We all have a sense of pride when it comes to the state in which we were born. Maybe it’s a result of family’s or town’s traditions. It could be the fourth of July parade that we attended every year, or the Christmas tree lighting ceremony every December . There are parks, attractions, museums, venues, restaurants, people and places that will be etched in our minds forever. Some of us have moved away from our home state and will not be able to share these same memories with our children, instead we can and will make our own! Either way, why not use these memories and experiences as a stepping stone for a homeschool unit study?
Creating A State Unit Study With A Scrapbook
Step One: Give your child one full school year to complete this project. This will give them time to compile the pictures, facts, poems and stories that they want to include in their scrapbook.
Step Two: Choose your method: Digital format or by hand.
If you decide to go digital, use an online site such as Shutterfly to create your scrapbook using the photo book route. If you want your child to go the old-fashioned way, go to a craft store and pick up a scrapbook and scrapbooking material or visit the Creative Memories website.
Step Three: Give your child a camera. Maybe you have an old phone they could use or a digital camera somewhere in the house that you are not using. If not, pawn shops cannot ever seem to get rid of them and will sometimes sell you a decent camera for less than $15. Let your child use their camera throughout the year as you experience life, particularly within your state. Let them take pictures of different landscapes, geographic regions, seasons, wildlife and landmarks throughout your state in addition to fun family activities that you have planned.
Step Four: Plan your pages. The typical photo book allows for 20 pages.
Here is an example layout you can use. Feel free to change to meet your specific situation.
Cover- Collage of student’s pictures with your state’s name in the center and child listed as the author.
1- State flag, flower and bird
2- Current leading state politicians listed
3- Current leadership in town/city you live in listed (mayor, etc)
4- Pictures of local birds
5- List of presidents who were born in your state
6- Short write-up/report of favorite president from your state
7- List and photos of favorite food dishes prepared in your region/state
8- Pictures of local wildlife
9- Favorite places to visit in your neighborhood
10- Favorite places to visit in your state
11- A picture of your backyard from each of the four seasons
12- Pictures of local landscapes (mountains, rivers, etc)
13- Print out an outline of your state and have your child creatively draw and label important towns on it.
14- Pictures of state landmarks
15- Short write-up/report on the capital city of your state complete with pictures
16- Pictures of local landmarks
17- A list of famous people from your state
18- Short write-up/report of your favorite famous person from your state
19- Random picture collage compiled by student
20- Random picture collage compiled by student
Step Five: Set up a timeline. Tell your child how much work you require them to do each week. Have them focus on a certain report or research page each week and let them take photos throughout the year for the picture pages.
Step Six: Compile your book. Once all the hard work is done, let your child compile the pages together creatively. If it is a photo book simply scan the pages onto your computer and go from there. Order the book from Shutterfly (or compile by hand) and enjoy!
