Vermont: Facts & Fun

Vermont Fact Sheet

Vermont is a beautiful state! The leaves are very pretty in the fall and Vermont is famous for their covered bridges. My favorite thing about Vermont is the maple syrup! I really loved having pancakes with maple syrup for dinner! I was surprised this week when my great-grandmother mailed a sap spout to me from their trip to Vermont.

Facts about Vermont:

• Capital: Montpelier
• Nickname: The Green Mountain State
• Statehood: March 4, 1791 (4th)
• Motto: Freedom and Unity.
• Bird: Hermit Thrush
• Highest Point: Mt. Mansfield

Children’s Books by Vermont authors that we read:

• Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter. My family read this chapter book together. I love the story of Pollyanna. Pollyanna is an orphan who comes to live with her aunt and teaches the whole town to be glad and give thanks. We also watched the movie Pollyanna and I enjoyed it very much.
• M is for Maple Syrup by Cynthia Furlong Reynolds. This is a Vermont alphabet book that tells about the many things Vermont is known for including maple syrup, covered bridges, and dairy farms.
• Here Comes Darrell by Leda Schubert. This is the story of Darrell, a Vermont man who helps all of his neighbors in his small town and then the neighbors help him.
• Silent Night by Will Moses. This is the story of the people in a Vermont village getting ready for Christmas. The illustrations in this book are really beautiful.
• From Dawn till Dusk by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock. This is the story of a Vermont family and their experiences year-round on their farm.

Animals from Vermont that I learned about:

Common animals in Vermont include the honeybee, Morgan horse, monarch butterfly, trout, deer, squirrels, and many more.

Life Cycle of the Monarch

We especially studied the state insect, the Monarch Butterfly, this week. I love butterflies! Every year, my family visits the Butterfly Festival at Powell Gardens and we have visited several Butterfly Houses on vacations… my favorite is the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House in St. Louis. We read, Starting Life Butterfly by Claire Llewellyn & Simon Mendez and learned about the life cycle of the Monarch and Usborne Beginners’ Caterpillars & Butterflies. We also watched Illustra Media’s Metamorphosis: The Beauty and Design of Butterflies. I think it is amazing the way God made butterflies and how they grow and live.

Fun things I learned about Vermont:

• The Apple is Vermont’s state fruit. I go apple picking with my family every autumn.
• Vermont Teddy Bears are made in Vermont and we read the book How Teddy Bears are Made: a Visit to the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory by Ann Morris and The Legend of the Teddy Bear by Frank Murphy. I also took a virtual tour of the Vermont Teddy Bear factory online.  Then, I designed my own teddy bears for an art project.
• Calvin Coolidge, one of our presidents, is from Vermont.
• Vermont has 107 covered bridges.
• Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream is made in Vermont.

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