Utah

 For Utah we especially enjoyed learning about the (5!) beautiful national parks in the state! We also learned about the joining of the transcontinental railroad, some stories from local native peoples, and the history of Japanese internment during WWII. 

Books:

• Utah by Jim Ollhoff

• A is for Arches: A Utah Alphabet by Becky Hall

• Bryce Canyon National Park (Rookie National Parks) by Jennifer Hackett

• Zion National Park (Rookie National Parks) by Jodie Shepherd 

• Arches National Park by David Petersen

• Annie and the Old One by Miska Miles

• The Magic Of Spider Woman by Lois Duncan

• Ma'II and Cousin Horned Toad: A Traditional Navajo Story by Shonto Begay

• Ten Mile Day: And the Building of the Transcontinental Railroad by Mary Ann Fraser

• Iron Horses by Verla Kay

• A Place Where Sunflowers Grow by Amy Lee-Tai and Felicia Hoshino

• Dinosaur Mountain: Digging into the Jurassic Age by Deborah Kogan Ray

• Journey to Topaz by Yoshiko Uchida

• The Nutcracker Comes to America: How Three Ballet-Loving Brothers Created a Holiday Tradition by Chris Barton

Art Project:

Night Sky at Arches National Park

For Utah, the kids decided to depict Arches National Park, an officially designated dark sky park, at night when you can see the beauty of the earthen arches against the splendor of the night sky. Take a moment to look at some photos online if you've never been!

Texas

We loved reading about a wide variety of famous people from Texas from politicians to music stars to people fighting for equality.

Books:

• L is for Lone Star: A Texas Alphabet by Carol Crane

• Texas (My United States: A True Book) by Josh Gregory

• Selena, Queen of Tejano Music By Silvia López

• Family Pictures by Carmen Lomas Garza

• Dropping In On Dallas

• What Do You Do With A Voice Like That? The Story of Extraordinary Congresswoman Barbara Jordan By Chris Barton

• Susanna of the Alamo: A True Story by John Jakes

• What Was the Alamo by Pam Pollack

• Bill Pickett: Rodeo-Ridin' Cowboy by Andrea Davis Pinkney

• The Legend of the Bluebonnet by Tomie DePaola

• The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

• All Different Now: Juneteenth, The First Day of Freedom by Angela Johnson

• The Juneteenth Story: Celebrating The End of Slavery in The United States by Alliah L. Agostini

• Beyoncé: Shine Your Light by Sarah Warren

• Indelible Ann: The Larger-Than-Life Story of Governor Ann Richards by Meghan P. Browne

• Small Room, Big Dreams: The Journey of Julián and Joaquin Castro by Monica Brown

• Dark Was the Night : Blind Willie Johnson's journey to the stars by Gary Golio

• King of Ragtime: The Story of Scott Joplin by Stephen Costanza

• Talkin' About Bessie: The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman by Nikki Grimes

• Soldier for equality : José de la Luz Saénz and the Great War by Duncan Tonatiuh

• Ricardo’s race by Diane Gonzales Bertrand

• Tomás and the library lady by Pat Mora

• Saltypie: A Choctaw Journey from Darkness into Light by Tim Tingle

• Native Peoples: https://www.thestoryoftexas.com/discover/campfire-stories/american-indians

• Picture Book of Sam Houston by David Adler

• Marfa by Kathleen Shafer

Art Project:

For Texas, we decided to depict cactus in the desert. Each of the kids did one of the top cacti, using sharpie and water color, and collectively we tried this cool project with black glue, water color, and tissue paper flowers that I found here. 

Tennessee

We actually finished Tennessee a few months ago, but we'd fallen behind on our art projects. Now that the project is finished, I can finally post it. The kids loved learning about Tennessee places to visit, from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the National Civil Rights Museum, and really loved learning about some amazing musicians (Dolly Parton, Aretha Franklin) from Tennessee and listening to their works. And no we didn't forget about Elvis, we just read already covered him during our Mississippi study. But perhaps their favorite thing, was the Peabody Ducks (see below). 

Books:

• V is for Volunteer: A Tennessee Alphabet by Michael Shoulders

• Tennessee (My United States: A True Book) by Melissa McDaniel

• The Voice That Won The Vote: How One Woman's Words Made History by Elisa Boxer

• Wilma Unlimited by Kathleen Krull

• Native Americans: Cherokee by Sarah Tieck

• Coat of Many Colors by Dolly Parton

• Dolly Parton (Little People, Big Dreams) by Ma Isabel Sanchez Vegara

• Who Is Dolly Parton? By True Kelley

• Greetings from Nowhere by Barbara O’Connor

• Morris and Buddy: The Story of the First Seeing Eye Dog by Becky Hall

• John Philip Duck by Patricia Polacco

• A Band of Angels by Deborah Hopkinson

• Who Was Davy Crockett? By Gail Herman

• Richard Wright and the Library Card by William Miller

• Abby Takes a Stand (Scraps of Time) by Patricia McKissack

• Step Right Up: How Doc and Jim Key Taught the World about Kindness by Donna Janell Bowman

• R-E-S-P-E-C-T : Aretha Franklin, the queen of soul by Carole Boston Weatherford

• Lorraine The Girl Who Sang the Storm Away by Ketcham Secor

• Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop by Alice Faye Duncan

• Evicted! By Alice Faye Duncan

• Hammering for Freedom: The William Lewis Story

• The Quickest Kid in Clarksville by Pat Miller

• Just for Elephants by Carol Buckley

• Swamp Angel by Anne Isaacs

Art Project:

Ducks at the Peabody Hotel

For Tennessee the kids chose to depict the famous Peabody Ducks, which march down the red carpet to and from the fountain each morning and evening. 

South Dakota

We've been behind on our state art projects and thus behind on these posts, but the state learning project continues. We enjoyed learning about South Dakota history from the prehistoric (dinosaurs once roamed here) to both historical and modern Native Americans. The process of the creation of Mount Rushmore was also quite interesting.

Books:

• South Dakota by Jo S. Kittinger

• M is for Mount Rushmore: A South Dakota Alphabet by William Anderson

• Greet the Dawn: The Lakota Way by S.D. Nelson

• Red Bird Sings: The Story of Zitkala-Sa, Native American Author, Musician, and Activist by: Q. L. Pearce, Gina Capaldi

• We are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom

• Hanging Off Jefferson's Nose: Growing Up On Mount Rushmore by Tina Nichols Coury

• Rushmore by Lynn Curlee

• Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventures #1: The Mount Rushmore Calamity by Jeff Brown

• Crazy Horse's Vision by Joseph Bruchac

• A Boy Called Slow by Joseph Bruchac

• A dinosaur named Sue : the story of the colossal fossil : the world's most complete T. rex by Patricia Relf

• Dakota Dugout by Ann Turner

• The Journey of York: The Unsung Hero of the Lewis and Clark Expedition by Hasan Davis

• In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse by Joseph Marshall

• Runs With Courage by Joan M. Wolf

• A Dinosaur Named Ruth by Julia Lyon

• Tatanka and the Lakota People by Donald F. Montileaux

Art Project:

Badlands National Park at Sunset

Our South Dakota art project depicts hoodoo rock formations at Badlands National Park at sunset. Completed with sharpie, oil pastel, and watercolor, our art was inspired by the picture in this article about the park.

South Carolina

We enjoyed reading about many interesting South Carolinians (see book list), and learning about South Carolina's environment and culture, including Gullah Culture.

Books:

• South Carolina by  Barbara A. Somervill 

• P is for Palmetto: A South Carolina Alphabet by Carol Crane

• Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave by Laban Carrick Hill

• Mary McLeod Bethune by Eloise Greenfield 

• The Vast Wonder of the World: Biologist Ernest Everett Just By: Mélina Mangal

• This Is the Rope: A Story from the Great Migration by Jaqueline Woodson

• Long-Armed Ludy and the First Women's Olympics by Jean L.S. Patrick

• The King of Bees by Lester L. Laminack

• Let Them Play by Margot Theis Raven

• Circle Unbroken by Margot Theis Raven

• Ron's Big Mission by Rose Blue

• Follow the Moon Home: A Tale of One Idea, Twenty Kids, and a Hundred Sea Turtles by Philippe Cousteau

• The Freedom Ship of Robert Smalls by Louise Meriwether

• The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis by Barbara O’Connor

• The President Sang Amazing Grace by Zoe Mulford

• Catching the Fire: Philip Simmons, Blacksmith by Mary E. Lyons

• The Butter Tree by Mary E. Lyons

• Hey, Charleston! The True Story of the Jenkins Orphanage Band by Anne F. Rockwell

• America’s Tea Parties by Marissa Moss

Art Project:

Loggerhead Sea Turtles 

The kids chose to depict Loggerhead Sea Turtles (the state reptile) on the South Carolina shore. They were inspired by the book we read: Follow the Moon Home: A Tale of One Idea, Twenty Kids, and a Hundred Sea Turtles by Philippe Cousteau. The art work was completed with colored sharpie (for outlines / details on the sea turtles), oil pastel (sand, waves, turtles), and water color (water, sky).

Rhode Island

The kids' favorite thing they learned about for Rhode Island was definitely Providence's Waterfire celebration. They are really intrigued. 

Books:

• R is for Rhode Island Red: A Rhode Island Alphabet by Mark R. Allio

• Rhode Island (A True Book: My United States) by Nel Yomtov

• Finding Providence: The Story of Roger Williams by Avi

• Mill by David Macaulay

• Blizzard by John Rocco

• Birth of the Cool: How Jazz Great Miles Davis Found His Sound by Kathleen Cornell Berman

• The Bravest Woman in America by Marissa Moss

• Nickommoh!: A Thanksgiving Celebration by Jackie French Koller

• The Wampanoag by Janey Levy

• Article on Annie Smith Peck: https://kids.kiddle.co/Annie_Smith_Peck 

• Article on Matilda Sissieretta Joyner Jones: https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Matilda-Sissieretta-Jones/633226 

• Buddy Cianci: https://kids.kiddle.co/Buddy_Cianci

Art Project:

Waterfire

Not surprisingly, they chose to depict Waterfire for their Rhode Island art project. Made using colored sharpie (for outlines, small details), oil pastel (moon, wall, fires, boat, ripples), and water color (water and sky).

Pennsylvania

 Pennsylvania had so much to learn about from American history, to a huge variety of people who changed history. We also really enjoyed learning about Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater.

Books:

• They Called Her Molly Pitcher by Anne Rockwell

• A More Perfect Union: The Story of Our Constitution by Betsy Maestro 

• Leaders Like Us: Bayard Rustin by J.P. Miller

• Beautiful Shades of Brown: The Art of Laura Wheeler Waring by Nancy Churnin

• Dropping In On Philadelphia

• Gettysburg National Military Park (Rookie National Parks) by Moira Rose Donohue

• Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring by Jan Greenberg & Sandra Jordan

• K is for Keystone: A Pennsylvania Alphabet by Kristen Kane

• Pennsylvania (A True Book: My United States) by Karen Kellaher

• Saving the Liberty Bell by Megan McDonald

• The Fourth of July Story by Alice Dalgliesh

• Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin by Gene Barretta

• The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon by Jacqueline Davies

• Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World by Laurie Lawlor

• Betsy Ross and the American Flag by Kay Melchisedech Olson

• Raising Yoder’s Barn by Jane Yolen

• Fallingwater by Marc Harshman

• The Leather Apron Club by Jane Yolen

• The Mutter Museum by Anna Dhody

• Never Caught: The Story of Ona Judge by Erica Dunbar

• William Penn, Founder of Pennsylvania by Steven Kroll

• Taylor Swift: Pop Star by Katie Lajiness

• The Daring Nellie Bly: America's Star Reporter by Bonnie Christensen

• A Race Around the World: The True Story of Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland by Caroline Starr Rose

• Andy Warhol (Little People, Big Dreams) by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara

• Uncle Andy's: A Faabbbulous Visit with Andy Warhol by James Warhola

• Strange Fruit: Billie Holiday and the Power of a Protest Song by Gary Golio

• Becoming Billie Holiday by Carole Boston Weatherford

• Chocolate by Hershey : a story about Milton S. Hershey by Betty Burford

• Who Was Milton Hershey? by James Buckley

• The Polio Pioneer: Dr. Jonas Salk and the Polio Vaccine by Linda Elovitz Marshall (Salk was from NY, but we missed him then, and he did his research in PA)

• Quakers and Anti-Slavery Movement: https://web.tricolib.brynmawr.edu/speccoll/quakersandslavery/

Art Project:

Liberty Bell

For PA, the kids decided to depict the iconic Liberty Bell. Materials include: colored sharpie, oil pastel, and water color.

Oregon

For Oregon the kids especially enjoyed learning about the fabulous Beverly Cleary, and playing the old-school Oregon Trail computer game. 

Books:

• Oregon (A True Book: My United States) by Josh Gregory

• B is for Beaver: An Oregon Alphabet by Roland Smith & Marie Smith

• Just Like Beverly: A Biography of Beverly Cleary by Vicki Conrad

• A Girl from Yamhill: A Memoir by Beverly Cleary

• Beavers by Gail Gibbons

• Apples to Oregon: Being the (Slightly) True Narrative of How a Brave Pioneer Father Brought Apples, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Grapes, and Cherries (and Children) Across the Plains by Deborah Hopkinson’

• Bound for Oregon by Jean Van Leeuwen

• If You Were a Kid on the Oregon Trail by Josh Gregory

• Coyote in Love: The Story of Crater Lake by Mindy Dwyer

• They Call Me River by Maciek Albrecht

• Brother Eagle, Sister Sky by Susan Jeffers

• Thunder rolling down the mountain : The Story of Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce by Zimmerman, Rusty

• https://www.opb.org/news/article/oregon-white-history-racist-foundations-black-exclusion-laws/ 

• https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/strange-but-true-largest-organism-is-fungus/

• The Oregon Trail by Mel Friedman

• The Oregon Trail by Laura Murray

• Minnow and Rose: An Oregon Trail Story by Judy Young

Art Project:

Crater Lake

For our art project the kids chose to depict Crater Lake. Materials used: colored sharpie, oil pastel, water color.