The Midwest Region

Help your third graders learn the states one region at a time! This no-prep worksheet introduces the Midwest, one of the five regions of the United States. Instead of facing all 50 states at once, students focus on a small group of neighboring states, which is exactly how the standards ask them to learn: identify the five regions and label the states in each one.

Students start with a short, kid-friendly reading that shares a few fun facts about the Midwest. Then they use a real map of the region, made from public domain Natural Earth data, to complete four quick tasks. The region's 12 states, with the Great Lakes shown along the north are labeled in bold, while nearby states from other regions are shown in gray so students can see where the region fits in the country.

What's Inside

• A short reading passage with key words in bold
• A real, labeled map of the Midwest region
• Three quick map tasks: students count the states, find the state shaped like a mitten, and use directions to find the state just south of Iowa
• A visual map answer key with the star and X marked in red, so checking takes seconds

Why Teachers Love It

• Aligned to Florida SS.3.G.2.2 and SS.3.G.2.3, plus CCSS RI.3.7
• Includes the Great Lakes drawn accurately, so Michigan's famous mitten shape is easy to spot
• Takes just 5 to 10 minutes: perfect for morning work, map centers, homework, or sub plans
• Prints clearly in black and white

Use it on its own, or teach all five regions in order with the rest of our Regions of the United States series: the West, Southwest, Midwest, Southeast, and Northeast.