Southeastern States Lapbook Part 1

If you’ve never made a lapbook, they are a fun way to present and study information that is interactive and fun for kids.  The best part is they can come back to look at them again and again, reviewing the content. All it takes is a file folder and some creativity and you can make a lapbook for any subject!

For Weeks 7 and 8, students are studying Southeast States and Features!  I’ve designed a fun lapbook with matchbooks for each of the southeastern states which include a picture of the state’s flag, abbreviation, flower and bird. Let’s get started!

First open your file folder, and fold the outside edges into the middle. (My lapbook is a snazzy purple this time!!!)

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

Geography SE States week 7 – Printable

Now, you have a few options for the big southeast states map.  First trim the excess white on the top and bottom of the map. Then do one of these:

1. If you have young children, let them color and label the map before gluing it to the lapbook.
2. If you have older children, I recommend laminating (or use contact paper) the map blank as it is.  Then when you glue it into your lapbook your students can use a dry erase marker to enter information on the large map.  They can test their knowledge on the state names, capitals, locations of the features, birds, flowers or any other information about the states!

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

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 these onto the side flaps of your lapbook. They can go in any order and any position you like.  My tab was in the middle, so mine ended up looking like this:

Spend the next week learning your southeast states and capitals.  Fold the side flaps around backwards to just expose your laminated blank map for quiz time!  Test your students on the state names and capitals!  Have fun flipping open your match books to read about the states and see their state flags.  I left some blank space in the middle so your students can add their own interesting facts about each state if desired!  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.

Come back next week to print little flip-outs for southeast regional features: Ozark Mountains, Blue Ridge Mountains, Smoky Mountains, Shenandoah Valley, Everglades, Mammoth Caves and Florida Keys.  We’ll also add a cover page and make it 3-hole punch-able next week!