Young scholars decscribe the importance of railroads, new industries, and the growth of cities to Virginia's economic development. They locate on a map the small towns and cities that grew because of the railroads and create a flow chart...

Eleventh graders examine the history of integration as it applied to Virginia high school in Prince Edward County. They evaluate a map of Virginia counties, read and analyze a first person narrative of a young girl involved in a boycott...

Learners brainstorm a list of services governments should have available to its citizens. Using the internet, they locate as many of these services as possible and compile a class list. They also analyze specific programs to consider...

Learn more about genetic modification, organic farming, and the role of biotechnology in agriculture by watching a documentary that shows how newly gained knowledge can be applied to specific situations involving farmers and the choices...

How do changes in DNA affect an organism? Scholars explore chromosomes, genes, DNA, and mutations by modeling the DNA of a strawberry. They build a DNA model, then manipulate it to show how changing the genes transforms the strawberry...

The second in a three-part look at the Revolutionary War focuses the years from 1778 through 1781 and zooms in on military operations in the southern colonies, the French alliance, and the role African-Americans played in events. Class...

Marine biology learners examine right whale sighting data from the WhaleNet website. They plot the data on a map and write down the number of adults and calves spotted. Questions accompany the data analysis activity, making this a...

An explanation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) and the Geographic Information System (GIS) is given in this presentation. Uses and applications are considered. How it works and sources of error are also touched upon. A large...

Students explain the reason for English colonization. They review the reasons for the colonization and settlement in Virginia and trace the route from England to Virginia through the Chesapeake Bay to Jamestown on a map.

Students demonstrate knowledge of geography and early inhabitants of Virginia by locating and identifying water features important to early history. They also locate three American Indian language groups. Both of these activities require...

Students examine the role of Virginia during the Revolutionary War. Using an inflatable ball, they toss the ball around the room and answer questions related to sayings on the ball. In groups, they play a game to reinforce topics...

Students study George Washington's map and journal of his 1754 expedition to the French. They draw conclusions about the importance of western lands and the problems involved in tapping the resources of the West during that era.

How can you encourage pupils to demonstrate creativity while still meeting the objective of applying technical knowledge? This activity is your answer! Scientists will create an imaginary creature and prepare a graphic organizer with...

Young scholars are introduced to the various types of maps of Fairfax County, Virginia. Using the maps, they explain the relative and absolute locations of the county and discuss the importance of both. They also discover how the county...

Fourth graders examine the experiences of four immigrant groups. Class members brainstorm a list of misconceptions of those groups and discuss if these perceptions are still present today. Using maps, groups locate the countries of...

Seventh graders explore, analyze and identify the events and differences between northern and southern states that divided Virginians and led to secession, war and the creation on West Virginia. They discuss the conflicts that developed...

In this social studies worksheet, 3rd graders complete multiple choice questions about communities, maps, distances, and more. Students complete 11 questions.

Students examine and differentiate between rural, urban, and suburban communities. They describe their local areas, view and discuss the images on the West Virginia Quarter, and write a friendly letter describing a camping trip.

Students examine the Lewis and Clark expedition. They develop skills for historical analysis. They locate a variety of geographic features encountered by the expedition, and create a timeline that documents Lewis and Clark on their journey.

After a class discussion where kids share how they find answers to their questions, learners explore the world of reference materials such as, an atlas, an almanac, and an encyclopedia. The Internet is also discussed as a way to access...

Students read and interpret primary source documents regarding historic Jamestown. In small groups, they read the primary documents, answer questions, and view online maps of Jamestown Island and Virginia.

Eighth graders examine the cultural conflicts that occurred when Europeans moved into the land the Native Americans lived on that would become West Virginia. In this West Virginia history lesson, 8th graders visit the state history...

First graders place stickers on maps indicating their understanding of the cardinal directions. They locate Jamestown, England, the Atlantic, and Virginia.

Students visit the West Virginia Museum, with the goal of creating and publishing a newsletter that demonstrates learning. Students complete vocabulary activities, and are given web site resources to this end. Students choose from 5...