Grades 3–5
National Parks: Which State?
Match 8 national parks, from Yellowstone (the first one, in 1872) and Yosemite to the Everglades, Acadia and Denali, to their states.
Social studies worksheet · U.S. states and capitals
Mountains and Rivers of the U.S.
Read 6 facts about the Rocky and Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi, Missouri, Colorado and Rio Grande rivers, then answer 6 questions.
- Grade level
- Grades 3–5
- Time
- About 20 minutes
- Answer key
- Yes, page 2 of the PDF
- Kids practice
- U.S. states and capitals, Regions, Map reading
What kids do
“Read the facts about big mountains and rivers in the United States, then answer the questions.”
Printed on the sheet:
- The Rocky Mountains run through the West, from Canada down to New Mexico.
- The Appalachian Mountains are in the East. They are much older and lower than the
- The Mississippi River starts in Minnesota and flows south about 2,340 miles to Louisiana.
- The Missouri River is the longest river in the United States, about 2,341 miles. It joins the
- Mississippi near St. Louis.
- The Colorado River carved the Grand Canyon over millions of years.
- The Rio Grande forms part of the border between Texas and Mexico.
- 3. In which state does the Mississippi
Teacher tip
Trace each river and mountain range on a U.S. map.
How to use it
- Use a song or a chant for the states and capitals.
- Let kids check answers with a labeled map.
- Start with a quick question that connects the topic to kids’ own lives.
Watch for
Kids who mix up capitals and big cities. Point out tricky ones like New York and Albany.
Talk about it
- Which states border ours?
- What did you learn that surprised you?
Take it further
Write to a pen pal class in another state.
US Letter, prints well in black and white. Free for home and classroom use: print as many copies as you need.
More u.s. states and capitals worksheets
Grades 3–5
Plan a Road Trip
Kids plan a road trip through 4 neighboring states: draw the route on a labeled U.S. map and list each state’s capital and something to see there.
Grades 3–5
State Capitals Word Search
A 12 by 12 word search of 12 state capitals, from Austin and Boston to Juneau and Boise, then name the state for each one.
Grades 3–5
State Name Detective
Use the list of all 50 state names to count and hunt: how many start with M or N, how many have two words, and which letters start no state at all.
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