Showing posts with label North America. Show all posts
Showing posts with label North America. Show all posts

Monday, August 31, 2015

Washington


We just learned about the US State of Virginia.

Washington is a state in the north west part of the US, bordering Canada to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

It was named after President George Washington, and is the only state named after a president.
Its nickname is The Evergreen State because of the number of evergreen trees.
Its motto is Al-ki or Alki, which means bye and bye in the Chinook language.


(from: wikipedia - washington (state))

The seal of the state of Washington has a green background and a picture of George Washington.
It is the only state with a green background on it's flag, and the only state flag with a picture of a president on it.


(from: wikipedia - flag of washington)

The North Cascades mountain range is in Washington

(from: wikipedia - north cascades national park)

In the city of Seattle there is a tower called the Space Needle that is 600 feet high, and has 25 lightning rods on it.
When it was built in 1962, it was the tallest building west of the Mississippi.

(from: wikipedia - space needle)

There are seven volcanoes in Washington, including Mount St. Helens which erupted in 1980.

(from: wikipedia - mount st. helens)

The first starbucks coffee shop was started in Seattle Washington, in Pike Place Market

(from: wikipedia - starbucks)


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Monday, August 24, 2015

Virginia


We just learned about the US state of Vermont.

Virginia is a state on the east coast of the US, right on the Atlantic ocean.
It's nicknames are Old Dominion, Mother of Presidents, Mother of States, The Commonwealth and it's motto is Sic semper tyrannis which means Thus Always to Tyrants.

(from: wikipedia - virginia)

The flag of Virginia is blue, with the state seal on the front.
The state seal has one person standing on another person, and the words sic semper tyrannus, which means thus always to tyrants.

(from: wikipedia - flag and seal of virginia)

A famous Native American Pocahontas saved an early English settler named John Smith.

(from: wikipedia - pocahontas)

The Pentagon is a place where a lot of people work to help protect the US government

(from: wikipedia - the pentagon)

In the city of Chincoteague, every year they have a pony penning where they herd a bunch of ponies across the water.

(from: wikipedia - pony penning)

George Washington, the 1st president of the US in 1789, was from Virginia.

(from: wikipedia - george washington)

Thomas Jefferson, the 3rd President of the US in 1801, was from Virginia.

(from: wikipedia - thomas jefferson)

James Madison, the 4th president of the US in 1809, was from Virginia.

(from: wikipedia - james madison)

James Monroe, the 5th president of the US in 1817, was from Virginia.

(from: wikipedia - james monroe)

William Henry Harrison, the 9th president of the US in 1841, was from Virginia.

(from: wikipedia - william henry harrison)

John Tyler, the 10th president of the US in 1841, was from Virginia.

(from: wikipedia - john tyler)

Chester A. Arthur, the 21st president of the US in 1881, was from Virginia.

(from: wikipedia - chester a. arthur)

Woodrow Wilson, the 28th president of the US in 1913, was from Virginia.

(from: wikipedia - woodrow wilson)

Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president of the US in 1923, was from Virginia.

(from: wikipedia - calvin coolidge)


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Monday, August 17, 2015

Vermont


We just learned about the US state of Utah.

Vermont is a state in the northeast part of the US, bordering Canada to the North.

Its nickname is The Green Mountain State, and its motto is Freedom and Unity and Stella quarta decima fulgeat (May 14 star shine bright)


(from: wikipedia - vermont)

The flag of Vermont has a blue background and 14 branched pine tree with two grain sheaves above it.
The 14 branches are for the 13 colonies and Vermont as the 14th state in the union.
There is a cow for the dairy farming, clouds and wavy lines.


(from: wikipedia - flag of vermont)

Vermont is the leading maker of maple syrup in the US.

(from: wikipedia - Vermont Maple Sugar Makers' Association)

In the town of Thetford Vermont, there is a 25 foot statue made of old wood and hot air ballons called the Vermontasaurus.

(from: wikipedia - vermontasaurus)

Lake Champlain is a very popular place for people to go on vacation.

(from: wikipedia - lake champlain)

Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the US in 1923, was from Vermont.

(from: wikipedia - calvin coolidge)

Chester A. Arthur, the 21st President of the US in 1881, was from Vermont.

(from: wikipedia - chester a. arthur)


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Monday, August 10, 2015

Utah


We just learned about the state of Texas

Utah is a state in the west part of the US.
It's nickname is the Beehive State and it's motto is Industry.

(from: wikipedia - Utah)

The flag of Utah is dark blue, with the state seal in the middle.
The state seal shows the American eagle, a shield for defense, a beehive, a Sego Lily which is the state flower, and the US flag.

(from: wikipedia - flag of utah)

The Great Salt Lake in Utah is the largest salt lake in the west side of the earth.

(from: wikipedia - great salt lake)

Long ago it used to take about six months to get from one side of the US to the other, and people worked to make a railroad to go all the way across the US.
Once it was completed it took about one week instead of six months to make the trip!
This was called the Transcontinental Railroad, and when the railroad was finished, the last railroad spike was put in at Promontory Summit, Utah.
That railroad spike was called the Golden Spike, and it is now in a museum.
When they put in the spike, they used a telegram which was a way to send messages before there were phones, and they told the whole country it was done and everyone celebrated.


(from: wikipedia - golden spike)

Delicate Arch is a natural stone arch near Moab Utah

(from: wikipedia - delicate arch)

Zion National park is a mountain area that has many beautiful rock formations, like an area that is called the Subway.

(from: wikipedia - subway (canyoneering))


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Monday, August 3, 2015

Texas


We just learned about the US state of Tennessee.

Texas is a state in the southwest part of the US, bordering Mexico to the south.

It's nickname is The Lone Star State, and it's motto is Friendship.

Texas is the 2nd largest state in the US after Alaska, and it has the 2nd most people of any state after California.

(from: wikipedia - texas)

The flag of Texas is a blue stripe with a white star, a white stripe and a red star.

(from: wikipedia - flag of texas)

The seal of Texas has two sides. On one side is a star with olive and oak branches around it.

On the other side is a picture of the Alamo, the cannon of the Battle of Gonzales, Vince's bridge, and the flags of France, Spain, Mexico, Texas, the Confederacy, and the United States of America.
The six different flags are for the six different nations that have controlled Texas.

(from: wikipedia - seal of texas)

The Alamo is a place in Texas where a big battle took place between the people of Texas and Mexico.
The Mexican army won the battle, but people in Texas were so angry about losing the battle that they all fought hard together and came back to beat Mexico.
People in later battles would shout "Remember the Alamo!" to help keep everyone fighting hard to win.

(from: wikipedia - alamo mission in san antonio)

A special type of cattle in Texas is called the Texas Longhorn because it has really long horns.

(from: wikipedia - texas longhorn)

There is a NASA space center called Johnson Space Center in Houston.
During the Apollo 13 space mission where some things went wrong after the astronauts were launched into outer space, they said over the radio to the control center Houston we have a problem and it has become a famous saying for when something goes wrong.

(from: wikipedia - christopher c. kraft jr. mission control center)
Dwight D. Eisenhower from Texas was the 34th president of the US, in 1953.

(from: wikipedia - dwight d. eisenhower)

Lyndon B. Johnson from Texas was the 36th president of the US, in 1963.

(from: wikipedia - lyndon b. johnson)


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Monday, July 27, 2015

Tennessee


We just learned about the US state of South Dakota.

Tennessee is a state in the southeastern part of the US.
It's nickname is The Volunteer State because in the War of 1812 they sent so many volunteers to fight for the US.
It's state motto is Agriculture and Commerce for the farming and businesses of the state.

(from: wikipedia - tennessee)

The flag of Tennessee has three stars on it, for the West, Middle and East part of Tennessee which are all very different from each other.
The west side has lots of low flat land and is very wet and can grow lots of cotton.
The middle has rolling hills and has the state's capitol.
The east is mostly mountains and has the Appalachian mountain range going through it.

(from: wikipedia - flag of tennessee)

The seal of Tennessee has a plow, wheat, cotton and the word Agriculture on top, and a boat with the word Commerce on the bottom to show the importance of farming and river business in the state.

(from: wikipedia - seal of tennessee)

The Appalachian mountain range goes through Tennessee.
One of the mountain ranges there is called the Smoky Mountains.
They got the name Smoky because of the fog that is around the mountains looking like smoke.
The park there has the most black bears of any place in the US.


(from: wikipedia - great smoky mountains)

Nashville, Tennessee is known as the home of country music, and had a big country music show called the Grand Ole Opry for a long time where famous country music singers would come and perform.

(from: wikipedia - grand ole opry)


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Monday, July 20, 2015

South Dakota


We just learned about the state of South Carolina

Another US state is South Dakota

South Dakota is a state in the midwest part of the US, just south of North Dakota.
It's nickname is The Mount Rushmore State, and it's motto is Under God the people rule.

(from: wikipedia - south dakota)

The flag of South Dakota is blue with yellow letters, and has a picture of the state seal in the middle surrounded by yellow triangles that look like the sun's rays.
The state seal shows hills, a river with a boat, a farmer, a mine, and cattle for all the farming and nature in the state.

(from: wikipedia - flag of south dakota)

Mount Rushmore is a large sculpture of the faces of four presidents, carved into the side of a mountain.
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.

(from: wikipedia - mount rushmore)

The badlands is a park in South Dakota that has many wonderful things to see in nature

(from: wikipedia - badlands national park)

Just like Mt. Rushmore, there are people trying to make a carving in a mountain of the famous Native American warrior named Crazy Horse.
It is still being worked on, and the people making it started over 50 years ago.

(from: wikipedia - crazy horse memorial)


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