June Ponte - Fun and Simple New England State Crafts: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut

DO YOU KNOW YOUR STATES?

Learn interesting and exciting facts about the New England states while creating fun crafts! Find out about your state's capital, motto, flower, animal, and more! Make a Paul Bunyan Statue, a Snowflake Treasure Box, a Big Bug, or one of the other crafts in this book.

"Learn some interesting facts about New England while you indulge your creative side. Fun and Simple New England State Crafts gives the reader a solid overview of this section of the United States reinforced by creative activities which elementary students can enjoy."

About the Author

Author June Ponte, illustrator and fine artist, is also a freelance writer. She has written for various magazines and newspapers. This is her first series as an author with Enslow Publishers, Inc.

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont are the six states in the New England region. The area was named by Captain John Smith, an English soldier and explorer. Captain Smith explored the Massachusetts Bay area of New England in the early 1600s, and he made a map of the area.

The New England region is in the northeastern part of the United States. Millions of years ago, New Englands many mountains and valleys were created by plate collisions, when continental plates collided to form the supercontinent Pangea. Mount Washington in New Hampshire is the tallest mountain in New England. The Connecticut River is the longest and largest river in New England. It forms the border between Vermont and New Hampshire. Lake Champlain is a long, thin lake, and the largest lake in the region. It lies between Vermont and New York.

Origin of name	Maine may have been named after a region of France called Mayne. It is also possible that the state was named Maine by explorers, as a shortened version of the word mainland.
Flag	The Maine state flag is blue, with the state seal in the center. It shows a farmer and a seaman who represent farming and the fishing industry. The shield between them, which has a pine tree and a moose, represents Maines wildlife regions and forests. The North Star at the top symbolizes Maines location within the United States. Image Credit: 2001 Robesus, Inc.
Capital	Augusta
Nickname	The Pine Tree State
Motto	Dirigo (This is Latin for I direct.)
Size (in area)	39th largest
Animal	moose Image Credit: 2007 Jupiterimages
Bird	chickadee Image Credit: 2007 Jupiterimages
Fish	landlocked salmon
Flower	pinecone and tassel from the white pine tree
Tree	white pine
Industry	agriculture, especially potato farming; lumber, shipbuilding, fishing, machinery, electronics, tourism

The town of Bangor, Maine, claims to be where the lumber industry began. Lumber is wood that has been sawed into boards and other pieces for building. People say that Bangor is the place where Paul Bunyan, the legendary lumberjack, was born. There is a 31-foot-tall statue of the tall-tale hero in Bangor. Make a miniature statue of Paul Bunyan.

1. Make the framework for the statue. Twist two pipe cleaners together to make arms. Repeat for legs and a head.

2. Cover the pipe cleaners with clay to form the head, torso, arms, legs, and feet. Let dry. If you like, make an ax. Cover a toothpick with clay, and then add a small rectangle of clay at one end.

3. Make a tree stump that will help the statue stand. Paint a toilet tissue tube brown. Let dry. Cover the bottom of the tube with packing tape. Drop a rock inside the tube to weight it down.

4. Paint a shirt, pants, and boots on the statue. Let dry. Glue the statue to the tree stump toilet tissue tube. Let dry.

Eartha is the name of the worlds largest rotating globe. It is over 41 feet wide. Eartha was made in 1998 by DeLorme, a software company in Maine. Here is a craft in which your town is marked with a star on the globe.

1. Blow up a round balloon. Tie it off. Tie a 24-inch-long piece of yarn around the knot.

2. Mix 1 cup of flour and 2 cups of water in a bowl to make a thin paste. Dip strips of newspaper in the paste. Use your fingers to wipe off any excess paste. Wrap the strips around the balloon until it is covered with four to five layers of paper. Make sure the yarn is not covered. Let dry overnight.