Oklahoma turns 105 in just two weeks! On November 16, 1907, Oklahoma became the 46th state to enter the Union. No matter how old your children are, this is a great time to learn about our state!
Plan a field trip: If you’ve read this blog at all, you know my kids and I love a good field trip. This would be a terrific time of year to visit the state capitol building (click here for information on tours) or maybe even a short trip up the road to Guthrie, our first capital. If you’ve been to both of those places, check out MetroFamily’s Exploring Oklahoma articles for more field trip inspiration–there is no shortage of fun and educational places to visit!
Make a brochure: I’ve met a lot of people who have never been to Oklahoma who have no clue what Oklahoma is really like. As high-schoolers on a choir trip to Washington, D.C., we ran into some tourists who were genuinely surprised to learn we didn’t still live in tepees. When I moved to Nebraska, my students (and some of their parents) frequently told me that I didn’t sound like someone from Oklahoma—whatever that means—even though my family has lived here for several generations. Honestly, though I’ve lived here almost my entire life, I am still surprised to find some of the fabulous things our state has to offer. Making a brochure would be a great way to showcase some of the things your child loves about living here—places to go, famous people born here, fun facts, etc. Of course you can do it the way we did in elementary school by folding a piece of paper into thirds, or you can also put your technology skills to use and make something on the computer!
Write a report: Okay, this might not fall into the category of fun, but kids do need to learn how to write a report, and if this is something you need to cover, Oklahoma (or some of its famous inhabitants) could be a new topic to address. 50 states.com has lots of details about Oklahoma that could be useful!
Add in a little something extra: You may have your lesson plans already done with no wiggle room, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add in something small. Read a biography of an Oklahoman you may not know much about (I recently enjoyed Tallchief!) and print a few coloring sheets or a word search for the kids to work on while you read. Bake some cookies and watch Oklahoma! Take a bit of time to have some fun!
Happy birthday, Oklahoma!
