When you search for information on Washington, you'll come up with links for both the state of Washington and the national capital, Washington, D.C. (a.k.a. District of Columbia). You'll want to take care not to confuse the two.
A note on spelling: Washington State resident and Business Writing blogger, Lynn Gaertner-Johnson, says: "I live in the state of Washington. I live in Washington State. And when it comes to capitalization, it's the state of confusion." However, as she illustrates in her statement, "state" is capitalized when it comes after Washington, but not when it comes before.
Washington State Printable Coloring Books
Evergreen State College in Olympia, the capital city of Washington State, presents a collection of coloring and activity books for children including the following.
- The Washington State Coloring Book (pdf) (16 pages), courtesy of the Washington State Legislature, includes coloring pages of the capital building, the state seal, the state bird, etc., along with additional interesting facts about the state.
- The Washington Secretary of State Activity Book (pdf) (31 pages), presented by Secretary of State Sam Reed, offers children word games, puzzles, and other activities as a fun way to learn about the state of Washington and the duties of the Secretary of State.
Washington State History
Let's begin with the Washington Territory to discover the origins of the state of Washington. The original Washington Territory was formed in 1853. It was nearly called the Columbia Territory and it was bigger than Washington today.
Tthree of my favorite websites for browsing Washington State history are History Link, the free online encyclopedia on Washington State history; Washington Women's History Consortium, a Washington State Historical Society-led initiative created by state statute RCW 27.34.360 in 2005; and COLUMBIAKids, an online magazine presented by the Washington State Historical Society.
HistoryLink provides a wealth of information in the form of essays, timelines, personal histories, collections of biographies, and focuses on towns, cities, and counties. The site is attractive and easy to navigate. The front page features "This Week Then" and "Today in Washington History." You'll also find interactive cybertours and audio enhanced entries.
The Washington Women's History Consortium (WWHC) website, managed by the Washington State Historical Society, focuses on women's suffrage, women's rights, and the roles Washington women have played in the development of culture and society. The website links to a variety of resources on Washington women's history, including state archives, college collections, and museum exhibits.
Some of my favorite WWHC resources are the Oral History Projects, including Native American women elders and storytellers.
COLUMBIAKids explores time and place in the Pacific Northwest. The website provides links to lesson plans, field trips, and other resources.
Washington State Homeschool Law
Of particular interest to homeschooling families, you can learn about Washington homeschool law as outlined by Lisa Russell, a state of Washington resident and homeschooling mother of six. In addition, the Washington Homeschool Organization, participates in and monitors state legislative activities regarding home-based instruction, aka homeschooling.
With the "then and now" areas of HistoryLink and remarkable women from the Women's History Consortium fresh in your mind, consider visiting historic Olympia, Washington, the capital city of Washington, where you can tour the capital building. Did you know that the current governor, Chris Gregoire, is a woman? If you're not prepared for a road trip just yet, just go to ga.wa.gov for a virtual tour.
References:
Gaertner-Johnson, Lynn. "Washington State of Confusion." BusinessWritingBlog.com, Nov 29, 2007.
Evergreen State College. "Hot Topic: Coloring Books." Evergreen.edu, June 17, 2010.
Sara McGrath - Sara is a veteran homeschool mom of three, Usborne consultant, and the author of Unschooling: A Lifestyle of Learning.
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