Net - http://www.statelocalgov.net/index.cfm

This site stockpiles every link imaginable on every state and federal government agency students might need to learn more about a state. There's even listings of regional agencies and national organizations that work with government to deliver services to the public. Use the text listing or the quick-reference drop down menu to access information easily.

State Fact Sheets - http://www.ers.usda.gov/statefacts/

Talk about critical thinking, here's a USDA site that compiles data from the 1980 census forward to allow students the chance to track demographic and economic switches over the last quarter of a century for every state. Data covers population, income, employment and agricultural statistics as well as links to current news.

Stately Knowledge - http://www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/stateknow/

The Internet Public Library hosts this colorful site on all 50 states with students in mind. Not only is there quick reference facts on each state, there are links to other online reference sources that offer more information. I especially like the comparison and ranking of states by size and population, the dates of entry into the union and the "chart of knowledge."

Statistical Resources on the Web: Cost of Living - http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/steccpi.html

This site is not for the faint of heart, but if you're looking for hard data based on consumer price indices, cost of living indicators and producer price indices, then this site has the meat and potatoes you're looking for. Ideal for secondary students, the comparative living cost links and child rearing costs will be especially useful eye openers for young adults.

Test Your Geography Knowledge - http://www.lizardpoint.com/fun/geoquiz/usaquiz.html

This is a fun review of visual identification of the 50 states. It gives you three chances to click on a state on the map, given the name of the state in the right hand frame. If you get it right on the first try you earn three points, on the second try two points and one point on the third try. A nice way to reinforce basic state knowledge on a classroom computer.

TripSpot - http://www.tripspot.com/state/

Take that states unit to the next level by using this site and challenging your students to work within a budget and plan a trip to their assigned state. TripSpot offers all kinds of tourism and travel information for every state. There's maps, road conditions, major attractions, accommodations and even camp sites for those who love the outdoors.

United States Jigsaw Puzzle - http://www.furby.com/ffp/usapuzzle.html

Not unlike Test Your Geography Knowledge, this section of the Furby site allows students to review placement of the 50 states in a puzzle format. In this case, the outline of the nation is empty and students must click on a state to the right and then click where it belongs within the outline to place it. Only an accurately placed click will move the state into position.

US 50 - http://www.theus50.com/

"The US50 is an extensive guide to history, outdoors, tourism, events and attractions for the fifty states." It includes state history, important historical figures, geography, outdoors, tourism and events. The narrative style is a refreshing alternative to the quick reference lists of many of the other sites. There's a study guide and games too.

US States Profiles - http://www.infoplease.com/states.html

This is a very comfortable site, perhaps in part because of the familiar Information Almanac format that allows your eye to quickly scan and find significant facts. And they're all here. Nowhere else have I seen such a compilation of facts and figures presented in such a professional-looking manner. The borders get a little busy but the main frame has got it all.

USA City Link - http://usacitylink.com/

In the spirit of TripSpot, CityLink offers all kinds of handy information on the cities and tourist information for all 50 states. Select a state from the simple drop down menu and click Go and you're off. The hotel, airline and car rental information make the researching of travel plans easy to do, and the links to information on even small cities gives this site a decided advantage.

USA State map/Quiz Print Outs - http://www.enchantedlearning.com/usa/statesbw/

Done with the states unit and ready to review learning with your students? Enchanted Learning presents this handy collection of maps and quizzes of states, regions and flags. Ready to print out and use with your students, this site is surely already well-used by classroom teachers. Why not join the bandwagon and see if there's something here for you?

Find More Great Resources at

 

Next week's topic: "Balanced Literacy"

Click here for rich text format (printer friendly) version of this issue

You can email URL's of high quality sites which may be of interest to our readers as well as new topic ideas and input and feedback!

 

 

Subscribe	innovative-teaching-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Unsubscribe	innovative-teaching-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

This newsletter may be forwarded or copied provided the header and signature information remain intact. Show a colleague what you have found in Innovative Teaching! ©2002 Walter McKenzie