When a message has a catchy jingle, it is easy to remember. That's why it is easy for people to retain information like lyrics to songs they like, or the theme songs to their favorite shows. The same goes for education. Turning the names of the 50 states into a song is an effective way of teaching them to students. Some teachers take it a step further by adding the capital of the states in as well.
Another way to learn the states is by putting together a puzzle of a map of the United States.This also will help students to remember the geography of the U.S. along with the names of the states. After letting the students look at the puzzle map for a couple minutes to get accustomed to the states, take it apart, jumble the pieces and time them to see how long they can get it put together. Repeat it so that the students can try and beat their previous time.
Many students learn the states when they aren't even at school. One way is through license plates. Instead of playing the classic road trip license plate game, make up your own game using license plates. If your school allows you to decorate the walls of your classroom, use an empty wall to create a map using an old license plate from each state.
Many teachers say that repetition is perfection. Often times just repeating the states in order over and over will help students to remember. This may not be as fun as the other ideas but it has been used in classrooms for years and has been proven effective.