Title: Kansas Day

Grade levels: 4th 5th

Teacher background information:

• Kansas was the thirty-fourth state admitted into the Union, January 29, 1861.
• The state seal is described in the resolution as follows: "The east is represented by a rising sun, in the right-hand corner of the seal; to the left of it, commerce is represented by a river and a steamboat; in the foreground, agriculture is represented as the basis of the future prosperity of the state, by a settler's cabin and a man plowing with a pair of horses; beyond this is a train of on-wagons, going west; in the background is seen a herd of buffalo, retreating, pursued by two Indians, on horseback; around the top is the motto, 'Ad Astra per Aspera,' and beneath a cluster of thirty-four stars. The circle is surrounded by the words, 'Great seal of the state of Kansas. January 29, 1861.'"
• Motto: Ad Astra per Aspera meaning "To the stars through difficulties."
• Kansas is named after the Indians that the Sioux called the Kansa, meaning "people of the south wind".
• Capital: Topeka, since 1861
• State nicknames: Sunflower State, Wheat State, Jayhawker State, and Midway, U.S.A.
• State animal: American buffalo
• State flower: Wild native sunflower
• State tree: Cottonwood
• State bird: Western meadowlark
• State reptile: Ornate box turtle
• State amphibian: Barred tiger salamander
• State insect: Honeybee
• State song: "Hone on the Range" lyrics by Dr. Brewster Higley, music by Dan Kelly
• Population (as of July 1, 1997): 2,559,343
• Kansas is leading state in wheat production.
• Commerce and industry dominated by aircraft industry and agriculture-related enterprises.
• Approximate size 200 by 400 miles, and includes 105 counties.
• Ten largest cities: Wichita, Kansas City, Overland Park, Topeka, Olathe, Lawrence, Salina, Manhattan, Leavenworth, and Shawnee

Brief description: This is a three-day unit concluding with one day of activities. The activities are designed to be taught in January, during the week Kansas Day is celebrated (January 29th).

1. Major concept: Kansas is a state filled with culture, history, prestige, industry, and beauty. People should believe Kansas is a place to celebrate and to feel proud about living here.
2. Objectives
   1. The students will create and display authentic products representative

   of the life in Kansas.

   1. The students will demonstrate their knowledge of Kansas through mini-presentations to be given to the other school members.
3. Materials
   1. Sand
   2. Soil
   3. Clear bottle-one for every two to three students
   4. Baking soda
   5. Chalk
   6. Math activity sheets
   7. Poster-making supplies
   8. Plaster of Paris
   9. Modeling clay
   10. Small empty butter containers or milk containers
   11. Assortment of shells, twigs, leaves
   12. Sunflower still life materials-vases, dried and silk flowers, etc
   13. 48 prepared wheat straws with heads per student
   14. Scandi Straw
   15. 12 inches of ribbon per student
   16. Petroleum jelly
4. References
   1. For the teacher
   2. Buntin, P. (1996). Kansas Symbols Coloring Book. Kansas: Kansas Heritage Center.
   3. Garson, E. (1968). The Laura Ingalls Wilder Songbook. New York: Harper and Row.
   4. Inaugural speech of Bill Clinton

   http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/html/1997- 01-20.html

   1. Kansas At A Glance: Published by Secretary of State Ron

      Thornburgh in collaboration with the Kansas Department of Commerce and Housing and the Kansas State Historical Society.

1. Keller, D. and McNeil, L. (1977) Wheat & Straw. Kansas: Wheat Weaving Inc.

 

1. Sterling, M. (1992). Westward Ho! Huntington Beach California:

Teacher Created Materials, Inc.

1. Van Gogh site:

   http://hyperion.advanced.org/17142/celebrated- artists/gogh.htm
   

2. Young, R. (1996). The magic school bus inside the Earth

   science/literature unit. Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials.

3. Zike, D. (1993). The earth science book. New York: John Wiley &

   Sons, Inc.

    

4. For the Student

   See attached bibliography page.

    

Content Related Words

Wheat Wheat weaving

Inaugural Speech Presidency

President Sunflower

Shading Still Life

Van Gogh Artist

Sedimentary Fossil

Mold Symbol

Erosion Prairie

Grasslands

1. Projects and Activities for students
2. Social Studies Activities
   1. We will do a research based activity that allows the students to understand the important of wheat to Kansas, and the various aspects of the harvesting and marketing of wheat.
   2. The students will look at the 1957 Inaugural Speech of Eisenhower, and the 1997 Inaugural Speech of Clinton, and they will research and analyze portions of the speeches to answer a series of questions.
3. Art Activities
   1. The students will do still life pencil drawings of sunflowers with an emphasis on the shading process.
   2. An experienced Wheat Weaver will come into the class and show the students how to make a simple Hair Braid Heart, and each of the students will be able to take the finished product home when the unit is over.
4. Science Activities
   1. The students will create and make observations for their own sedimentary layers in a jar.
   2. Students will color the geologic cross section of Kansas.
   3. The students will create fossils from natural resources out of clay and plaster of Paris.
5. Math Activities
   1. The students will be solving story problems by completing "Frontier Math" and writing their own story problems for other classmates to solve.
   2. "Fractional Recipes" worksheet will be used to help reinforce the idea of using fractions in day to day activities.
6. Language Arts
   1. The students will be reading and researching children's books that were written by Kansas' authors. The students will then take a well -known fairy tale and re-write it, using Kansas as the setting and Kansas natives as characters (ex. "Sunflowerlocks and the Three Prairie Dogs", "Jack in the Wheatstalk" or "The Three Little Meadowlarks")
   2. The students will work in centers to write four separate poems, sensory poems, alphabetical poetry, poetic lists and concrete poems.
7. Music Activities
   1. Students will be learning the state song, "Home on the Range".
   2. Students will be learning the song, "Buffalo Gals" and a circle dance to the music.
8. Culminating Activities
9. In the morning, we will be visiting the Historic Fort Hays in Hays, Kansas and setting up and eating a picnic lunch.
10. During the afternoon, three groups of students will be rotating through other classrooms. They will be performing original poetry and stories, the song "Home on the range", and Buffalo Gals Dance. They will also present some of their art creations.
11. Evaluation
    The students' performances and presentations will be evaluated by performance and presentation rubrics. They will also be evaluated by their completion of all written assignments.

     

     

    Bibliography Page

    Arnold, M. The Chicken Salad Club. Dial Books for Young Readers. 1998.

    Summary: Nathanial loves to listen to 100 year old "greatpaw" tell stories from his past. During each visit to Nathaniel's house, "greatpaw" eats chicken salad sandwiches and drinks lemonade. Soon, "greatpaw" gets tired of his old stories and it is up to Nathanial to lift his weary spirits.

    Bauer, M. On My Honor. Turtleback Books. 1989.

    Summary: Tony and Joel, best friends, have each vowed to their parents to never go near the dangerous Vermillion River, until one day when Tony makes a dare. Joel could not let Tony think he was a chicken, so they both set out to swim across the river. Tony is only boy to make it across alive and has to explain to both sets of parents how and why Joel drowned in the forbidden river.

    Clymer, S. Llama Pajamas. Little Apple books. 1996.

    Summary: Sarah has to go on a weeklong hiking trip in the mountains with her parents and without her precious computer. The Family also takes along two huge llamas, which add a spirited sense of adventure for Sarah.

    Hawkins, L. Valentine to a Flying Moose. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1993.

    Summary: Tammy is a fourth grade terror. Her parents got divorced one year ago and she hasn't heard from her dad in months. This leads her to believe she was the reason he left, therefore turning into a loud, name calling, stealing, lying and confused little girl. Through an upbeat, disabled bookstore owner, Papadakis, she gains back her self worth and tries to make new friends.

    Heilman, G. Wheat Country. Vermont: The Stephen Green Press. 1977.

    Summary: This book is about wheat, the harvesting of it, and the farmers who dare to grow it. It has many wonderful pictures in it that display the romance of wheat harvesting, and the blood, sweat and tears that go into it.

    Hinshaw, D. Wheat: The Golden Harvest. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company. 1987.

    Summary: Easy to read and understand chapters about wheat and its importance. This would be an easy book to use for the students to use while writing a report about the various aspects of wheat and the harvesting of it.

    Riphahn, A. The Timekeeper. Landmark Editions. 1997.

    Summary: A stranger arrives in a new land only to discover there is no time. He tries to separate the days and nights to make the people happy, only to discover everyone is still unhappy.

    http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/html/1997-01-20.html

    Summary: this web site contains the complete 1997 inaugural speech of

    Bill Clinton.

    http://www.cc.columbia.edu/acis/bartleby/inaugural/pres55.html

    Summary: This web site contains the complete 1957 inaugural speech of Dwight D. Eisenhower.