Wisconsin - School-Age
Wisconsin
30th State (May 29, 1848), the midwest U.S.
State Abbreviation: WI
Capital: Madison
Origin of name: From a Native American word for the principal river of the region, which means "gathering of the waters."
Motto: Forward
Nickname: The Badger State
Wisconsin State Symbols
Wisconsin: State Seal
Animal: Badger
Bird: Robin
Beverage: Milk
Dairy Product Cheese
Dance Polka
Domesticated Animal: Dairy Cow
Fish: Muskellunge
Flower: Wood Violet
Fossil: Trilobite
Grain: Corn
Insect: Honeybee
Mineral: Galena
Soil: Antigo Silt Loam
Song: On Wisconsin
Tree: Sugar Maple
Wildlife: White-tailed Deer
Video
Things to Know
United States Senators from Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin area was first settled by the French. In 1763, the region was ceded to Great Britain. In 1787 it became part of the Northwest Territory.
Wisconsin has a vast agricultural sector. Wisconsin farmers rank 2nd in the United States in the production of milk and butter, and first in cheese. Because of the high production of cheese produced in Wisconsin, it has led to the nickname of “The Cheese State.”
The nickname "Badger State" is not named after the animal but instead refers to the nickname given to miners in the state. In the 1800s, miners dug tunnels into hillsides searching for lead. Instead of buidling homes the miners lived in caves, reminding people of badgers. The miners described the caves as badger dens.
Major Rivers: Wisconsin River, Mississippi River
Lakes - Lake Michigan, Lake Superior
Famous Wisconsinites
James Madison, U.S. president the capital was named for.
Carol Ryrie Brink, author
The book, Caddie Woodlawn, won the 1935 Newbery Award for children's literature.
Frank Lloyd Wright, architect (1867-1959)
--Frank Lloyd Wright's son John Lloyd Wright invented Lincoln Logs in 1918.
Georgia O'Keefe, artist, best know for her paintings of large flowers.
Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink
Laura Ingalls Wilder, author (1867-1957)
Laura Elizabeth Ingalls was born just outside of Pepin, Wisconsin in 1867. Wisconsin is the setting for the book "Little House in the Big Woods."
Dr. Kate Newcomb, physician (1886 - 1956)
Things to Do
Artist Study With Kids: Georgia O'Keeffe - flower paintings inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe.
Geogia O' Keeffe - White Calico Flower color page
Sites to See
The Sinking of the Lucerne
Investigate the sinking of the Lucerne in your classroom.
The Fox River is one of the few rivers in the United States that flows north.
A river will take the path of least resistance and flow downhill. This path can be south and just as
likely can be north, west, or east, or any combination of directions. Rivers Only Flow Downhill
