Teaching Regions of Virginia
Hi, from Meghan at Vestal’s 21st Century Classroom! With
this post, I am starting a series where I will share tips and strategies for
teaching one of my favorite subjects: Virginia Studies! Let’s dive into this
series by starting with the five regions of Virginia. Teaching regions of Virginia
is fun for both teachers and students as there are many engaging, hands-on
activities you can use.
Create a Virginia Regions Map
One of the best ways to teach Virginia geography is through
map making. Students can create maps of the five regions of Virginia using
playdough or clay. They should use different colors for each region. They
should also incorporate geographical features such as the rolling hills of the
Piedmont region and the old, rounded mountains of the Blue Ridge Mountains
region. After the dough dries, students can also add water features to their
maps using a marker or blue glitter glue.
If you are thinking that buying playdough for your entire class
is too expensive, you are right. One way I have solved this problem is by
asking families to create playdough at home with inexpensive materials. At the
beginning of the unit, I send home a letter asking families to help. The letter
also includes the instructions for how to make the playdough and the date the
playdough is needed back at school. This is a fun activity for families to
complete at home that also incorporates math skills such as measurement and
fractions.
Take a Virtual Field Trip Through the Regions of Virginia
Many of our students have had few opportunities to venture
outside of the cities or towns where they live. This can make it difficult for
students to truly visualize what different places and geographical features
look like. Luckily, there are resources you can use to take students on a
virtual tour of Virginia. My students love the Virginia Trekkers videos. The
Virginia Trekkers are short videos that take place at different sites
throughout Virginia. What makes these videos even better is that they are all
aligned with the Virginia Studies SOLs. When studying the regions of Virginia,
I show my students videos that take place in each of the five regions. As
students are watching, they take notes on the different geographical features
they notice. At the end of the videos, students use their notes to have a
discussion where they compare and contrast the different regions.
One of my favorite digital geographical tools is Google Earth. Google Earth is a free download that works great across all digital
platforms. In addition to visiting historical sites with Google Earth, students
can also travel across the entire state of Virginia. I set up Google Earth so
that students can see it with an eye-level view. Then, we move across the state
from east to west. By moving across the state using the eye-level view,
students are able to see how Virginia’s terrain changes.
Create a Virginia Geography Scrapbook
Even if a student has not had the opportunity to venture too
far from the city or town where they live, they have still had the opportunity
to see and explore one Virginia region. Remind students to take the time to
study and celebrate the region where they live by creating a scrapbook. Have
students create a scrapbook of their region with pictures or drawings of the land
and water features that can be found near their home. Students should also
include a description of the products and industries they have noticed in their
town.
Use Music to Master Virginia's Products and Industries
When it comes to studying the regions of Virginia, my
students have always found memorizing the products and industries to be the
most challenging part. One year, I decided to write a song about the products and industries to the melody of a Maroon 5 song, which was my students’
favorite band. After introducing the students to the song, most had mastered
the products and industries in about two days. During testing, I even heard one
student quietly humming the song to himself.
If you are the type of person who does not enjoy writing
songs or if you do not have the time to write one, the students can do it for
you. Have students work in small groups. Challenge each student to write a song
or a rap about Virginia’s products and industries. You can give students the
option to write their songs to a popular melody or create their own melody. If
time allows, you can even have students perform their songs and raps for
families in a Virginia Studies talent show.
Create a Marketing Campaign for Virginia
I always like to end a Virginia Studies unit with a project.
For the regions of Virginia unit, I assign students to teams. Each team must
create a marketing campaign that promotes tourism in Virginia. As part of their
marketing campaign, each team must create a brochure and a 30 to 60-second video
that highlights the five regions of Virginia. Often, this project takes several
days to complete. When students have finished, I allow each group to present a
marketing pitch to the class. During their marketing pitches, each team shares
what they created and explains why Virginia should adopt their marketing
campaign. After each group has presented, students vote for which marketing
campaign they think should win.
These are just a few of the activities I use when teaching
regions of Virginia. If you are struggling to find the time to plan out your
Virginia Studies unit, make sure to check out my Virginia Regions Unit and my
Virginia Studies Unit Bundle. All of the activities listed here and much more
can be found in these resources!
And, if you are interested in more teaching
tips aligned with the SOLs, make sure to sign up for my newsletter. When you
do, you will be given a free guide that shows how to effectively implement technology in the classroom! I look forward to sharing more Virginia Studies
tips and strategies next month!
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