When you think of Arizona, do you picture the Grand Canyon or tall cacti under a blazing sun? While those are iconic sights, Arizona has so much more to offer! Whether you’re homeschooling, working on a state project, or just looking for a fun way to teach U.S. geography, this guide will help you explore Arizona in a way your child won’t forget.
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Discover Amazing Places in Arizona
Arizona is packed with natural wonders, colorful landscapes, and ancient history. Here are a few must-see highlights:
- The Mitten Buttes in Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park are a famous sight! This natural backdrop is seen in many movies and is often photographed.
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The Grand Canyon is considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Carved by the Colorado River, its steep, layered canyon walls are made up of colorful stripes of sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rock.
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Or head to Saguaro National Park to see towering cacti that can live for over 150 years! These massive plants are only found in the Sonoran Desert.
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Learn about Arizona Flora and Fauna
Arizona’s deserts, forests, and high plateaus create a range of habitats for unique plants and animals. The state flower is the saguaro cactus blossom, and the state tree is the palo verde, which blooms with yellow flowers in the spring.
Animals like the roadrunner, Gila monster, javelina, and Mexican gray wolf can all be found in Arizona.
Encourage your child to research one of Arizona’s desert creatures or blooming plants and create a report, poster, or even a poem about it!
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Use Hands-On Methods to Reinforce Learning
Learning is more fun (and memorable) when kids get involved. Try these hands-on ideas for studying Arizona:
- Create a desert biome diorama with cactus models and desert animals.
- Draw or write about one of Arizona’s natural wonders or creatures.
- Use our FREE Arizona Coloring Page.
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Find Arizona on the Map
Take a minute to locate Arizona on a U.S. map. It's one of the Four Corner states, meaning it touches Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico at a single point!
- Trace Arizona’s shape and label nearby states.
- Build the state’s shape with playdough or toothpicks.
- Color Arizona on our free coloring page.
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Learn Over Several Days
Spread your Arizona study across 3 to 4 days. One day might focus on the Grand Canyon, another on desert life, and another on the history of the Native American tribes of the region. This helps kids absorb the information and engage with it in different ways.
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Use a Ready-to-Teach State Study Unit
Feeling overwhelmed by lesson planning? We’ve done the work for you!
Our Arizona state unit from our Hit the Road Geography curriculum includes all of the above and so much more. With writing assignments, comprehension questions, hands-on activities, and humorous journal entries, we help make learning stick. After all, our goal is to turn US geography into a subject your child will love!
