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Teaching about Illinois to Fourth Graders will expand upon their knowledge of Rockford developed in Third Grade to include the Prairie State. Students will learn about the key individuals and events that have made the Land of Lincoln a great state! (Why is Illinois called the Prairie State?)
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New! District Curriculum!
Illinois Unit
Use these strands to weave the study of Illinois into the Fourth Grade Social Studies Curriculum! |
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Outline Maps of All 50 States!
From GeoNova
Need an outline map of Illinois or another state? "Download these free outline maps of the United States and all 50 states! Built especially for the classroom by GeoNova, these maps can be used to aid students in their knowledge of American geography. These maps can be printed in either color or black and white, and each map fits on letter size paper." |
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The Seven Wonders of Illinois
From a State Contest!
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Bureau of Tourism, sponsored an online statewide contest in 2007 to designate the Seven Wonders of Illinois. Illinois was divided into seven regions for the contest Chicago, Chicagoland, Northern, Central, Western, Southern, and Southwestern. |
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The Great Chicago Fire
From the Chicago History Museum
This site was created by the Chicago Historical Society and Northwestern University - The Great Chicago Fire and the Web of Memory: A Commemorative Exhibition. |
Illinois
From Enchanted Learning
A very useful site! Did you know that the painted turtle was the Illinois State Reptile? |
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Jane Addams, Nobel Peace Prize Winner
A Resource from a Rockford Teacher!
In this unit on Jane Addams, designed by Sandi Peterson of Marsh School, students will read about the life of Jane Addams, write journal entries, discuss her contributions, and do a photo examination. Other assessments include creating a board game, writing a poem or rap, doing a Power Point presentation, or creating a 3-fold display. |
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Did the Cow Do It?
From the ChicagoFire.com
"One dark night, when people were in bed,
Mrs. O' Leary lit a lantern in her shed,
The cow kicked it over, winked its eye, and said,
There'll be a hot time in the old town tonight."
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Illinois Symbols
From the State of Illinois
Did you know that Miss Lucy Derwent of Rockford had something to do with an important Illinois symbol? "Illinois's original state flag was designed in 1913 by Lucy Derwent (who had won a contest), but was redesigned in 1970 by Mrs. Sanford Hutchinson. The flag's design is based upon the state's seal, which was designed by Sharon Tyndale, Illinois' secretary of state, in 1868. The flag has a white background, and much of the Illinois state seal is pictured in the center. There is a bald eagle perched on a rock holding a red, white, and blue shield in its talons (the stars are white on a blue background and the stripes are red and white). The shield has 13 stripes and 13 stars, representing the original 13 colonies of the USA. The eagle is holding a banner in its beak which reads "STATE," "SOVEREIGNTY," "NATIONAL," and "UNION." The word sovereignty is upside down. The rock has the dates 1818 and 1868 written on it; 1818 refers to the year Illinois became a state and 1868 refers to the date the state seal was redesigned." |
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Abraham Lincoln Presidental Library and Museum
From the ALPM
How did you celebrate Abe Lincoln's 200th Birthday on February 12, 2009? The ALPLM contains wonderful resources to assist in teaching about Abraham Lincoln. There's still more to explore about "Honest Abe," considered by many to be our nation's best president! |
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Learn about Abraham Lincoln's Family
From IllinoisHistory.gov
This information comes from Illinois History - A Magazine for Young People. |
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Prairie Pages
From IllinoisHistory.gov
The articles contain great illustrations/pictures for students to examine, as well as being written for the elementary level.
The Illini
Pioneers
Abraham Lincoln
Government
Jane Addams
How Illinois Became the Prairie State
The First Peoples of Illinois
Cahokia Mounds
The Native Peoples of Illinois
The French in Illinois
Illinois During the British Occupation
The Illinois Territory Becomes the Twenty-first State
Transportation in Illinois
Early Chicago
Early Years of Illinois Agriculture
Illinois in the War Between the States
Stephen Douglas
Chicago
Illinois After the Civil War and the Great Chicago Fire
Illinois in the Gilded Age
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Additional Outline Maps
From the United States Department of the Interior
"The National Atlas has prepared reference and outline maps of the United States that you can print or use online. The reference maps display general reference features such as boundaries, cities, capitals, major highways, rivers and lakes, and terrain. Outline maps showing county boundaries, State boundaries, capitals, or other basic features are also available. Maps without labels are included for students and teachers of American geography. The maps are in color, but will also print or copy well in black and white." |
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The Great Chicago Fire
From ThinkQuest.org
Chicago's History from a young person's point of view! |
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Ideally Illinois
A Webquest Adventure for Fourth Grade Webologists
"Illinois, our great state, is a state of many interests. Your task, as a group, is to develop a vacation plan for a family of four from Chicago, lasting no more than one week. You will need to decide how to create the best possible itinerary by including activities from each family member. This family includes a mom, dad, an 8th grade boy, and a 4th grade girl." |
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