Really? My 3rd grader has to learn all 50 states?

[Anonymous]

Just this week, my dd got sent home with a list of all 50 states and their capitals and apparently needs to learn all of them asap and where they go on the map. Dammit. I am so over school and sick of homework. Last night, I found our 50 states jigsaw puzzle, and her studying consisted of putting that together. I wish we had some sort of syllabus like in college so I would know when this stuff would get foisted on us.

[Anonymous]

I went to elementary school way back in the Dark Ages, but it seems to me that we learned the same information at around the same time. I remember struggling to remember how to spell Hawaii and Mississippi in 2nd grade, and learning the capitals later. This was in a crappy public school in the rural South, so I'm not stunned by what they are asking, to be honest.

[Anonymous]

Google around and find a youtube of the state song - I don't know it but I know there are singing versions of listing all the states and I also think capitals. Sometimes it's easier to learn things by singing. The puzzle is also a great idea.

I'm more distressed by your so sick of this at the end of the school year. I was thinking about school year burnout - I have a K and a 3rd grader. And there's this perception in DCPS that it used to be nothing was learned after spring break. I think burnout is adults - parents and teachers - who pass that attitude to kids. My 3rd grader and K student go to school every day ready to learn. Yes, I'm sick of school and homework too, but I want my kids learning every single day, including that last day of school. Ok, maybe last day is unrealistic, but kids like learning and can learn stuff in the last few weeks.

[Anonymous]

This is the song my 3rd or 4th grader learned in music when they were studying them in social studies. He is now in 10th grade and still knows the lyrics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSvJ9SN8THE

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Google around and find a youtube of the state song - I don't know it but I know there are singing versions of listing all the states and I also think capitals. Sometimes it's easier to learn things by singing. The puzzle is also a great idea.

I'm more distressed by your so sick of this at the end of the school year. I was thinking about school year burnout - I have a K and a 3rd grader. And there's this perception in DCPS that it used to be nothing was learned after spring break. I think burnout is adults - parents and teachers - who pass that attitude to kids. My 3rd grader and K student go to school every day ready to learn. Yes, I'm sick of school and homework too, but I want my kids learning every single day, including that last day of school. Ok, maybe last day is unrealistic, but kids like learning and can learn stuff in the last few weeks.

The song is Fifty Nifty United States, and I still can sing very word almost 40 years after learning it. Does not teach the capitals though.

[Anonymous]

That's not an FCPS standard and not part of the POS.

[Anonymous]

There is an app called Stack the States. It may help!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That's not an FCPS standard and not part of the POS.

So does this mean they shouldn't learn them??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is an app called Stack the States. It may help!

Yes, my kids love this app and learned many states and countries (Stack the Countries) that way.

[Anonymous]

My kids learned them before they were taught in school because they loved the Scrambled States game.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That's not an FCPS standard and not part of the POS.

So does this mean they shouldn't learn them??

Yes.

[Anonymous]

YouTube is excellent. My KG did it in a few days on his own. Sang it in class for show and share, and filled in the empty USA map with State n Capital easily.

[Anonymous]

This is a great thing for 3rd graders to learn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Google around and find a youtube of the state song - I don't know it but I know there are singing versions of listing all the states and I also think capitals. Sometimes it's easier to learn things by singing. The puzzle is also a great idea.

I'm more distressed by your so sick of this at the end of the school year. I was thinking about school year burnout - I have a K and a 3rd grader. And there's this perception in DCPS that it used to be nothing was learned after spring break. I think burnout is adults - parents and teachers - who pass that attitude to kids. My 3rd grader and K student go to school every day ready to learn. Yes, I'm sick of school and homework too, but I want my kids learning every single day, including that last day of school. Ok, maybe last day is unrealistic, but kids like learning and can learn stuff in the last few weeks.

The song is Fifty Nifty United States, and I still can sing very word almost 40 years after learning it. Does not teach the capitals though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhDrGnjacvA

[Anonymous]

We had to do this when we were kids. Why don't you want your child to be educated?