Postcard-Geography Album: Virginia, "Old Dominion"

"The name Virginia was first applied by Sir Walter Raleigh and Queen Elizabeth I in 1584. After the English Civil War in the mid 17th century, the Virginia Colony was nicknamed "The Old Dominion" by King Charles II for its perceived loyalty to the English monarchy during the era of the Commonwealth of England." -wikipedia

This week's postcards are from a trip we took through Virginia three years ago. The postcards are from Luray Caverns and Natural Bridge. We have also visited Virginia Safari Park, Skyline Drive, Assateague Island and Manassas Battlefield. Virginia has a lot of places to visit.

 We colored in a map of Virginia which includes products from the state, the state bird, the Cardinal and the state tree and flower, the Dogwood. (We did a Dogwood project for North Carolina, which could also be done for this state.)

 We colored in Virginia on our map and talked about its proximity to our state, Maryland. Of course, these two states also share the Chesapeake Bay.

Student drawn map.

Student's history journal

We learned about George Washington's...

Student's sketch in his journal

home, Mount Vernon, which is in Virginia.
We also noted that it was one of the first 13 colonies and that it was the 10th state to be ratified by the Constitution.

"

From Arlington National Cemetery (once part of Robert E. Lee's homestead) to magnificent Monticello, Virginia has always had a prominent place in American history. Jamestown, Williamsburg and even the Pentagon are just a few of the many places highlighted in "O is for Old Dominion." Readers will also be introduced to such history makers as George Washington, Patrick Henry, and Booker T. Washington."

Since apples are the state's biggest product, we made Crockpot Applesauce.
Virginia is also famous for her country hams, and "red-eye" gravy is made from the drippings of pan-fried country ham and black coffee. Grits is a corn-based porridge very popular in the southern United States. Corn is a crop native to America. Collard greens, cooked southern-style originated with African slaves. 
Sweet tea is the staple drink of the Southern United States. Naming cakes and cookies in honor of Civil War heroes on both sides was a common practice in the years following the war. The Robert E. Lee cake is a orange and lemon layer cake.

We have "visited" 29 states with our postcard-geography album.
We still need postcards for these states:

Mississippi, New Jersey, Vermont, Wyoming.
If you live in any of these states and would like to help us with this project, please leave a comment on how I can get in touch with you. Thank you!