Serenity's Kingdom - Portfolio Record
Unit 2 Lesson 2: U.S. Geography Intro & Enchanted Passport Journal
Student Name: Serenity | Date:
đ¯ Part 1: Set Your Journey Goals
Before starting our journey across the United States, write down what you already know about our country's geography and symbols, and what you want to learn!
⨠Kingdom Vocabulary Vault
Tap each sparkling card below to unlock key geography terms!
đĒ State Quarter đ
Special coin honoring each state's history and symbols.
đ¸ State Symbol đ
Special birds, flowers, animals, or trees representing a state.
đ State Motto đ
A special phrase expressing a state's values.
đēī¸ Region đ
A large land area sharing similar features.
đī¸ Landform đ
A physical feature of Earth's surface.
đī¸ Landmark đ
An important building, statue, or natural place.
Exploring State Quarters & Symbols đĒ
Welcome to Lesson 2, Serenity! From 1999 to 2008, the United States Mint released a special series of 50 state quarters. Each design included images representing each state, showcasing famous people, landmarks, and state symbols!
Pennsylvania Quarter (1999)
The Pennsylvania quarter was the second state quarter released! Its design features the Commonwealth statue from the state capitol dome in Harrisburg and our official state motto: "Virtue, Liberty, and Independence."
State symbols are special to a particular state. They can include state birds, flowers, mammals, and trees. States that are close to each other in the same region often share similar state birds or trees because they share the same natural habitat!
đŠâđĢ Learning Coach Guide: Quarters & Symbols
âĸ Hands-on Coin Search: If you have pocket change or state quarters at home, look at the reverse designs together and identify the state symbols.
âĸ Pennsylvania Symbols Talk: Discuss PA state symbols (State Bird: Ruffed Grouse, State Flower: Mountain Laurel, State Tree: Eastern Hemlock, State Animal: White-tailed Deer!).
đŽ Crystal Ball Video: U.S. Geography Intro
Watch the video artifact below to explore how state quarters and geography help us understand America!
đ§ââī¸ Sparkle Check 1
What did the special 50 State Quarters feature on their reverse designs?
What landmark statue and motto are featured on the 1999 Pennsylvania state quarter?
Kingdom Action: Unroll the Giant Map!
Let's stretch our map-making arms! Pretend you are unrolling a massive, sparkly map across a grand table. Reach your hands out as wide as you can to the left and right, take a deep breath, and spin around once to explore the land!
Your Geographic Journey Ahead đēī¸
In Unit 2, you will discover the five major regions of the United States: Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West. You will explore magnificent landforms like canyons, plains, plateaus, and mountains, as well as great rivers and lakes!
You will learn how to tell the difference between day-to-day weather and long-term climate, explore natural and human resources, see how people adapt to their environment, and construct your very own regional maps!
đŠâđĢ Learning Coach Guide: Unit 2 Goals
âĸ Unit Roadmap: Preview the upcoming topics: Landforms (Lesson 3), Weather & Climate (Lesson 4), Resources (Lesson 5), Portfolio Maps (Lessons 6-7), and Human Impact (Lesson 8).
âĸ Design a Coin Prompt: Encourage Serenity to draw a custom coin in her notebook representing Pennsylvania or her dream kingdom!
đ§ââī¸ Sparkle Check 2
What are some examples of state symbols mentioned in our lesson?
Fairy Serenity Says:
"Weather is what it's like outside right now (sunny or raining), while climate is the pattern of weather over decades! Keep that in mind as we explore our map!"
đ Part 2: Complete Your Enchanted Passport Journal
Review your goals from earlier, then record what you learned about state quarters and what you are excited to explore across Unit 2!
Opens a clean, printable scroll of just your journal to save for your homeschool portfolio!