5 Ways to make Learning Kentucky Regions Fun
Do you remember what you learned about in 4th grade? This is where most kids learn all about the history of their state. It’s here they discover all about what makes their state so special! Learning about the Kentucky regions was such a fun experience when I was a child.
History can be a tricky subject because kids either seem to love it or hate it. The key is to draw them in with fun engaging activities they want to do so that the actual learning happens in the background of the fun. Today I’m going to share with you how I use my Kentucky Regions Mini-Unit to do just that with my students.
Mingling with Vocabulary
As teachers, we know the importance of our students understanding and mastering vocabulary in order to comprehendwhat they are reading. But let’s face it most students don’t enjoy studying vocabulary words. That’s because the traditional notecards can be dull and uninteresting for kids. No worries I have a sure-fire way to get your kids up and moving and LOVING Vocabulary practice.
I use my vocabulary cards from my Kentucky Regions unit to play a game of Vocabulary Mingle. It is a simple game that gets students out of their seats and discussing and describing vocabulary words with each other. All you need is a headband and a set of vocabulary cards. I print out enough cards for the entire class to have 1 vocabulary card each.
To play students will put the headband on the heads and slip the card behind the headband. The Kentucky Regions unit has 6 different vocabulary words so we take it a step further and I make each word a specific region of Kentucky. This is just an added way to review the names of all the regions of Kentucky.
Students will then be instructed to leave their regions to a partner with a different word than theirs. They will take turns reading the words to each other and giving the definition. If they don’t know the meaning, the original card owner will have to explain to them what the word means. It’s a win-win because students are helping to teach each other, and it’s super engaging for everyone!
What are the 6 Kentucky Regions?
Being able to correctly label the regions is an important skill I want my kids to master. So, I begin by printing out the colored anchor chart and hanging it in the front of the room. We spend time studying the map and discussing how each region looks. Students use the map to study for a labeling quiz later in the week.
To make it a little more fun you could do a hands-on activity that will get the kids excited to learn the pieces of the regions of Kentucky puzzle! Here are two ideas you could use with your students.
Idea #1: You can print out the labeled anchor charts on cardstock and have the kids work in partners or independently to first cut out puzzle pieces in the shapes of the regions. Then they can put the puzzle back together. You could let them take the puzzle home as is or glue it back together on another sheet of paper and display it in your classroom or hallway.
Idea #2: Let your students create a clay model of Kentucky. This project will be a favorite of your students but will take more time to complete. Just a fair warning for you.
Begin by giving each child a print out of the Kentucky region map. Students will cut out the state outline. It’s important that they not cut each region out, they will need that as a template later on. Next, have kids roll a piece of baking modeling clay out flat. Students will lay their template on top of the clay and using a plastic knife cut the outline out. Next, have them use a student safe knife to create the lines that create the region borders. Depending on the clay you use you may have to bake or let it air dry. The final step is to paint each region a different color. I did this activity with my 3rd graders years ago and they absolutely loved it!
Informational Kentucky Regions Passages
I don’t know about you but my instructional schedule is pretty tight. It can be difficult to work in all the required content. My solution is to integrate as much as possible to get the most bang for my buck! That’s why I wrote the informational reading passages about each of the regions of Kentucky.
Each region has a one-page passage with 2 beautiful images that highlight significant people, places, or things related to that region. The passage discusses the key characteristics of the region such as natural resources, landforms, important industries to the area, and much more.
KWL Charts of the Regions
As a way to engage students, I use KWL charts. Students have a chart for each region so they can record what they already know about each region before we begin to study each Kentucky region. They can add to the charts what they would like to learn about the specific region. This could come in handy later on too! Finally, students can use the KWL chart to write down some of the things they learned while studying the regions of Kentucky.
Regions of Kentucky Research Project
What better way to engage students than to have them do a project-based learning activity. In my Kentucky regions mini-unit, I’ve included a brochure template for each of the regions. You can have students work independently, with a partner, or in small groups to do extended research on a specific region. Students can find pictures to print out or use their artistic skills to illustrate their research brochures. It’s a great way to bring in more practice with informational reading and extra writing practice in a content area. Another idea would be to have students present the brochure to the class as an added practice of speaking and listening skills for the entire class. YES!!! Love this.
Regions of Kentucky has gone digital!
With the craziness of the 2020 spring semester, I’ve taken what use to be a print-only resource and made it Google Classroom friendly! Now your students can complete vocabulary in a new exciting way!
They can use the insert tool to search the web for images of the vocabulary words to add to the digital vocabulary sheet. They will also be able to add their own definitions of words in order to prepare for the Vocabulary Mingle as a review before their quiz!
Another change with the digital version is the ability to drag and drop the thumbtacks with the region name to label the region map. Students will also be able to highlight the informational passages and complete digital versions of the KWL charts and research brochures.
If all of this is sounding like an answer to your Kentucky Regions lesson plan needs then click here to buy it today!