Dear Geographers,

I suppose you don’t have to know your 50 states to live a full life in America. But I think it helps. Because you’ll find if you start memorizing facts about states, you’ll start to get a feel for them. They won’t just be random shapes on a map. They’ll mean something to you.

If you know your 50 states, a lot of things will make more sense. That red and blue map on election night, why certain football teams play each other more often, what people do in different places, how they talk, and what they believe. 

All of these things are rooted in place. So if we know the places, it’s like a key to unlock knowledge about all that happens there. 

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt