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| 50 States Mystery Postcards #3 | ||
A. INTRO TO WEB TREK Teacher Introduction: For the Group Tasks attached to each mystery state, students should be assigned to teams to complete the projects, which include fact books, crafts, trivia, maps, "Did You Know" cards, PowerPoint presentations, postcards, stamp designs, and travel brochures. They can begin with the general information resources covering all of the 50 states, or you can send them directly to the specific state links, asking them to correctly identify their assigned mystery postcard first. You can also print out copies of the Student Team Project worksheet to help students plan and timeline their Group Task. Student Introduction: |
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B. AND HERE ARE THE POSTCARDS . . . 1. GREETINGS from the state that produced the innovative animator Walt Disney, the author John Dos Passos, the tennis champ Jimmy Connors, and the science fiction writer Ray Bradbury. Quite a variety of famous people! Oh, did I mention that former U.S. President Ronald Reagan was also born here? This state is nearly 400 miles in length, so it also has a varied climate, including a fair share of tornados. You might have guessed that we are somewhere in the Midwest, and you would be right. But don't expect all flat lands. This is the 5th most densely populated state in the nation, and it's quite a mixture of urban and rural, farms, coal mines, factories, and hip sophistication in its largest city. Speaking of that wonderful city, we are going to see its famous Art Institute tomorrow, and I can't wait to views its amazing collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art. Apparently there are more than 30 paintings by Claude Monet alone, all in this one museum! Another one of my all-time favorite paintings is here too - "Nighthawks" by Edward Hopper, as well as Grant Wood's "American Gothic". After spending two days visiting this fine museum, we will head to the central part of the state, where we will follow Route 66 for awhile, then visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. Amish culture is very vibrant in this area of the state, and we will be taking a tour of a working Amish farm. From there we are planning on heading south to take a cruise on the Ohio River, stopping in Cave-in-Rock and Elizabethtown, where we would very likely see eagles if we were touring in winter. Then we head back up to the windy city on Lake Michigan's shores, because guess what? We have White Sox tickets! Have you guessed where we are? STUDENT TASK: If you were to visit this state, what kind of memorabilia would you bring back? Design and create tickets and brochures for places you have visited, and mount all of your memorabilia on a poster board for a colorful display. You may wish to view state tourism brochures for ideas for your project. Then create 5 -7 diary entries, covering the same amount of days, journaling your travels and attendance at the various events you have created tickets for. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::2. GREETINGS! from a state that celebrated the first modern Thanksgiving in the New World. That was way back in 1621, which should tell you something about the amount of history in this Atlantic coastal state. The first American university was also founded in this state, but if I gave you its name, it would be a dead giveaway! Let's see, what else was a first for this state? How about the first American public library! The first lighthouse, the first American novel, the first American printing press, the first American railroad, the first American swimming school, the first American public secondary school... wow! The list can go on even from there, but certainly one of the most important "firsts" for this state was the first battle of the Revolution in Lexington. And Revolutionary history abounds here, along with an incredibly rich literary history. Here are a few of the famous people this state gave a home to: Henry Adams, John Quincy Adams, Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, Paul Revere, Alexander Graham Bell, Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Emily Dickinson, Amy Lowell, Sylvia Plath, Edgar Allen Poe, Jack Kerouac, Anne Sexton, Leonard Bernstein, John F. Kennedy, Susan B. Anthony, Clara Barton... what a legacy! We are going to visit the site in the famous capital city, where an equally famous tea party was held. Then we are going to follow the Freedom Trail, and visit two famous colleges in Cambridge, across the Charles River from the capital. I bet that you know where we are by now! STUDENT TASK: You have a choice of two tasks today. You will need to research a bit of this state's history to complete either one. Either create a literary tour through the state, visiting homes and memorials of famous American authors, or create your own Revolutionary or Freedom Trail, defending your choices and stating what Revolutionary history took place at the locations you choose. Finally, for either choice, create an illustrated brochure advertising your tours, and present them to the class. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::3. WISH YOU WERE HERE! Today we traveled north from the last state we were in, keeping to the incredibly beautiful Atlantic coast. We're planning on visiting Bowdoin College, the place where poet Henry Wordsworth Longfellow both attended as a student and later served as Chair of Modern Languages. Then we're going to head to the Lobster Festival in Rockland; I am really looking forward to a feast there! We have rented an oceanfront cabin in Acadia National Park for a few days, and even though the coast here is rugged and somewhat cold for swimming, I'm still looking forward to this relaxing part of our trip. This state actually has miles and miles of coastline, stretching all the way from New Hampshire on its southern border up to Canada on its northern border. Have you guessed where I am? STUDENT TASK: Design the perfect kids' camp for this state, a state with beautiful ocean beaches and numerous clear lakes, mountains, and forests. What region will you choose? What will your camp focus on? Sports? Canoeing, tennis, swimming, sailing, golf... they're all possible. When you have found the perfect location and designed your dream camp, then create a brochure to advertise it, using pictures and descriptions of the location. But wait, you're not done yet! You also have to write a postcard home from camp, telling your parents or a friend what you are doing there, and what your camp is like in this state. Use the postcard template here: C. INTERNET RESOURCES . . . THE 50 STATES - GENERAL: ILLINOIS SPECIFIC RESOURCES: MASSACHUSETTS SPECIFIC RESOURCES: MAINE:
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