VS.2 Overview
Virginia: The Land and Its First Inhabitants
The student will demonstrate knowledge of the geography and early inhabitants of Virginia by
- locating Virginia and its bordering states on maps of the United States;
- locating and describing Virginia's Coastal Plain (Tidewater), Piedmont, Blue Ridge Mountains, Valley and Ridge, and Appalachian Plateau;
- locating and identifying water features important to the early history of Virginia (Atlantic Ocean, Chesapeake Bay, James River, York River, Potomac River, and Rappahannock River);
- locating three American Indian (First American) language groups (the Algonquian, the Siouan, and the Iroquoian) on a map of Virginia;
- describing how American Indians (First Americans) adapted to the climate and their environment to secure food, clothing, and shelter.
LITERATURE RESOURCES
Fradin, Dennis B.
From Sea to Shining Sea: Virginia. Chicago: Children's Press, 1993.
This richly illustrated book is an introduction to the history and geography of Virginia. The regions of Virginia are presented in great detail in this book.
Petty, Kate and Jennie Maizels.
The Amazing Pop-Up Geography Book. Dutton, 2000.
This geography book pops up, spins, and reveals the world's secrets in all its three-dimensional glory. Geographic features of Virginia can be reviewed in this engaging book.
TEACHER BACKGROUND RESOURCES
WEB SITES
- http://www.vahistorical.org/storyofvirginia.htm
The Virginia Historical Society created this Web
site based on its long-term exhibition, The Story of Virginia: An
American Experience. The site features ten
easy-to-read, detailed chapters on Virginia history from prehistoric
times to the present. Additional enhancements, such as 100
downloadable images of artifacts, photographs, paintings, and
documents from the collections, Standards of Learning references,
chapter outlines, and suggested classroom activities, make this a comprehensive Web site on Virginia history. The site is completely searchable and includes numerous links to other
resources on the Web. The Story of Virginia-Online provides
teachers,
students, scholars, and history enthusiasts with a complete resource
for projects, research, and classroom instruction.
- http://www.virginiaplaces.org/boundaries/index.html
Mapping Virginia is the title of this site that provides many geographically diverse past and present maps of Virginia.
