Fun and Simple New England State Crafts

November 1, 2008
Gr 2-4-Each of these books begins with a brief introduction that includes a few salient but rather random facts, followed by a map with the states under discussion clearly outlined. Each state is then covered in a two-page listing of such things as its capital, nickname, official bird, fish, flower, etc. All of this information is available in greater detail in books devoted to the states. Two crafts that loosely relate to the history or culture of each state follow. Students can make a Paul Bunyan statue to coincide with the study of Maine, a Stovepipe Hat Penny Bank for Tennessee, etc. While the directions for each project are clear, how they relate to the state is not. The piece on Paul Bunyan explains that Bangor claims to be his birthplace, but leaves readers in the dark as to who the man was or his importance. Abe Lincolns connection to Tennessee, other than the presence of a museum honoring him there, is also unexplained. The crafts rely repeatedly on modeling clay or papier mâché, and the finished products are unremarkable.

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