Make United States Geography Fun with This Atlas Scavenger Hunt

Use this United States atlas scavenger hunt to add some hands-on fun to your middle school geography lessons.

Middle School geography is an important subject to cover in your homeschool. Not only world geography, but also United States geography. It’s important that kids go beyond learning about the state capitals and learn more about what makes our country unique geographically.

One way to learn a wide variety of information about a location is to read an atlas. This is a skill that needs to be taught and takes practice to master.

Are you looking for a fun way to help your students learn interesting facts about the geography of the United States while also teaching them how to use an atlas?

Start right here with this atlas scavenger hunt.

It's important to teach your middle schooler how to work with an atlas during your geography lessons. Make it fun & effective with this United States Atlas Scavenger Hunt. Your students will go from A-Z, searching for places throughout the US, while learning a ton of great information, all while becoming familiar with the format of an atlas. Can your teen find all of the locations? #geography #scavengerhunt #middleschool #tweens #teens #handsonlearning #educationpossible #theworldisourclassroom

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My kids had so much fun completing the World Atlas Scavenger Hunt, they asked me to create one they could use when we studied United States geography. They were also excited to use their new United States atlas.

Like mine, I think your middle schooler will love learning 26 fun facts about the USA with this new hunt.

United States Atlas Scavenger Hunt

As your teens work through this scavenger hunt, they will learn about places from around the United States and gain a working knowledge of an atlas.

Have your kids read the clues and search their atlas for the location. Each one will start with a different letter of the alphabet. Once they know the answer, they should write it down next to the printed first letter. Let your kids finish before you give them the answer key.

Yes, students can find the answers online, but I highly recommend letting teens use an actual atlas. When they spend time looking at and working with one, they learn important skills like how to navigate through the table of contents, maps, index, etc.

Some of the clues in the scavenger hunt include:

  • 1.5 million acre wetlands preserve in Florida
  • California’s most populated city
  • national park in SW Utah
  • smallest state by area ranking
  • this state is an isolated volcanic archipelago in the Central Pacific

As they find each location, have them mark each location on a outline map that they draw or trace and label it.

As you can see, older kids will be challenged while working on this and will learn a lot of fascinating information about the United States by scouring their atlas for answers.

Use this USA Atlas Scavenger Hunt as part of your middle school geography lesson plans.

Things you Need to Complete the US Atlas Scavenger Hunt

United States Atlas Scavenger Hunt 

World Atlases

Two of our favorites atlases are the National Geographic Kids United States Atlas and the Student Atlas from DK Publishing

Printed Maps (optional)

We regularly use WonderMaps in our homeschool geography lessons for printable maps

Kids United States Atlas

I hope that your kids discover an appreciation of atlases while working on this United States Atlas Scavenger Hunt.

More Hands-on Geography Activities for Middle School 

Helpful Middle & High School U.S.Geography Resources

What is your favorite way to study United States geography with your middle schooler?