State Lessons, Facts, and Photo Tours

These short lessons include information about our state symbols, capitals, landmarks, major cities, and historical places. They are a great resource for teaching civics, history, geography, social studies, citizenship, ELL, ESL, EFL, TESOL, and English. All photos tours include downloadable activities like worksheets, crossword puzzles, PowerPoint presentations, videos, and more. Please visit www.elcivics.com often for more state lessons. I plan to cover all 50 states.

Alaska became the 49th U.S. state on January 3, 1959. It is the largest of the fifty states and the coldest. Alaska shares an international border with Canada. It is located in the northwestern part of North America.

Arizona is located in the southwestern part of the United States. It shares an international border with Mexico. Arizona is nicknamed "The Grand Canyon State". It is famous for its deserts. Torists often notice that it is a very clean state.

Grand Canyon

California is our most populated state. It is located next to the Pacific Ocean. It shares a border with Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona. It also shares its southern border with Mexico. California is famous for sunny weather, beaches, surfing, movie stars, and the Gold Rush.

   Los Angeles    Sacramento    San Diego    San Francisco

Point Loma Lighthouse    California Missions    Lake Tahoe    Joshua Tree Park

Colorado became a state on August 1, 1876. It was the 38th state to join the United States. The Rocky Mountains run through the western part of Coloardo.

Florida is our fourth most populated state. It is located in the southeastern part of the United States next to the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. It shares a border with Alabama and Georgia.

Hawaii became a state in 1959. It was the 50th state to join the United States. Hawaii is located in the Pacific Ocean. It is made up of hundreds of islands. Hawaii is a popular vacation spot for tourists.

Illinois is called the Land of Lincoln or The Prairie State. It is located in the midwestern part of the United States. The largest city in Illinois is Chicago and the capital is Springfield.

Indiana is known as "The Crossroads of America" and its residents are called Hoosiers. The state is famous for steel mills, cornfields, sand dunes, the Indy 500 car race, and trailer manufacturing.

Iowa is called the Hawkeye State, the Corn State, and the The Land Where the Tall Corn Grows. Much of Iowa is farmland.

Maine is in the New England area of the United States. It is located along the Atlantic Ocean, and it shares borders with New Hampshire and Canada. Many people travel to the state for summer vacation.

Michigan is in the northern part of the United States. It is near the Great Lakes and it shares a border with four of the Great Lakes.

New Mexico is located in the southwestern part of the United States. Its nickname is "The Land of Enchantment". It is famous for Carlsbad Caverns, Rosewell, hot air balloons, and colorful deserts.

New York is located in the east next to the Atlantic Ocean. It shares a border with two Great Lakes (Erie and Ontario), the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec, Lake Champlain, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

New York City  Niagara Falls   Statue of Liberty

North Carolina is in the southern part of the United States. It is on the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the original thirteen colonies. Its capital is Raleigh and its most populated city is Charlotte.

Ohio became the 17th U.S. state on March 1, 1803. About eleven and a half million people live in Ohio. The state capital and largest city is Columbus. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is in Cleveland.

Pennsylvania is one of the original thirteen American colonies. It became the second U.S. state in December of 1787. Its state capital is Harrisburg and its largest city is Philadelphia.

Texas is our second largest state. It is located in the south-central part of the country next to the Gulf of Mexico. It shares a border with Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, and New Mexico. It also shares a border with Mexico. Texas is famous for its independent spirit.

Utah was the fastest growing state in the U.S.A. in 2008. Religion plays an important role in the state and many residents of Utah are members of the LDS Church.

Four-Wheeling in Utah

Virginia was one of the original 13 American Colonies. It is known as "The Mother of Presidents" because it was the home of eight U.S. presidents, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.