States Fair

How are the state choices for States Fair determined?

All fourth grade students will gather together in early January for the selection of states. Numbers are in a big jar and one-by-one each student draws a number; this number determines the order in which each student will draw for a state. The state names are divided into geographical regions.

The containers which contain the state names also have a list of the states in that region listed on the outside. When it is their number-turn to draw, students select a region and draw a state. There is a running list on display on the class Smart Board of the states which have been drawn so that students know how many states are left in a particular region. The entire experience is truly 'the luck of the draw'.

Are students allowed to trade states after drawing?

NO! When a state is drawn, it is final. The exception to this rule is that students are not allowed to have the same state that an older sibling has had. In the event that a student draws the state of a brother or sister, Mrs. Ford will hold that state name out while the student draws again. Once the student has an acceptable choice, Mrs. Ford will return the first state drawn back to its region container.