Great Lakes States Lapbook Part 1

Yes indeed the Geography lapbooks are continuing.  Are your students enjoying them?  I hope so!  If you weren’t able to earlier, make sure you check out the Southeastern States Lapbook,  Mid-Atlantic States Lapbooks, and the New England States Lapbooks!

In the new year we start off geography with the Great Lakes States.  This week, you’ll get your file folder folded and add the matchbooks for each of the Great Lakes states which include a picture of the state’s flag, abbreviation, flower and bird.  You can add additional information in the blank space, like patron saint of each state, or state tree, etc.

First open your file folder, and fold the outside edges into the middle. (I’m still going with my purple folders!)

Now print the state matchbooks and the New England states map.  Print the matchbooks two sided (flip along the LONG side of the paper).

Great Lakes States Week 13 Printable

Print the big map and trim excess white from around it.  Here are your choices once again:

1. Color and label the map before glue-sticking it to the lapbook.
2. Laminate (or use contact paper) the map.  Then glue it into your lapbook and your students can use a dry erase marker to write information on the map.  They can test their knowledge on the state names, capitals, locations of the features, birds, flowers or any other information about the states! (I would recommend the laminated version if you have one lapbook per family, so you can erase one student’s information and allow other students to label)

Once you’ve chosen what to do with the large map, glue or tape it into the middle section of the lapbook.

MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE ABOUT 3 1/2 INCHES AT THE BOTTOM.  (The features will go down there, and this time it does matter where they go!)

Now cut out your state matchbooks.  Fold on the dotted lines so that they look like a matchbook when folded.  The state name should overlap the top flap with the US map, like this:

Once you have those cut out and folded, glue stick these into your lapbook. They can go in any order and any position you like, AS LONG AS YOU LEAVE THE BOTTOM 3 1/2 INCHES OF SPACE AT THE BOTTOM EMPTY.  (sorry to yell, but I don’t want you breezing over this information because you’re lapbook pros by now)

Here’s what mine looks like:

Add your own interesting facts about each state!  Some ideas may be to add famous people from that state, year the state was added to the US, patron saint of each state, etc.

Pull out your other Geography Lapbooks and do some review.  Do your students still remember the capital of Georgia?  How about the abbreviation for Mississippi? Use your laminated maps in the middle to quiz!

Come back next week to print little flip pages for the Great Lakes!

Ok, so are you really curious about those 3 1/2 inches?  I’ll give you a sneak peak at the features for next week, so you can get excited.