South Carolina Elevation Maps

We are writing to you from dreary Charleston.  Normally we have beautiful sunshine, but it has been dark, gray, and rainy the last few days.  Our Headmaster always says that rain is "liquid sunshine" but I'm having a hard time agreeing to that when I'm outside for carpool!

Our third graders study South Carolina history, but our first chapter delves into the geography of our state.  We focus on the regions, the rivers, and South Carolina's natural environment.  For some reason, the kids are so good at memorizing the regions of the state.  They love it!  We did some fun foldables to keep them engaged.

After learning the regions and the different elevations found in our state, we made an elevation map using food.  Each region's elevation was depicted by a type of food that can be found in South Carolina.  We used grits for the Coastal Zone, rice for the Inner/Outer Coast Plain, split peas for the Sandhills, beans for the Piedmont, and marshmallows for the Blue Ridge. 

 The idea is that the Blue Ridge Region has the highest elevation (about 3,000 feet) so the marshmallows stand up higher than any other part of the map.

Despite being covered in glue and exhausted after this activity, I'm so glad we did it.  Our kids love it and it brings Social Studies to life. :) Do any of you do something similar with your state?

Thanks for reading!