Geography Game for the United States and Next U.S. State, Puerto Rico?

Become an expert about U.S. geography just by playing a game!

~Geography “Mindbenders” for all 50 U.S. States and Puerto Rico: A Game to Play in the Classroom~, Grades 5 on up... Created by Betty J. White, aka Compass Rose, copyright 2022.

· Includes maps of the United States and Puerto Rico for reference. A great way to familiarize your students (and family) with the geography of the United States. Discussion point: Could Puerto Rico become a state? “Highly engaging for grades 5 on up!” (Yes, that includes secondary education and adult education as well.)

· 51 questions that can be used at the beginning or end of class sessions (one or two questions at a time) or for an entire class session (all questions), or as a game where the students are divided into small groups of 2 to 3 (use the classroom seating arrangement as a guide). Students may record their answers on paper or respond as an oral class activity.

· Here is an example…

Say to the class: “The clues for today’s geography “mindbender” … Limestone, Augusta, Lewiston, Meddybemps… Where am I, in which of the 50 states?” (Students may use the map that has been provided in addition to any additional resources that are available.) According to the answer key that has been provided for the teacher, students should come up with the answer of Maine. Notice that some of the clues, (such as “Meddybemps”, which, yes, it is the name of a town in Maine), are more obscure than let’s say “Augusta”, which is the capital of Maine. It’s fun to make the correct responses a wee bit challenging.

· A follow-up activity to this would be to have students make up their own geography mindbenders for another country that you are studying or that you just want to learn more about in terms of its geography.

· Includes an Easel, self-correcting, Assessment. Grades 5 on up.

· A fun YouTube video that could be played as an introduction: “Who Knows the States and the Capital Cities?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQaWFEjTcVc

· “You are Famous for Rhode Island”, sung by Blossom Dearie… A fun song from many years ago, for Grades 10-12. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERktsRtWd7w