Sample Nevada Activities

During the second session of this module, we completed several activities. The worksheet that guided this set of activities is available here.

• Cookie Geography: Using blue frosting, draw the river systems from the state on a cookie.
• Recommended cookie recipe: 3 c flour, 1 c powdered sugar, 1T vanilla, 1.5 c butter; Place batter in bar pan about 3/4" thick; Bake 20 minutes at 325°F.
• To prepare the cookie shape, cut the shape before and immediately after baking.
• Recommended frosting recipe: 3 c Crisco, 2 lbs. powdered sugar, 2 T meringue powder, 2 T clear vanilla extract, 2 t clear butter extract, pinch of salt, ~4 T water (add slowly until desired consistency), gel food coloring (if using water-based food coloring, add before water to ensure proper consistency).

• Timeline Matching: Match the year with the event from Nevada history.
• Playground Map Race (Nevada grid map/USA grid map): Time students as they write all the county and county seat names on a map of the state.
  
• Draw the Seal: Students draw the Seal of the State of Nevada from memory.
• Draw the Flag: Students draw the state flag from memory.
• State Symbols: List all state symbols from memory.
• County Puzzler: Place all counties in their respective locations when they are delivered in the form of a puzzle.
• County Word Search: Race to complete a word search listing all county names, without receiving a list of the county names.
• Sing the State Song
• Nevada Towns on-the-Walls: Use posters and clues to learn Nevada town names.
• Nevada Research Report and Presentation (HTML version/DOC version): This project was developed by fourth grade teachers at Heckethorn Elementary with special thanks to Mr. Colin Haas. The materials include the assignment expectations, a grading rubric, project topic suggestions, and detailed guidelines for students).
• Draw a Nevada Map (HTML version/DOC version): This project was developed by Mr. Colin Haas and includes all requirements students, working in groups, must complete.

In addition, I recommend these lesson plans:

• Birdseed Mining
• Cookie Mining

Example student projects from Mr. Colin Haas' fourth grade students (included as part of their Nevada Research Report and Presentation assignments).

Mormon Fort

Hoover Dam