50 States Word Search with Answer Key
If you or your students love a good word search puzzle, I have five (5) fun ones for you!
All of these are available to download in my shop! Download and use it now, or save it for that geography unit later!
Click here to jump to the listing: USA 50 States Word Search & Maps
USA Word Search Puzzles
This printable pdf resource has eight (8) different pages. I've created five (5) word search puzzles that have various lists of state names in alphabetical order. Download, print, and use!
The puzzles include:
The 50 States word search puzzle
The 50 State Capitals word search puzzle
The United States Regions: West and Southwest states
The United States Regions: Midwest states
The United States Regions: The Northeast and Southeast states
The word searches are each a single page ready to print for no-prep fun!
I also included two blank United States maps. One map has the state outlines, and the other has a blank outline with each state being numbered.
You can use the numbered map for games and quizzes on state geography or identify which states belong in certain regions.
I've included an answer key to help you know where each state is on the map. I know I needed those answers when we started! My US geography was, ahem... a bit sad.
50 States Word Search & State Capitals Word Search
The biggest puzzles include all fifty (50) states. I also created one with all state capitals and national capital (it has 51 terms).
You can give these big guys to your kids a few times! The first time is a novel challenge; the second time reinforces the words and is fun as they remember the locations of the words and declare, "it's easy!" The third time you can shake it up and time them!
My kids love the added challenge of knowing they can do something successfully, then have the added wrench of competition against the stopwatch!
How and When to Use Word Search
I have my kids do word search puzzles at various points in any unit.
Beginning Lessons
For example, I could give the puzzle before starting the unit as a fun introduction to our new geography focus. This is a stress-free way to bring up new topics.
Mid Lessons
I might introduce the State Capitals word search after introducing the cities to help reinforce their names or review what we've already covered.
Sometimes I throw a fun activity into the middle of a unit or project to break up our learning routine and give them a brain break, so to speak. They're still working with the concept at hand, but in a worry-free way that allows them to relax
No student likes to be hounded day in and day out with the same topic. Everyone needs a break! We do as adults, and so do our kids. That doesn't mean that the break can't align with your lesson plans!
Post Lesson
Ending a unit with a fun word search puzzle is also a great way to close out lessons and review all the terms they learned.
Benefits of Word Search Puzzles
A simple word search or similar challenge is a great way to celebrate the closing of a lesson, similar to watching a movie after reading a book. Have fun with the words you all have worked so hard to learn!
Manipulating Knowledge for Retention
Word searches help because of the repetition of manipulating the letters. This builds their spelling memory because students have to manipulate their knowledge to find words that are in abstract form. Finding Tennessee or Connecticut backwards? They're going to need to remember how to spell it forwards!
Confidence Builders!
Word Searches are also independent activities because they are self-correcting. Having success with completing an activity alone helps confidence soar with students! They don't need to ask for help with the answers because they can tell when they've found the word all by themselves.
Bringing Fun to Memorization
Geography is the perfect topic for a word search puzzle. Learning the states and regions of the United States is very heavy on memorization.
We have a book called The Little Man in the Map that is amazing with helping provide kids with a way to memorize where each of the states are. It's amazing!
The story is about a classroom learning the 50 states and their teacher helping them by creating a rhyming story. The kids find a grouping of states that look like a man and build a story from there.
This book has helped my kids SO much! They can look at any map, find "the man in the map" and use that anchor to know the states' locations.
State Word Search: The 5 Regions
The word lists for the state region word search puzzles are based on the traditional teaching of the 5 regions of the United States. They are not based on the book.
In case this doesn't align with your lessons, these are the lists for each of those word searches.
West & Southwest States Word Search
Arizona
California
Colorado
Idaho
Montana
Nevada
New Mexico
Oklahoma
Oregon
Texas
Utah
Washington
Wyoming
Midwest States Word Search
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Nebraska
North Dakota
Ohio
South Dakota
Wisconsin
Northeast and Southeast States Word Search
Alabama
Arkansas
Connecticut
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Massachusetts
Mississippi
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Tennessee
Vermont
Virginia
West Virginia
Enjoy!
Again, these USA word search puzzles and maps are available to download and print directly from my shop! I hope you enjoy them as much as my kids do!
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