The United States Facts Weblist
Social Studies, Language Arts and Technology
Grades 3-8
This
project was developed as part of the Title III Technology Literacy Challenge
Grant’s
Capital Region Collaboration for Technology
Education
2002
.
Created by Sandy
Banghart
bangharts@schenectady.k12.ny.us
Schenectady City School District
Introduction
Are
you looking for information about the United States? The following websites can
provide students with facts about each of the 50 states including Washington,
DC. These websites can assist in writing a state report, gathering information
to develop a travel brochure, or for homework assignments.
1.
50 States
Provides state and US territory information including state
symbols, flags, songs, birds, and so much more.
2.
Netstate
This site is a guide to the 50 states. You can find
information on flags, symbols, emblems, seals, populations, climate, people,
and the state quarters. This is also a good site for teachers because it
provides quizzes for each of the states.
3. The US50
The US50 is an extensive guide to history, outdoors,
tourism, events, attractions, geography and state links. There are also short
quizzes about each of the states. The Fast Facts Study Guide is a quick way to
find general information.
4. First Gov for Kids
First Gov is a gateway to other information resources.
Although this is primarily a site for kids about government it does list links
to States. These links give a lot of good information and are geared toward
kids.
5. Explore the States
Want to travel across
the country? Then click on a state and
find fascinating facts and stories about all the states and Washington D.C.
This site is from the Library of Congress.
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/es
6. IPL Kidspace: Stately Knowledge
Stately Knowledge is
a reference resource for kids to learn about the United States. This site is
part of the Internet Public Library. In addition to facts about the states
three links are provided to other websites about that state. Those three links
will take you away from Stately Knowledge.
http://www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/stateknow
7. Kids' Almanac
Kids' Almanac
combines homework information with fun facts, quizzes, and trivia. It is a
well-designed and colorful site that will appeal to students. It provides a
clickable map of the United States. The names of the states are spelled out
instead of their abbreviations. A
variety of information can be found at this site.
8. Classbrain
An educational
resource site for students, parents, and teachers. This site has a section
called state reports. You can choose your state from a pull down menu or the
map of the United States. It includes information on symbols, emblems,
statistics, tourism and much more. This site also includes templates, puzzles,
clip art and study aids.
9. US-States
The links in this
directory will guide you to the official sites of the states you are looking
for. The government of each state provides these links. This site may not be the best choice for
elementary students to start with.
10.
Enchanted Learning
This site is good for
students and teachers. For teachers the site provides map and flag quizzes and
printouts. Students are provided with a wide range of information such as:
animal, plant, earth and miscellaneous symbols. It also has state beverages,
muffins, desserts and cookies. This site has a lot of fun and interesting facts
not found on other sites.
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/usa/states
Teacher Notes
Process
Students in grades 3-8 can use this weblist for state reports, homework assignments, and information for a travel brochure. Teachers can use it for lesson plans and quizzes about the states. In addition to state information all of these sites do provide information in other subject areas. This is a good tool for library projects and teachers with limited time.
NYS Learning Standards and the National
Technology Educational Standards
NYS Learning Standards
Math, Science,
Technology
Standard
2: Information Systems Students will
access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate
technologies.
English
Language Arts
Standard 1: Language for Information and Understanding Students will listen,
speak, read, and write for information and understanding. As listeners and
readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas; discover relationships,
concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written,
and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral
and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language
to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information.
Standard 3: Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation Students will listen,
speak, read, and write for critical analysis and evaluation. As listeners and
readers, students will analyze experiences, ideas, information, and issues
presented by others using a variety of established criteria. As speakers and
writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted
conventions of the English language to present, from a variety of perspectives,
their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues.
Standard 4: Language for Social Interaction Students will listen, speak, read,
and write for social interaction. Students will use oral and written language
that follows the accepted conventions of the English language for effective
social communication with a wide variety of people. As readers and listeners,
they will use the social communications of others to enrich their understanding
of people and their views.
National
Technology Educational Standards for Students
1.
Basic operations and
concepts
o
Students demonstrate
a sound understanding of the nature and operation of technology systems.
o
Students are
proficient in the use of technology.
2.
Social, ethical, and
human issues
o
Students understand
the ethical, cultural, and societal issues related to technology.
o
Students practice
responsible use of technology systems, information, and software.
o
Students develop
positive attitudes toward technology uses that support lifelong learning,
collaboration, personal pursuits, and productivity.
3.
Technology
productivity tools
o
Students use
technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote
creativity.
4.
Technology research
tools
o
Students use
technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of
sources.
o
Students evaluate and
select new information resources and technological innovations based on the
appropriateness for specific tasks.
Credits and References
Graphic Images used on this page:
United States Map http://www.50states.com