• About
  • Contact Us
  • PR and Advertising
  • Privacy and Disclosures
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Ben and Me

  • Home
  • Homeschool
    • Notebooking Across the USA
    • Homeschool Curriculum
    • Delight-Directed Learning
    • Unit Studies
    • Reviews
      • Curriculum Reviews
      • Product Reviews
  • Parenting
    • ADHD
    • Heart Parenting — a 10-part series based on The Christian Parenting Handbook
  • Essential Oils
    • 10 Best Essential Oils for Everyday Use
    • Essential Oil Recipes
  • Faith
  • Travel
    • Field Trips
      • Kentucky
      • Indiana
      • Florida
      • Washington DC

Make Your Other Emails Jealous

Receive our newsletters and special promotions

You are here: Home / Homeschool / Free! Illinois Unit Study
I make commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more information please see our disclosures page.

Free! Illinois Unit Study

Please share!
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest

Welcome to Notebooking Across the USA, a series of unit studies covering each state in the U.S. in order of admission to the union. You can find the landing page for this series with links to each states unit study as they are published, along with tips, suggestions, and recommended resources for this series here: Notebooking Across the USA. These unit studies are written with homeschool students grades 3-8 in mind. 

The most recommended resource for this series is the , and while I believe it will be very helpful if you will be studying all of the states, it is not required. If you do wish to purchase the pack, and the code benandmeUSA for a 25% discount.

 

Illinois Unit Study

Prior to Illinois becoming the 21st state to join the union on December 3, 1818, the state had been under French and British rule.  The 25th largest state in the nation, Illinois covers 57,918 square miles.  Wisconsin borders Illinois to the north and Kentucky is it’s southern border.  Indiana and Lake Michigan make up the eastern border of Illinois.  The Mississippi runs the length of Illinois’ western border with Iowa and Missouri just over the river.

The climate in Illinois is considered temperate.  The temperature varies across the state in both the summer and the winter.  The winters in the north could see temperatures as low as 22°F, while in southern Illinois, the temperature is typically around 37°F.  Varying temperatures are typical in the summer months too.   Northern Illinois will see typical typical temperatures around 70°F and 77°F in southern Illinois.

Notebooking Ideas

State Facts

Capital: Springfield

Population: 12,837,801 million  (ranks 5th)

Nickname: The Prairie State

Illinois was once covered with prairie grass.  Because of this, it became known as “The Prairie State”.  It is also known as the “The Land of Lincoln” in remembrance of Abraham Lincoln’s political career began and where he was living when he was elected as the 16th President of the United States.

Motto: State Sovereignty, National Union

The motto was adopted in 1819 and was symbolic for both Illinois and the nation.  The words were a matter of debate following the Civil War due to the states being divided over issues like slavery.

Abbreviation: IL

Agriculture: corn (for grain, corn syrup, starch and fuel alcohol), soybeans, hogs, cattle, dairy products, apples, asparagus, cabbage, and lima beans

Fishing Industry: carp

Industry: machinery (construction equipment, farm machinery, and machine tools), processed food (being baked goods, breakfast cereals, candy, sausage, and spices), chemical manufacturing (cleaning solutions, pharmaceuticals, and paint).

Mining: coal, petroleum, crushed stone, and clay

Outline Map

Have your students color and label an outline map of Illinois. Include the state capital of Springfield.  Also include the largest city of Chicago.  Be sure to include Peoria, the oldest community in Illinois, and Des Plaines, home to the first McDonald’s restaurant.  Don’t forget Lake Michigan, one of the five great lakes, in the northern tip of the state.

State Flag

The Daughters of the American Revolution are credited for the first official flag of Illinois.  It was adopted in 1915 after being chosen in a contest held by the group.  The flag has a white background and features the state seal. The seal is a bald eagle holding a banner in it’s beak that proclaims the state motto.  In the eagle’s talons is a shield of red and white stripes below an area of blue that houses 13 stars.  The dates 1818 and 1868 are engraved on the rock the eagle is resting on.  1818 is the year that Illinois became a state and 1868 is the year that the state seal was redesigned.   In 1969, the word “ILLINOIS” was added to the flag.  That design remains today as the official flag.

The Illinois state seal can be seal on the state flag.  Along with the eagle on the seal, there is also a sun rising over a body of water.  When the seal is used, separate from the flag, it has a circle of blue around the eagle scene that reads, “Seal of the State of Illinois” and “Aug. 26th, 1818”

Illinois State Bird: Northern Cardinal

The Northern Cardinal was chosen by school aged children to be the official state bird.  Their choice was made an official designation in 1929.  The cardinal is a favorite backyard bird throughout America.

llinois State Flower:  Violet

The school children of Illinois also selected the state flower.  In 1908, their number one choice, became the official state flower.  The violet won the contest over the wild rose and goldenrod.  The 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago was the catalyst for states to adopt a state flower.

Illinois State Tree:  White Oak

The choice of the White Oak as the official state tree was the result of a poll of 900,000 school children.  In 1973, the white oak replaced the native oak as the state tree.

State Song: Illinois  (click here to listen to the state song and here for the lyrics)

Written by C.H. Chamberlain and Archibald Johnston, Illinois was adopted as the official state song in 1955.

State Government

Learn about Illinois’ state government here: Government

State Government

Learn about Illinois’s state government here: Government

Flora and Fauna

Trees common to Illinois are: Slippery Elm,  Bur oak, chinkapin oak, overcup oak, willow oak, pignut hickory, shagbark hickory, shellbark hickory; pecan, green ash, pumpkin ash, and white ash

Mammals common to Illinois include the virginia opossum, eastern cottontail, american beaver, eastern chipmunk, fox squirrel, muskrat, coyote, gray fox, raccoon,  long-tailed weasel, american mink, north american river otter, striped skunk, and the white-tailed deer

Common birds to Illinois include:  Belted Kingfisher, Eastern Towhee,  American Redstart,   Eastern Kingbird, Turkey Vulture,  Common Nighthawk, Eastern Meadowlark,  Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Green Heron, White-throated Sparrow, and the Common Loon   

 

Illinois History

Discovered by Louis Joliet, a French explorer, Illinois became part of the French Empire.  It remained under French control until 1763.  At that time, when the French and Indian War ended, the British gained control of the land that is now known as Illinois.  British control lasted until 1778 when George R. Clark captured Fort Kaskaskia for Virginia.

Nine years later, Illinois joined the Northwest Territory.  This territory was under the control of the United States government.  Kaskaskia, the fort captured by Clark, became the first capitol of Illinois in 1818.  In 1839, Abraham Lincoln recommended moving the capitol to Springfield.

Although no battles were fought on Illinois soil, the state sent more than 130,000 men to fight in the Civil War.  After the war, canals and railroads expanded across the state bringing in industry like they had not seen before.  By the late 1800’s, Illinois was a leader in grain production and manufacturing.  Today, revenue from the service industry are a major source of income for the state.  This includes private health care, accounting and engineering firms, financial advisement and management, and wholesale and retail markets.

Famous People from Illinois

Frank Lloyd Wright (architect)

Ronald Reagan (40th President of the U.S.)

Abraham Lincoln (16th President of the U.S.)

Walt Disney (founder of Disney World and Disneyland)

Carl Sandburg (poet)

Other Uses for Notebooking Pages

writing prompts

dictation and copywork

draw and write

journaling

vocabulary and spelling words

state reports

recording reading lists

book reports

plant and animal classification

nature study

lab reports

FREE Illinois Unit Study for grades 3-8 -- learn about the

Road Trip Illinois

If you have a chance to visit the state of Illinois, be sure you don’t miss these sites. If you won’t be visiting,  take a virtual field trip by clicking on the name of the site. Have your student create Travel Journal notebooking pages to record what they learn.

 

Navy Pier

Navy Pier is a not-for-profit originally opened as a shipping and recreational facility in 1916. Located on Lake Michigan, it has served many purposes throughout its rich history and currently encompasses more than fifty acres of parks, gardens, shops, restaurants, family attractions and exhibition facilities and is the top leisure destination in the Midwest, drawing nearly nine million visitors annually.

Museum of Science and Industry

From field trips to teacher development, MSI provides engaging science experiences for students and educators—because they both will decide the future of science.

Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site

The remains of the most sophisticated prehistoric native civilization north of Mexico are preserved at Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site. Within the 2,200-acre tract, located a few miles west of Collinsville, Illinois, lie the archaeological remnants of the central section of the ancient settlement that is today known as Cahokia.

Lincoln Home National Historic Site

Lincoln Home National Historic Site was authorized by President Richard Nixon on August 18, 1971 and formally established on October 9, 1972, to preserve and protect the only home ever owned by President Abraham Lincoln. In total, the buildings included in the park make up four-and-a-half square blocks on 12 acres.

Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home

While in Dixon, Ron and his brother Neil checked out hundreds of books from the public library, attended South Central School and worked as caddies at the country club. Ron was a drum major for the Dixon YMCA Band, and a life guard out at Lowell Park where he saved 77 lives from the Rock River. He was a member of the First Christian Church in Dixon and taught Sunday School with his mother Nelle.

Starved Rock State Park

Starved Rock Park is a world apart from anything else in Illinois! You will know it the minute you enter the park, as you wind your car through the towering trees. Amazing waterfalls are active in the spring and after heavy rains. We have 13 miles of trails to explore and the Illinois River offers fishing (ice fishing, too), boating, extraordinary views and great places to relax.

Art Institute of Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago, founded in 1879 and located in Chicago’s Grant Park, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States.

The Super Museum

The world famous Superman Museum officially opened in 1993 in the Man of Steel’s official hometown of Metropolis, Illinois on Superman Square.

The museum features 20,000+ items from the life’s work of longtime Superman enthusiast and collector, Jim Hambrick who has amassed one of the greatest collections of Superman memorabilia in the world.

Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio

The Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio served as Wright’s private residence and workplace from 1889 to 1909—the first 20 years of his career. Wright used his home as an architectural laboratory, experimenting with design concepts that contain the seeds of his architectural philosophy.

Shedd Aquarium

At Shedd Aquarium, animals connect you to the living world, inspiring you to make a difference. Shedd combines the best of early 20th-century “age of aquariums” characteristics—a diverse, global animal collection surrounded by eye-popping architecture—with 21st-century advances in animal care, environments and interpretation. Excellence and innovation are Shedd traditions, and they began with the founder.

Interesting Facts about Illinois

The Great Fire of 1871 was one of most colossal disasters in American history. Overnight, the flourshing city of Chicago was transformed into a smoldering wasteland. The damage was so profound that few people believed the city could ever rise again

The Chicago Water Tower and Pumping Station were the only buildings to survive the Great Chicago Fire.

Ottawa, Freeport, Jonesboro, Charleston, Galesburg, Quincy and Alton hosted the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates that stirred interest all over the country in the slavery issue.

The world’s first skyscraper was built in Chicago, 1885. 

The Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) in Chicago is the tallest building in North America.

Illinois was the first state to ratify the 13th Amendment to the Constitution abolishing slavery, in 1865.

Des Plaines is home to the first McDonald’s.

The ice cream sundae was born in Evanston around 1890.

The Illinois state dance is square dancing.

The Chicago Public Library is the world’s largest public library with a collection of more than 2 million books.

The Chicago Post Office at 433 West Van Buren is the only postal facility in the world you can drive a car through.

The Chicago River is dyed green on Saint Patrick’s Day.

Arts, Crafts, and Cooking

Make a Chicago-style Deep Dish Pizza or a Chicago Dog. Have an ice cream sundae for dessert!

Build a log cabin with pretzels, crackers, and peanut butter or use Lincoln Logs!

Enjoy this beautiful Frank Lloyd Wright Bubble Window project. 

Choose one or more of these Presidents Day crafts to do with your children.

Other Activities

Watch this Disney video about Abraham Lincoln.

Watch a video documentary of the Great Chicago Fire.

Watch a video to learn how to square dance as a family!

Enjoy this clip of the first Mickey Mouse cartoon — Steamboat Willie.

Illinois Resource List

Notebooking

USA States Pack (use code benandmeUSA for a 25% discount)

Book Basket (Picture Books) 

L is for Lincoln: An Illinois Alphabet by Kathy-jo Wargin

If You’re Not From the Prairie by David Bouchard

A Picture Book of Abraham Lincoln by David A. Adler

The Remarkable Ronald Reagan: Cowboy and Commander in Chief by Susan Allen

Famous Buildings of Frank Lloyd Wright Coloring Book by Dover

Always My Grandpa: A Story for Children about Alzheimer’s Disease by Linda Scacco

Illinois Book Basket -- must read books for visiting or studying The Prairie State! Includes other ideas and resources for a Illinois unit study! #homeschool #traveltheUSA #illinoisunitstudy #unitstudies #homeschoolgeography

Book Basket (NonFiction)

Illinois (It’s My State) by Elizabeth Kaplan

Illinois (From Sea to Shining Sea) by Barbara Somervill (out of print but may be available at your library)

Chicago History for Kids: Triumphs and Tragedies of the Windy City Includes 21 Activities by Owen Hurd

A Kid’s Guide to Chicago by Karen T. Bartlett

We Are Mesquakie, We Are One by Hadley Irwin

A Walk in the Prairie by Rebecca L. Johnson

Abraham Lincoln for Kids: His Life and Times with 21 Activities by Janis Herbert

The Civil War for Kids: A History with 21 Activities by Janis Hebert

Frank Lloyd Wright for Kids: His Life and Ideas by Kathleen Thorne Thomsen

Book Basket (Chapter Books) 

Abraham Lincoln by Ingri and Edgar Parin D’Aulaire 

AbrahamLincoln: A New Birth of Freedom by Janet Benge

Lincoln and His Boys by Rosemary Wells 

Who Was Abraham Lincoln by Janet Pascal

The Great Fire by Jim Murphy

The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 by Kay Melchisedech Olson

Journey to Cahokia: A Boy’s Visit to the Great Mound City by Albert Lorenz (out of print but may be available at your library)

Poetry for Kids: Carl Sandburg by Kathryn Benzel

Ronald Reagan: Destiny at His Side by Janet Benge

Ronald Reagan: Young Leader by Montrew Dunham

Who Was Ronald Reagan by Joyce Milton

DVDs/Videos

Take a video tour of Illinois

 

Did you see something important I missed? Share in the comments and I may add it!

 

notebooking-across-the-usa-logo-400x400

Please share!
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest

Homeschool// Notebooking Across the USA// Travel// Unit Studies2 Comments

« Free! Mississippi Unit Study
52-Week Reading Challenge for Teens »

Welcome

Disclosure

Ben and Me is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. This site contains links from a number of other affiliate programs as well. If you click on these links and make a purchase, I may receive a commission. This does not cost you any more, and it helps cover costs associated with running the website. I am very picky about the products I recommend and the companies I support. I never recommend a product I would not use myself.

Copyright © 2025 · Savory theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2025 · Savory Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

×