Where in the World Is Cedar Falls and Waterloo Unit Continued

This week, many students brought in information on the Midwest States and the counties of Iowa. Jacob brought in research  and maps from the internet on the Midwest States. The students studied the relationship of Iowa to the surrounding states of Minnesota and Missouri. They discussed which states they have visited.  Many had been to Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois.  The students studied the capitals of the Midwest States.  Some activities were drawing freehand a map of  the Midwest States.  They learned Michigan is divided into two parts by a Great Lake.  The students are learning to identify the difference between states and cities.  Students categorized the states and cities.  Gramar was also incorporated.  Students reviewed that the names of states and cities need to be capitalized. 

Students also brought in information about the Iowa counties.  Sofie shared that there are 99 counties in Iowa.  Rosie shared that a county is a political division of the land.  We discussed Mrs. Guenther lives in Bremer County.  Therefore I cannot vote for the mayor of Cedar Falls because that city is part of Black Hawk County.  Students studied the surrounding counties of Black Hawk which are Bremer and Grundy and Tama.  The students also identified and discussed the surrounding cities on the map.  On Friday, the students wrote down their home addresses and drew picture of their homes.  They also put the vocabulary words city, continent, county, state and country in order from the smallest division of land to the largest.  Next week for the concluding unit activity, the students will use Google Earth to locate different locations.