New states of mind

Christine Carrillo

For some fifth-graders at Victoria Elementary School in Costa Mesa,

learning about other states doesn’t have as much to do with travel as

it does with research. Maneuvering through Google searches online and

thumbing through encyclopedias and history books, these students

learned more about their chosen states than many of their states’

residents.

After their informational quest, the students worked on displaying

their newfound knowledge on a state banner that would depict

everything from the state’s bird or flower to its most famous

residents and attractions.

“This project gives the kids a real appreciation of how big our

country is,” fifth-grade teacher Joe Norris said. “The main thing is,

they learn that the United States is a nation of variety.”

Studying U.S. history by looking at the individual states has

given these fifth-graders a better understanding of the size of the

country and the uniqueness of its 50 states.

Norris has only about 30 students in his class, not enough to

cover every state. The students’ projects have provided an extensive

look at a majority of the country, though, and has enhanced their

understanding of it.

“It’s fun because you get to learn stuff about the states,”

10-year-old Amber Karel said.

The most challenging part of the project was the research, she

said.

“It’s kind of difficult because sometimes you need to find some of

the information, but you can’t find it,” she said.

Some of Amber’s classmates agreed.

“It’s hard trying to find things that are rare to find ... but I

got better,” said 10-year-old Brooke Theemling, who was working on a

banner for Mississippi. “It’s a good experience. It was a learning

experience for me.”

* IN THE CLASSROOM is a weekly feature in which Daily Pilot

education writer Christine Carrillo visits a campus in the

Newport-Mesa area and writes about her experience.