Welcome back! I’m Meghan from Vestal’s 21st Century Classroom and I refuse to accept that Virginia Studies has to be boring.
I love finding ways to make Virginia Studies engaging and hands-on so that we
can inspire students to enjoy history. So far, in this series, I have shared
ways to teach your Virginia Studies units from Virginia Geography to Virginia in the Civil War (see the list at the end of this post to find other Virginia
Studies posts in this series). Now, let’s dive into activities that will make
your Virginia Studies Reconstruction unit both fun and memorable.
Play a Sharecropping Simulation Game
Virginia Studies games are a great way to get your students
engaged and to help them retain the information they are learning. To help my
students understand the effects of the sharecropping system, I have created a
dice game. As part of the game, students work as a sharecropper for seven
years. They roll the dice to determine how many pounds of tobacco they are able
to harvest each year. The goal is for students to generate a profit
by the end of the seven years. Not only does this simulation game help students
understand how difficult it was to make money as a sharecropper, but it is also
a great way to incorporate math skills into your Virginia Studies lessons.
Examine Primary Sources
It is not difficult to find primary sources that allow
students to see and hear the effects of Jim Crow laws. I incorporate lots of
primary sources throughout my Virginia Studies Reconstruction unit that help to
illustrate segregation. Often, I will post a picture without actually telling
the students what is happening. I give the students time to infer what they
think is happening in the picture and write what emotions they feel when they
first see the picture. Then, we discuss what is actually happening and the
effects of segregation on life in Virginia. Primary sources are one of the best
ways to bring events from Virginia Studies to life.
Create Virginia Studies Foldables
Foldables are a great way to list or review information in
social studies. I use foldables throughout my Virginia Studies Reconstruction unit when there are several pieces of information students are expected to
remember about a specific topic. For example, students create a foldable to
list the problems Virginians experienced as a result of Reconstruction. They
also create a foldable to explain the reasons Virginia’s cities grew following
the Civil War.
Review Virginia Geography
It is important to take time to review Virginia geography
during each Virginia Studies unit because understanding Virginia’s geography
will also give students a better understanding of Virginia’s history. For
example, students can better visualize events when they know exactly where the
events took place on a map of Virginia and what the geography of that region
looks like. Students can also better understand why Virginians made certain
decisions or what challenges they might have experienced when they have a knowledge
of geography.
Part of the Virginia Studies Reconstruction SOL is having
students explain why certain cities grew following the Civil War. I have
students create maps that show where certain cities are located. Students then
identify which region those cities were a part of and analyze the geographical
features of each region to explain how those features could cause a city to
grow. This is another great way to incorporate critical thinking skills in your
Virginia Studies Reconstruction unit.
Play Virginia Studies Review Games
Every Virginia Studies unit should end with fun review
activities that help students prepare for their unit test and their Virginia
Studies SOL test. There are two Virginia Studies review activities I use at the
end of each of my units: task cards and an escape room challenge. These
activities get students up and moving, require them to use critical thinking
skills, and introduce them to questions they will see on the SOL test.
I have shared lots of ways I use task cards throughout this
series on teaching Virginia Studies (the complete list of Virginia Studies blog
posts is listed at the end of this post). Recently, I created a game show with
my Virginia Studies Reconstruction Task Cards. I divided my students into five
teams. Then, I projected each task card onto the SMART Board, allowing students
time to discuss and record their answers as a team. After each task card, we
reviewed the answer as a class and points were awarded to teams that answered
correctly. This was a fun way to use task cards because it encouraged the
students to work together and share their ideas.
It is no secret that I LOVE using classroom escape rooms to
teach Virginia Studies. I explain more about using classroom escape rooms to
make history hands-on here. My Virginia Studies Reconstruction Escape Room includes
six challenges that incorporate reading, math, and critical thinking skills. I
keep using escape rooms to review Virginia Studies because I constantly hear
students talk about how much they love these activities. Anytime a student is
having fun and loving what they are doing, they are more likely to remember
what they are learning.
Conclusion
If you are looking to incorporate more critical thinking
skills into your social studies lessons and want to get your students excited
about learning, use these activities in your Virginia Studies Reconstruction
unit! The activities described in this post can be replicated in your
classroom, but I know planning time is limited. If you’re short on time, I’ve
got you covered! My Virginia Studies Reconstruction Unit and Virginia Studies Bundle each have all of the activities listed here and LOTS more. My Virginia Studies Reconstruction Task Cards and Virginia Studies Reconstruction Escape Room can also help cut down on the amount of time it takes to plan review
activities.
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As an educator, one of my biggest passions is finding ways
to make history fun for teachers and students. Here on Virginia is for Teachers,
I share many of my favorite tips and ideas for teaching Virginia Studies. Make
sure to check my next month as I plan to share the best ways for teaching your
Virginia in the Twentieth Century Unit.
Until then, check out these other posts in my Virginia
Studies series.
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