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THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Look
at a large map of North America, which will show you only the part of
the earth that has the continent of North America on it. CLICK
HERE for a map. You will see three other large countries. From north
to south they are Canada, the United States of America, and Mexico.
Our
country is the United States of America. Sometimes people do not take time
to say the whole name of our country because the name is rather long. Instead
of saying "United States of America," they say "America" or "United States."
Neither of these names is just right. Our country is only a part of North
America and there is also a South America. Plus there are other countries
that have "United State" as a part of their names. But here at home we know
what people mean when they use these shorter names for our country.
Your
country, America, is made up of 50 different states. You live in one of
those states. Every state has a capitol city. That means that one of the
cities in each state is set aside to be the place where all of the government
buildings are located. The capitol is the place where the person who is
in charge of that state, the Governor, lives and works. The capitol is
the place where the state courthouse and other people who work for the
government are located.
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Click
here to play a game called Capitol Field Trip. This game will
help you to learn the capitols of all of the states in the United
States. |
Movement:
People Interacting on the Earth 
People are scattered unevenly over the Earth. How do
they get from one place to another? What are the patterns of movement
of people, products, and information? Regardless of where we live,
we rely upon each other for goods, services, and information. In fact, most
people interact with other places almost every day. We depend on other places
for much of our food, clothes, and even items like the pencils and paper
our children use in school. We also share information with each other using
many methods of communication--telephones, computers, books, newspapers,
radio, and television--to bridge the distances.
Activities
- Give your children opportunities to travel by car,
bus, bicycle, or on foot. When possible, take other forms of transportation
such as trains, subways, airplanes, ferries, barges, and horses and
carriages.
- Use a map to look at various routes you can take
when you use different methods of transportation.
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- Watch travel shows on television.
- Play the license plate game. How many different
states can you identify by looking at the plates, and what does the
license plate tell you about each state? You don't have to be in a car
to play. You can look at the license plates of parked cars. Suggest
your children keep a record of the states whose plates they have seen.
They can color in those states on a map and illustrate them with characteristics
described on the license plates. Some states have county names on their
plates. If you live in one of these states, your children may want to
keep track of the different counties.
- Go around your house and look at where different
things come from. Examine the labels of the clothes you wear. Talk about
where your food comes from. Why do bananas come from Central America?
Why does the milk come from the local dairy? Perhaps your climate is
too cold for growing bananas, and the milk is too perishable to travel
far. How did the food get to your house?
- Tell your children where your ancestors came from.
Find your family's countries of origin, and chart the birthplaces of
relatives on a map. You can plot the routes they followed before arriving
at their present locations. Why did they leave their previous home?
Where do all your relatives live now?
- Have your children ask older relatives what their
world was like when they were young. They can ask questions about transportation,
heating and refrigeration, the foods they ate, the clothes they wore,
and the schools they attended. Look at old pictures. How have things
changed since Grandma was a child? Grandparents and great aunts and
uncles are usually delighted to share their memories with the younger
generation, and they can pass on a wealth of information.
Ideas come from beyond our immediate surroundings.
How do they get to us? Consider communication by cell phones, telephone,
letters, electronic mail, television, radio, telegrams, fax, and even
graffiti, posters, bumper stickers, and promotional buttons. They all
convey information from one person or place to another.
- Watching television is a major way that many children
receive ideas from the outside world. Look for programs that will stimulate
their interest in the Earth--shows on wildlife, natural history, and
science. Talk about what they're watching and where it takes place.
- Ask your children how they would communicate with
other people. Would they use the phone, post a letter, or use electronic
mail? Encourage them to write letters to relatives and friends. They
may be able to get pen pals through school or a pen pal association.
(See listings below.)
- Talk with your children about the Information Superhighway.
Many schools now have computers in classrooms, and many households have
personal computers. However, you don't have to have a computer in your
home to understand the idea of the Internet or the Information Superhighway.
This global system connects millions of computers, just as roads connect
towns and cities--only the connections are made via telephone lines,
fiber optic cables, and microwave transmissions. Check at your local
public library for interesting reading materials and, if possible, go
on-line with your child. You may be able to get computer access through
the library or your child's school.
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800-315-2511
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