Grades 3–5
Tricky Capitals
12 states where the capital is not the biggest city, from Albany (not New York City) to Sacramento (not Los Angeles): pick the real capital.
Social studies worksheet · U.S. states and capitals
State Birds
Match 8 states to their state birds, from Alaska’s willow ptarmigan and Louisiana’s brown pelican to Hawaii’s nene, and learn which bird 7 states share.
- Grade level
- Grades 3–5
- Time
- About 15 minutes
- Answer key
- Yes, page 2 of the PDF
- Kids practice
- U.S. states and capitals, Regions, Map reading
What kids do
“Every state has a state bird. Draw a line from each state to its bird.”
Printed on the sheet:
- Blue hen chicken
- Nene (Hawaiian goose)
- The northern cardinal is the state bird of 7 states: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North
- Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia.
- My state’s bird
- My state’s bird is…
Words on this sheet
State birdAlaskaCommon loonHawaiiWillow ptarmiganUtahBaltimore orioleCalifornia gullBrown pelican
Teacher tip
Find your own state bird first.
How to use it
- Find your own state on a U.S. map before the sheet.
- Learn a few states at a time instead of all fifty.
- Keep a classroom globe, a world map and a U.S. map in reach while kids work.
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
Play a state guessing game with shape cards.
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
The Great Lakes
Read 5 facts about the Great Lakes (HOMES, Lake Superior, the only all-American lake, the 8 lake states and Niagara Falls) and answer 6 questions.
Grades 3–5
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.
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.
Free for teachers
Get the free Classroom Drawing Kit
12 printable pages: six step-by-step lessons, a grid activity, draw-and-write sheets and teacher notes, sent with your welcome email. After that, new classroom printables by email.