South Dakota Map Activity
A printable South Dakota map worksheet: colour the state, label Pierre and its major cities, and draw in the rivers and higher ground.
5 questions · Map activity · Application
South Dakota is one of the fifty states, and its capital is Pierre. This sheet prints the outline of the state large enough to work on, with a star already marking the capital, and a small map of the whole country in the corner so a student can see where South Dakota sits. The five tasks move from colouring the state in to placing its cities, rivers and mountains — the same order an atlas builds a map up in.
South Dakota
Capital: Pierre
South Dakota Map Activity
This is a map of South Dakota. Use the facts in the box and the star on the map to finish all five tasks.
Remember
- The capital of South Dakota is Pierre.
- Three of its largest cities are Sioux Falls, Rapid City and Aberdeen.
- Rivers in South Dakota include Missouri River, Cheyenne River and James River.
- Its higher ground includes Black Hills.
Your tasks
Work down the list in order. Everything is done on the big map below.
- 1.
Colour the whole state of South Dakota lightly in one colour, staying inside the outline.
- 2.
Find the star on the map. Write the name of the state capital on the line beside it.
- 3.
Mark and label these cities with a dot: Sioux Falls, Rapid City and Aberdeen.
- 4.
Draw and label these rivers: Missouri River and Cheyenne River.
- 5.
Shade where this higher ground is and label it: Black Hills.
★ marks Pierre, the state capital. Write its name on the line.
Answer key
Your tasks
- 1.The whole outline is coloured in, and the colouring stays inside the border.
- 2.Pierre - the capital of South Dakota. The star is printed where the city is.
- 3.Sioux Falls, Rapid City and Aberdeen - each marked with a dot and labelled. Sioux Falls is the largest of them.
- 4.Missouri River and Cheyenne River - drawn as a wiggly line and labelled.
- 5.Black Hills - shaded and labelled in roughly the right part of the state.
What this sheet teaches
- Find South Dakota on a map of the United States.
- Name and locate Pierre, the state capital.
- Locate Sioux Falls, Rapid City and Aberdeen within the state.
- Draw the main rivers of South Dakota and say roughly where they run.
Notes for the adult
- Coloured pencils are enough — there is nothing here that needs paint or a printed atlas.
- Task 2 is the one to check first: the star is printed exactly where Pierre is, so a child who writes another city has read the map rather than the fact box.
- The city and river positions are for the student to estimate. Mark on whether a label is in the right part of the state, not on whether it is within a few miles.
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