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#2266. The Nifty Fifty

Social Studies, level: Elementary
Posted Fri May 25 09:51:21 PDT 2001 by Rebekah Manwiller (BekahManwiller@cedarville.edu).
Cedarville University, Cedarville, OH, USA
Materials Required: Kid's Almanacs, Worksheets
Activity Time: 30 - 45 minutes
Concepts Taught: Almanac Usage, 50 States

Objectives:
· Students will demonstrate their knowledge of how to use an almanac by filling out a worksheet based on the 1997 World Almanac for Kids.
· Students will learn new facts about the fifty states by filling out the worksheet.
Materials Needed:
· Paper
· “Nifty Fifty” worksheets (included at the bottom)
· Kid’s Almanacs – one for each student or group
· Pencils
THE LESSON:
Introductory Activity – Show the students an almanac and explain to them how to use an almanac. Hand out almanacs (to individuals or pairs) and have practice looking for things, such as where to find information on animals or holidays or planets.
Step 1: Hand out the “Nifty Fifty” worksheets and have the students fill them out (individually or in pairs).
Step 2: Have the students get into groups of four and share some of the interesting facts they found in their almanac searches.
Challenge (Extension) Activity:
Have students attempt to find out as much information about one state as they can find in the almanac. They can use this information to write a book on that state.
Evaluation:
· Students will correctly answer 8 out of 10 questions on the “Nifty Fifty” worksheet.
Checklist:
Were all students successful and on-task?
What went well about the lesson?
What didn’t go well?
What will I do differently next time?

Worksheet:
NIFTY-FIFTY
1. On what pages could you find information about the United States? ______________
2. Which state is the largest? Which is the smallest?
________________________________
3. Who was the first President of the United States? Who was the second President? _______________________
________________________________________
4. When did John Fitzgerald Kennedy die?
______________________
5. Find two interesting facts about Michigan.
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
6. What is the state bird of Ohio? What is the state tree of Ohio? _____________________________________
________________________________________
7. How did Delaware get its name?
_________________________________________
8. How did Ohio get its name?
________________________________________
9. Where is Crater Lake?
________________________________________
10. What is the capital of the United States?
________________________________________
On the back of the paper, write some interesting facts about the states that you found in the almanac.