Iowa fact file
Research Iowa: where it is, what it is known for, three interesting facts, and a drawing.
Browse all fact file state / province
Iowa reading map
Iowa’s examples include a fictional capitol diary, a Grant Wood biography, an article about Cedar Rapids arts, and a prairie story. Choose a reading and plan a response grounded in its text.
10 readings
Explore Iowa with a reading
Choose an Iowa diary, biography, explanatory article, or short story. Compare the form and topic after reading the passages.
My Trip to the CapitolLower Elementary · Diary Entry • FictionIowa
Red the Hawk Over the PrairieLower Elementary · Short Story • FictionIowa
Grant Wood: Painting the Heart of AmericaUpper Elementary · BiographyIowa
Planning Your Day at Ames Science Centers: A Step-by-Step Field GuideUpper Elementary · How-To / Procedural • Functional TextsIowa
Ribbons of Water, Fields of Green: How Rivers Shape Iowa FarmingUpper Elementary · InformationalIowa
Taming the Tallgrass PrairieUpper Elementary · Reader's TheaterIowa
Art in the Heartland: The Creative Spirit of Cedar RapidsMiddle School · Explanatory Article • InformationalIowa
Forged in the Heartland: An Interview on Waterloo's Industrial LegacyMiddle School · Interview / Q&A • InformationalIowa
From Prairie Sea to Agricultural Heartland: Iowa's Landscape TransformationMiddle School · Report • InformationalIowa
Rooted in Iowa: Why Prairie Restoration Belongs in the ClassroomMiddle School · Opinion Piece • Opinion / ArgumentativeIowaIowa coloring pages
Free printable coloring pages about Iowa — each one comes with a short reading passage and a quiz.
Iowa printables & worksheets
Compare a biography with fiction, or collect information and questions in a fact file or KWL chart.
Build a Iowa workbook Pro
One PDF with the reading passages, puzzles and worksheets you pick — start from a grade level and adjust from there, with the answer keys at the back.
Iowa KWL chart
Write what you already know about Iowa, what you want to find out, and what you learned.
Browse all kwl chartIowa story map
Plan a story set in Iowa: characters, setting, problem, what happens first, next, and last, and how it ends.
Browse all story mapCompare two things from Iowa
Use a Venn diagram to compare two places, landmarks, animals, traditions, or other features from Iowa.
Browse all compare two things from iowaIowa acrostic poem
Write an acrostic poem using the letters in the name Iowa.
Browse all acrostic poemIowa word game worksheets
Printable word puzzles built from Iowa words — download as PDF, answer key included.
Easy word search
8×8 grid · 6 words across and down · answer key included
Medium word search
10×10 grid · 8 words with diagonals · answer key included
Tricky word search
12×12 grid · 10 words with backwards words · answer key included
No printer at hand? Play the Iowa word search right here on screen — free.
About Iowa
Iowa is the only U.S. state bordered by two parallel rivers: the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River to the west.
Des Moines is the capital and most populous city in Iowa.
Before European settlement, much of Iowa was covered by tallgrass prairie ecosystems.
Explore Iowa through a person, place, and story
Iowa’s listed readings move among a diary, biography, explanatory article, and fiction. These choices help readers practice noticing how a text presents its subject. Start with a place-connected passage, read it fully, and use its details to frame a question rather than adding unsupported state facts.
Compare two fictional texts
My Trip to the Capitol is a Lower Elementary fictional diary entry. Red the Hawk Over the Prairie is a short story. Ask students to compare voice and setting clues, then point to the exact language behind their observations. The titles identify a starting point; the passages establish what happens.
Read about an artist and a community topic
Grant Wood: Painting the Heart of America is a biography. Readers can collect details that build its account of the artist. Art in the Heartland: The Creative Spirit of Cedar Rapids is an explanatory article for Middle School; identify what it explains and how the article develops its topic.
Keep a response close to the reading
Students can compare the two stories, collect facts from the biography, or write a concise explanation supported by the Cedar Rapids article. A KWL chart can capture an opening question and what the text adds. Review the full passage, grade label, questions, and available activity formats before deciding what to assign.
For a broader view, return to the United States reading map.
Iowa reading map FAQ
Which Iowa readings are fiction?
My Trip to the Capitol is labeled a fictional diary entry, and Red the Hawk Over the Prairie is a short story. Read each before discussing its events.
How can students compare Grant Wood and the Cedar Rapids article?
The first is a biography and the second an explanatory article. Compare how each builds its subject and which details support its purpose.
What task fits the Cedar Rapids arts passage?
Ask students to state what the article explains and support that statement with details from its Middle School reading.
Can students use the map without reading every passage?
Yes. Select a passage that fits the question, then review its text and questions before planning a focused response.