Welcome to the Eight For Each State US Geography tour. I am so glad you are joining us.
Montana, the next stop in our US Geography study, is perhaps one of the most beautiful states I have never seen. The pictures we looked at and the wildlife we explored were breathtaking. Big Sky Country is a fitting nickname for a state with such wide open spaces and beautiful landscapes.
We had fun learning a little bit about Montana’s wildlife, Native Americans, and a very special dog. Come along with us as we try a new cornbread recipe, play a track matching game, and read some great books.
1. B is for Big Sky Country: A Montana Alphabet by Sneed B. Collard III
We always enjoy these amazing books. B is for Big Sky Country is just as much fun as the rest of the series. Starting your US Geography state study with one of these books is sure to get it off on the right track.
With 26 plus separate juicy tidbits of information about Montana, choosing just a few becomes a good problem to have.
Below are two other book series we use to fill out our notebooking pages. They both offer history, culture, quick facts, and most importantly, a recipe from the state.
Montana: The Treasure State by Emily Rose Oachs
Montana Hello U.S.A. by Rita Ladoux
2. Montana State Videos
Montana US Embassy Vienna Video
Why study Montana History (a short history of Montana)
3. Wildlife Tracks Game
Montana has a huge population of wildlife. We first looked at Who Pooped in the Park? by Gary D. Robson and Tracks in the Wild by Betsy Bowen to familiarize ourselves with the tracks we might see if we visited Glacier National Park in Montana.
Then we had a great time playing this simple but fun Wildlife Tracks Game.
4. Shep: Our Most Loyal Dog by Sneed B. Collard III
Get out the tissues! One of the juicy tidbits in B is for Big Sky Country was Shep. Shep loved his master so much he met passenger train after passenger train at the station where his casket was loaded, waiting for his master to return.
5. Forestry and the Timber Industry
Timber is one of Montana’s natural resources. Explore a little bit with these resources.
- Life in a Forestry Community by Lizann Flatt – Life in a modern forestry community.
- Loggers by A.S. Gintzler – A history of logging.
- Newton Logging – Watch modern loggers at work.
6. Montana Native Americans
Little Big Horn and General George Custer are names that most of us know. In 1876, Custer made his last stand against Sioux and Northern Cheyenne who resisted moving to reservations.
Enjoy these resources to find out more about the Sioux and Northern Cheyenne who called Montana their home.
- Famous Indian Chiefs by John W Moyer – An out of print but excellent book! Read about Dull Knife of the Cheyenne, Red Cloud and Sitting Bull of the Sioux, and gaze at amazing full page color portrits of each. Well worth hunting down for a Native American study.
- Indian Legends of American Scenes by Marion Eleanor Gridley – A book chock full of indian legends organized by state. The Montana legend was from the Blackfoot tribe. Not every state is listed and one section includes Native American’s from Canada.
- If You Lived With The Sioux Indians by Ann Mcgovern – A fun book about life in s Sioux tribe.
- Custer’s Last Battle: Red Hawk’s Account of the Battle of the Little Bighorn by Paul Goble – A good read for those wanting more details on the battle.
- Custer’s Last Stand by Joeming W. Dunn – A graphic novel type history. My daughter loves these because she can see the story happening in the pictures.
- The Battle of the Little Bighorn – A Youtube video summarizing the Battle of Little Bighorn.
7. Cheyenne Batter Bread
We found this interesting cornbread recipe in The United States Cookbook by Joan D’Amico. It turns out very soft and gooey. We all enjoyed it with our chili for dinner.
8. Grandfather Buffalo by Jim Arnosky
I end with a charming book about the buffalo herds that roamed much of the great plains including Montana. Grandfather Buffalo is about as sweet as an animal story you can get with its gentle narrative of an old buffalo welcoming a new calf into the heard.
B is for Big Sky Country: A Montana Alphabet (Discover America State by State)Montana: The Treasure State (Exploring the States)Montana (Hello U.S.A.)Who Pooped in the Park? Yellowstone National Park: Scat and Tracks for KidsTracks in the Wild (Fesler-Lampert Minnesota Heritage)Shep: Our Most Loyal Dog (True Story)B is for Big Sky Country: A Montana Alphabet (Discover America State by State)Life in a Forestry Community (Learn about Rural Life)Rough & Ready Loggers (Rough and Ready Series)Famous Indian chiefsIndian Legends of American ScenesIf You Lived With The Sioux IndiansCuster’s Last Battle: Red Hawk’s Account of the Battle of the Little BighornCuster’s Last Stand (Graphic History (Graphic Planet))The United States Cookbook: Fabulous Foods and Fascinating Facts From All 50 StatesGrandfather Buffalo
What are your favorite Montana books?
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