State ABC Book Research
Report Project
Name _______________ State ________________
You can access webpages at: http://msspillmansclass.weebly.com/ under the State Report Resources tab.
A: Area and Abbreviation
Question(s):
Notes:
What is the total
area (size) of your
state?
B: Borders
Question(s):
Which states, countries,
and/or bodies your state?
Be specific about the
direction of each place.
Notes:
Example for California: West= Pacific Ocean
North= Oregon and so on...
What is your state’s
abbreviation?
Sketch your state’s seal below.
SOURCE:
•Type: _________________________________________________________________
SOURCE:
•Title: __________________________________________________________________
•Type: _________________________________________________________________
•Title: __________________________________________________________________
C: Capital & Cities
Question(s):
Notes:
D: Date of Statehood
Question(s):
Notes:
***INTERNET***
To find the capital of
your state and the major
cities in state, go to the U.S.
Census Bureau: State Facts
for Students website,
located at
www.census.gov/schools/fa
cts/
Click on your state on
the map.
When did your state
achieve statehood? In
other words, when did it
become a state? Make
sure to write the full date
(month, day, and year).
What number state is it?
(e.g., California was the 31st
state to be admitted to the
Union.)
What is the capital of
your state?
What is the largest city
in your state?
SOURCE:
SOURCE:
•Type: _________________________________________________________________
•Type: _________________________________________________________________
•Title: __________________________________________________________________
•Title: __________________________________________________________________
E: Economy
Question(s):
Notes:
Describe the
agriculture of your state
[main crops that are grown
(e.g., wheat) and livestock
that are raised (e.g.,
sheep)].
F: Flag
Question(s):
Notes:
Draw a quick sketch of your state’s flag.
Label what the different symbols, pictures, words, and dates on
the flag mean/represent.
What products (goods)
are manufactured in your
state?
Are there any other
economic aspects (e.g.,
mining, fishing, tourism, or
other industries)?
SOURCE:
•Type: _________________________________________________________________
•Title: __________________________________________________________________
SOURCE:
•Type: _________________________________________________________________
•Title: __________________________________________________________________
G: Government
Question(s):
Notes:
***INTERNET***
1. Go to the following website:
http://www.usa.gov/Contac
t/Governors.shtml
2. Click on your state.
3. Search the site to find out
who the current governor of
your state is.
H: History
Question(s):
Notes:
Choose ONE MAJOR
historical event that took
place in your state. The
event may be related to
exploration, interactions
with Native American tribes,
wars, politics, pop culture,
etc. Describe the following:
Who is the current
governor of your state?
1. Go to the following website:
http://www.senate.gov/ind
ex.htm
2. Click on Senators at the top.
3. Select your state form the
drop down menu.
Who are the two current
U.S. Senators of your state?
1. Go to the following website:
Who was involved?
What happened?
Where it happened.
When did it happen?
http://www.house.gov/
2. Click on the Representatives
link at the top of the screen.
3. Click on the letter for your
state.
4. Scroll down until you find
your state.
5. Carefully count how many
U.S. Representatives your state
has.
Why it happened.
How many U.S.
Representatives does your
state have? Who are they?
SOURCE:
SOURCE:
•Type: _________________________________________________________________
•Type: _________________________________________________________________
•Title: __________________________________________________________________
•Title: __________________________________________________________________
I: Interesting Event
Question(s):
Notes:
J: Journey
Question(s):
Notes:
***INTERNET***
Choose ONE interesting
event that happens
annually (every year) in
your state. This may be an
annual festival, competition,
race, fair, etc. Describe the
following:
The name of the event.
When the event occurs.
Where the event occurs
(specific city or part of the
state).
1. Go to the following website:
http://maps.google.com/
2. Click on “Terrain” in the Getting around box.
3. In search box, “Type the capital and the abbreviation of your state.”
Example: Coos Bay, OR
4. Click on the “Get Directions” button.
5. Your starting point is “Coos Bay, OR.”
6. The first option is the fastest route to your capital from Coos Bay. The
others listed are possible options if you were going to your capital but take
longer.
Use the blue route line on the terrain map to determine which
states you would need to drive through to get from Coos Bay, OR
to your state’s capital city. You may zoom in and out in order to
see the states that the line goes through more clearly.
Describe the states that you would travel through from start to
end, in sequential order.
Describe the total distance (in miles) and how much time the
trip would take.
What the event is about
and what happens during
it.
You should do additional
research about the event
online in order to get the
most complete and up-todate information about it.
SOURCE:
•Type: _________________________________________________________________
•Title: __________________________________________________________________
SOURCE:
•Type: _________________________________________________________________
•Title: __________________________________________________________________
K: Kinds of Foods
Question(s):
Notes:
What kinds of foods are
popular in or unique to your
state?
L: Landforms
Question(s):
Notes:
What are the names of
the major natural landforms
in your state (mountains,
deserts, forests, plains, hills,
valleys, canyons, etc.)? DO
NOT include bodies of
water.
List a specific fact
about each landform.
Draw your state and landforms below.
SOURCE:
SOURCE:
•Type: _________________________________________________________________
•Type: _________________________________________________________________
•Title: __________________________________________________________________
•Title: __________________________________________________________________
M: Map
Question(s):
Notes:
DO NOT DO THIS PAGE UNTIL YOU HAVE DONE THE PAGES FOR
C, L, AND R.
DRAW a large map of your state
on a SEPARATE SHEET of blank white
paper. Your map must include:
___ A title (the name your state in large
letters).
___ The state capital.
___ The two largest cities that you listed on
the C page.
___ At least two of the landforms that you
listed on the L page.
___ At least two of the bodies of water you
listed on the R page.
___ Clear symbols and labels for each place
on the map.
___ A key.
Your map should be completely
colored in with NO white space,
except where necessary. Be sure to
label everything neatly.
SOURCE:
•Type: _________________________________________________________________
•Title: __________________________________________________________________
N: Notable Person
Question(s):
Notes:
Choose a notable person
(past or present) from your
state. This may be a musician,
president, author, inventor,
actor/actress, athlete, war
hero, etc. The person may
have been born in your state or
may have lived there for a long
time.
Who is the person?
When was he/she born?
When did he/she die (if
applicable)? Make sure to
write the full date(s)-month,
day, and year.
Why is he/she a notable
person (accomplishments)?
You may include other
interesting facts about the
person such as their childhood,
family, education, adulthood,
careers, etc.
Include a picture of your
notable person.
SOURCE:
•Type: _________________________________________________________________
•Title: __________________________________________________________________
O: Origin of State Name and Nickname
Question(s):
Notes:
How did your state
get its name?
What are people
from your state called?
(For example, people
from Oregon are called
Oregonians.)
What is your state’s
nickname? If your state
has more than one
nickname, list them all.
How did your state
get its nickname(s)?
P: Population
Question(s):
Notes:
***INTERNET***
1. To find the most current
population of your state, go
to the U.S. Census Bureau:
State Facts for Students
website, located at:
http://www.census.gov/s
chools/facts/
2. Click on your state on the
map.
NOTE: The census is taken
every 10 years, so use the
most recent population.
What is the most
current population of
your state? What year is
this population based
on?
What is your state’s
most current rank in terms
of population?
SOURCE:
SOURCE:
•Type: _________________________________________________________________
•Type: _________________________________________________________________
•Title: __________________________________________________________________
•Title: __________________________________________________________________
Q: Quarter
Question(s):
Notes:
What is pictured on
your state’s quarter?
R: Rivers and Other Bodies of Water
Question(s):
Notes:
What are the major
rivers, lakes, and other
bodies of water in your
state?
What do the pictures
and words
represent/mean?
What are the two years
listed on your state’s
quarter?
What does each year
represent?
Sketch your state’s quarter below.
Draw your state and label the major rivers and other bodies of
water.
SOURCE:
SOURCE:
•Type: _________________________________________________________________
•Type: _________________________________________________________________
•Title: __________________________________________________________________
•Title: __________________________________________________________________
S: Seal
Question(s):
Notes:
Label what the
different symbols,
pictures, words, and
dates on the seal
mean/represent.
T: Tree, Flower, and Bird
Question(s):
Notes:
What is the state
tree?
What is the state
flower?
What is the state
bird?
Sketch your state’s seal below.
Sketch your state’s
tree below:
Sketch your state’s
flower below:
Sketch your state’s
bird below:
SOURCE:
SOURCE:
•Type: _________________________________________________________________
•Type: _________________________________________________________________
•Title: __________________________________________________________________
•Title: __________________________________________________________________
U: Universities and Colleges
Question(s):
Notes:
What are at least
three major universities
or colleges in your
state?
V: Visitor’s Guide
Question(s):
Notes:
Choose the one top
place that tourists
should visit in your
state. For this place,
describe the following:
The name of the
place.
The city (or part of
the state) that the
place is located in.
What people can
see and/or do at the
place.
You should do
additional research
about the place online
in order to get the most
complete and up-todate information.
SOURCE:
SOURCE:
•Type: _________________________________________________________________
•Type: _________________________________________________________________
•Title: __________________________________________________________________
•Title: __________________________________________________________________
W: Weather and Climate
Question(s):
Notes:
What is the average
temperature in the winter
(around January?)
What is the average
temperature in the
summer (around July)?
What is the average
rainfall (precipitation)?
What are the highest
and lowest temperatures
ever recorded for your
state?
What is the climate
like (e.g., humid, dry,
mild, hot, cold, cool, wet,
etc.)?
X: X-tra Interesting Facts
Question(s):
Notes:
List at least three
special, interesting, or
unique facts about
your state.
These facts should not
already be covered by
other letters of the
alphabet.
For example, you could
write about the state
song, sports teams,
inventions or
discoveries that were
made in your state,
additional state
symbols, unusual laws,
etc.
SOURCE:
SOURCE:
•Type: _________________________________________________________________
•Type: _________________________________________________________________
•Title: __________________________________________________________________
•Title: __________________________________________________________________
Y: “Yakety Yak”
Question(s):
Notes:
What are some
unique words or
phrases that people
from your state use?
What do these words
and phrases mean?
Z: Zone
Question(s):
Notes:
What is the name
of the time zone that
your state is in? (If
using a map, refer to
the key/legend to help
you figure this out.)
How much time
difference is there from
your state to Oregon?
In other words, how
many hours behind or
ahead of Oregon is
your state?
SOURCE:
SOURCE:
•Type: _________________________________________________________________
•Type: _________________________________________________________________
•Title: __________________________________________________________________
•Title: __________________________________________________________________
State Stamp:
You need to create a stamp (picture
that represents your state). Your state
stamp needs to have the state’s name
along with the picture. This stamp will
be used for the passports at the end of
our project. Your stamp needs to fit in
the box below.
Due Dates:
Letter
Due
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
2-6-15
2-6-15
2-13-15
2-6-15
2-13-15
3-20-15
2-20-15
2-13-15
2-20-15
2-20-15
2-27-15
2-27-15
3-4-15
2-27-15
Teacher
Initial To
Show
Completion
Letter
Due
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
Stamp
2-6-15
2-13-15
2-20-15
2-27-15
2-20-15
3-20-15
3-13-15
3-13-15
3-13-15
3-13-15
3-20-15
3-20-15
3-20-15
Teacher
Initial To
Show
Completion
Once you are finished with all the research (all pages in
this book are DONE) you will receive your final state book
to complete. You will need to transfer your research into a
neatly completed alphabet book. Each page will need to
have the letter and your research. Information can be
typed or written, if written all words need to be written with
a fine tip sharpie. Information is to be only on the front
side of each page.
Final Project Due Date:
April 10, 2015
Citing Sources
Creating a Bibliography
Open a word document. Title the page, “State Sources”
(without quotation marks). Save the file.
Once you are done researching all 26 letters of the alphabet for
your state, you will create a bibliography.
As you research your state and complete the ABC notes sheets,
you will need to note the sources that your use for information.
There is a Source section at the bottom of each ABC notes
page for this purpose. Follow these steps to complete each
Source section:
Follow these steps:
1. Go to www.easybib.com
2. Click on the tab that matches the type of source you are
using (website, book, etc.) If you click on “All 59 Options,” you
can see the other types of sources that are available.
3. Enter the required information. Then click on the “Cite this”
button.
4. Confirm (double check) that the information that EasyBib has
automatically filled out is correct. If anything is missing or
incorrect, fix it.
5. Click on the “Create Citation” button.
6. Highlight the citation, and copy and paste it into your “State
Sources” document.
7. Save your work. You will create a running list of sources that
you have used for your research.
8. At the bottom of the ABC notes page in the Source section
write the TYPE of source (book, website, encyclopedia, etc.)
and the TITLE of the source.
NOTE: If you use the exact same source for a different letter of
the alphabet, you do not need to recite it in EasyBib. Instead,
just record the type and title of the source on your ABC notes
page.
1. Open a new word document. Title the page, “State
Bibliography” (without quotation marks). Save the file.
2. Open your “State Sources” file. Highlight all of the citations
and copy and paste them into your “State Bibliography” file.
3. Highlight all of the citations and make them double-spaced
(if they are not already double-spaced).
4. Put the sources in alphabetical order according to the
authors’ last names. If there is no author, use the first word in the
title.
5. Make sure that the first line of each citation is NOT indented.
6. Make sure that the second, third, or fourth lines of each
citation ARE indented. (Highlight citations and go to
“PARAGRAPH”. Under the Indentation, go to special. Click on
“hanging”.)
7. Confirm (double-check) that your entire bibliography is
formatted correctly.