Richmond Public Schools
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Curriculum Pacing and Resource Guide ~ Unit Plan
Course Title/ Course #: Virginia Studies 4th Grade
Unit Title/ Marking Period # (MP): Looking To Unearth Jamestown / MP1
Start day: Day 1
Meetings (Length of Unit): 20 days
Desired Results ~ What will students be learning?
Standards of Learning/ Standards
VS.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical and geographical analysis and responsible citizenship, including the
ability to:
a) identify and interpret artifacts and primary and secondary source documents to understand events in history;
b) determine cause-and-effect relationships;
c) compare and contrast historical events;
d) draw conclusions and make generalizations;
e) make connections between past and present;
f) sequence events in Virginia history;
g) interpret ideas and events from different historical perspectives;
h) evaluate and discuss issues orally and in writing;
i) analyze and interpret maps to explain relationships among landforms, water features, climatic characteristics, and historical events.
3.5a-e The student will develop map skills by:
a) positioning and labeling the seven continents and five oceans to create a world map;
b) using the equator and prime meridian to identify the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Hemispheres;
c) locating the countries of Spain, England, and France;
d) locating the regions in the Americas explored by Christopher Columbus (San Salvador in the Bahamas), Juan Ponce de León (near
St. Augustine, Florida), Jacques Cartier (near Québec, Canada), and Christopher Newport (Jamestown, Virginia);
e) locating specific places, using a simple letter-number grid system.
Grade 4: Virginia Studies
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VS.2 The student will demons trate knowledge of the physical geography and native peoples, past and present, of Virginia by:
a) locating Virginia and its bordering states on maps of the United States;
b) locating and describing Virginia’s Coastal Plain (Tidewater), Piedmont, Blue Ridge Mountains, Valley and Ridge, and Appalachian
Plateau;
c) locating and identifying water features important to the early history of Virginia (Atlantic Ocean, Chesapeake Bay, James River,
York River, Potomac River, Rappahannock River, and Lake Drummond and the Dismal Swamp);
d) locating three American Indian language groups (the Algonquian, the Siouan, and the Iroquoian) on a map of Virginia;
e) describing how American Indians related to the climate and their environment to secure food, clothing, and shelter;
f) describing how archaeologists have recovered new material evidence at sites including Werowocomoco and Jamestown;
g) identifying and locating the current state-recognized tribes.
VS.10 The student will demonstrate knowledge of government, geography, and economics by
b) describing the major products and industries of Virginia’s five geographic regions;
VS.3 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the first permanent English settlement in America by:
b) describing how geography influenced the decision to settle at Jamestown;
f) describing the hardships faced by settlers at Jamestown and the changes that took place to ensure survival;
g) describing the interactions between the English settlers and the native peoples, including the contributions of Powhatan to the
survival of the settlers.
Essential Understandings/ Big Ideas
Students will be able to answer the following questions to understand the geography of Virginia and its impact on Jamestown
settlement.
Essential Questions
 Where are the seven continents and the five oceans located on a world map?
 What imaginary lines are used to define hemispheres?
 What are the names of the four hemispheres?
 On which continents are England, Spain, France, and the United States located?
 Where are the countries of England, Spain, and France located on a world map?
 Where are the regions (general areas) of San Salvador in the Bahamas; St. Augustine, Florida; Québec, Canada; and
Jamestown, Virginia, located on a map?
 How is a simple letter-number grid system used to locate places on maps?
 What are some ways that relative location can be described?
 What large bodies of water border Virginia?
Grade 4: Virginia Studies
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What states border Virginia?
What are the five geographic regions in Virginia?
How do the geographic regions of Virginia differ?
Where are the geographic regions of Virginia located?
What are the major products and industries of each region in Virginia?
Which water features were important to the early history of Virginia?
How did water features influence the development of Virginia?
How did the flow of rivers affect the settlement of Virginia?
What is a peninsula?
Where is the Eastern Shore located?
Why are native peoples called Indians?
What evidence is there that American Indians lived in all areas of the state?
What were the three major language groups found in Virginia, and where was each located?
What are some characteristics of Virginia’s climate?
What are some ways Virginia’s American Indians related to the climate and interacted with their environment to meet their
basic needs?
How do Virginia’s American Indians live today in relation to the way they lived in the past?
Why is archaeology important?
How can new findings change the understanding of history?
What was Werowocomoco?
What was Jamestown?
What are the names of the current state-recognized tribes?
Where are the current state-recognized tribes located in Virginia today?
Where is Jamestown located?
Why did the settlers choose the site at Jamestown?
How did the native peoples and the English settlers interact?
Why did the relationship between the Jamestown settlers and the native peoples change?
How did Powhatan contribute to the survival of the settlers?
What hardships did the Jamestown settlers face?
What changes took place that resulted in survival of the settlers?
Grade 4: Virginia Studies
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Key Essential Skills and Knowledge
Essential Knowledge:
There are seven continents and five oceans located in the world. The equator and the prime meridian divide the globe into four
hemispheres. The four hemispheres are Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western. A simple letter-number grid system on
maps is used to locate places.
Terms to know
 hemisphere: Half of a sphere (globe); created by the prime meridian or the equator
 equator: An imaginary line around the middle of the Earth that divides it into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres
 prime meridian: An imaginary line that divides the Earth into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres
 regions: Places that have common characteristics
 The physical shapes of the continents (North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, Antarctica) and the
positions of the five oceans (Arctic, Atlantic, Indian, Pacific, and Southern) may be located on a world map.
 The equator and the prime meridian are used to create the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Hemispheres.
 England, Spain, and France are located on the continent of Europe.
 The United States is located on the continent of North America.
 San Salvador is located in the general area of the Bahamas.
 St. Augustine is located in northern Florida. Québec is located in Canada.
 Jamestown is located in Virginia.
 The letter (on the left) and number (at the bottom) coordinates of a grid system identify the approximate location of a place.
Locations of place s can be described in relative terms.
Relative location may be described by using terms that show connections between two places, such as next to, near, and bordering.
Bordering bodies of water
Atlantic Ocean
Chesapeake Bay
Bordering states
Maryland (to the north)
West Virginia (to the west)
Kentucky (to the west)
Tennessee (to the south)
North Carolina (to the south)
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Geographic regions have distinctive characteristics. Virginia can be divided into five geographic regions. Certain products and
industries characterize each region.
Fall Line: The natural border between the Coastal Plain (Tidewater) and the Piedmont regions, where waterfalls prevent further travel
on the river
Cities on Fall Line: Richmond, Arlington, Fredericksburg, Petersburg
Geographic Regions:
Coastal Plain (Tidewater)
Low flat land
Location near Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay (includes the Eastern Shore)
East of the Fall Line
Products: seafood, peanuts
Industries: shipbuilding, tourism, federal military installations, tobacco, peanuts, & fishing
Indian language: Algonquian
People: English settlers primarily - Africans where agriculture required intense labor
Historical places: Jamestown, Williamsburg, Yorktown, Fredericksburg, Mount Vernon, Norfolk Naval Base, Great Dismal Swamp
Piedmont (land at the foot of mountains)
Rolling hills
West of the Fall Line
Products: tobacco products, information technology, corn, lumber and farming
Industries: federal and state government, farming, horse industry, technology and textiles
Indian Language: Siouan
People: English settlers primarily - Africans where agriculture required intense labor
Historical Places: Richmond on the fall line, Appomattox, and Monticello
Blue Ridge Mountains
Old, rounded mountains that is part of the Appalachian mountain system
Located between the Piedmont and the Valley and Ridge regions
Source of many rivers
Products: apples
Industries: recreation, farming
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Valley and Ridge
Includes the Great Valley of Virginia and other valleys separated by ridges. (The Valley and Ridge regions are part of the Appalachian
mountain system.)
Shenandoah Valley: Indian name "clear-eyes daughter of the stars"
Located west of Blue Ridge Mountains
Products: poultry, apples, dairy, beef
Industries: farming (Livestock, apple and other fruit orchards, poultry: chicken and turkey farming)
People: Germans and Scotch-Irish settled primarily
Historical places: New Market Battlefield, Natural Bridge, Natural Chimneys, & Luray Caverns
Appalachian Plateau (plateau: Area of elevated land that is flat on top)
Located in Southwest Virginia
Only a small part of the plateau is located in Virginia.
Products: coal
Industries: coal mining
Indian Language: Iroquoian
Water features were important to the early history of Virginia. Many early Virginia cities developed along the Fall Line, the
natural border between the Coastal Plain (Tidewater) and the Piedmont regions, where the land rises sharply and waterfalls
prevent further travel on the river. The four major rivers that flow into the Chesapeake Bay are separated by peninsulas. The
Chesapeake Bay separates the Eastern Shore from the mainland of Virginia.
Peninsula: A piece of land bordered by water on three sides
The Eastern Shore is a peninsula bordered by the Chesapeake Bay to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.
Water Features
Atlantic Ocean: Provided transportation links between Virginia and other places (e.g., Europe, Africa, Caribbean)
Chesapeake Bay: Provided a safe harbor; Was a source of food and transportation
James River: Flows into the Chesapeake Bay; Richmond and Jamestown located along the James River
York River: Flows into the Chesapeake Bay; Yorktown located along the York River
Potomac River: Flows into the Chesapeake Bay; Alexandria located along the Potomac River
Rappahannock River: Flows into the Chesapeake Bay; Fredericksburg located on the Rappahannock River
Each river was a source of food and provided a pathway for exploration and settlement of Virginia.
Lake Drummond: Located in the Coastal Plain (Tidewater) region; Shallow natural lake surrounded by the Dismal Swamp
Dismal Swamp: Located in the Coastal Plain (Tidewater) region; Variety of wildlife; George Washington explored and surveyed the
Dismal Swamp.
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American Indians we re the first people who lived in Virginia. American Indians lived in all areas of the state. There were
three major language groups in Virginia.
Christopher Columbus called the people he found in the lands he explored “Indians” because he thought he was in the Indies (near
China).
Artifacts such as arrowheads, pottery, and other tools that have been found tell a lot about the people who lived in Virginia.
Three major language groups of Virginia
Algonquian languages were spoken primarily in the Tidewater region; the Powhatan were part of this group.
Siouan languages were spoken primarily in the Piedmont region; the Monacan were part of this group.
Iroquoian languages were spoken in Southwestern Virginia and in Southern Virginia near what is today North Carolina; the Cherokee
were a part of this group.
Virginia’s American Indians worked with the climate and the environment to meet their basic needs. Virginia Indian cultures
have changed over time.
Climate in Virginia
The climate in Virginia is relatively mild with distinct seasons—spring, summer, fall, and winter—resulting in a variety of vegetation.
Forests, which have a variety of trees, cover most of the land. Virginia’s Indians are referred to as Eastern Woodland Indians.
Environmental connections
The kinds of food they ate, the clothing they wore, and the shelters they had depended upon the seasons.
Foods changed with the seasons.
In winter, they hunted birds and other animals and lived on stored foods from the previous fall.
In spring, they hunted, fished, and picked berries.
In summer, they grew crops (e.g., beans, corn, and squash).
In fall, they harvested crops and hunted for foods to preserve and keep for the winter.
Animal skins (deerskin) were used for clothing.
Shelter was made from materials found around them.
Native peoples of the past farmed, hunted, and fished. They made homes, using natural resources. They used animal skins for
clothing.
Today, most native peoples live like other Americans. Their cultures have changed over time.
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Archaeology is another way to help people understand the past. Recent archaeological digs have recove red new material
evidence about Werowocomoco and historic Jamestown.
Archaeologists study all kinds of material evidence left by people from the past.
Werowocomoco was a large Indian town used by Indian leaders for several hundred years before the English settlers came. It was the
headquarters of the leader Powhatan in 1607.
Jamestown became the first permanent English settlement in North America. Archaeologists have discovered the site of the original
fort. The recovered artifacts give archaeologists clues about the interactions of the English, Africans, and Indians in early Virginia.
American Indian people have lived in Virginia for thousands of years. Today, eleven† American Indian tribes in Virginia are
recognized by the Commonwealth of Virginia.
American Indians, who trace their family histories back to well before1607, continue to live in all parts of Virginia today.
The current state -recognized tribes are located in the following regions:
Coastal Plain (Tidewater) Region:
– Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) Tribe†
Chickahominy Tribe
Eastern Chickahominy Tribe
Mattaponi Tribe
Nansemond Tribe
– Nottoway Tribe†
Pamunkey Tribe
– Patawomeck Tribe†
Rappahannock Tribe
Upper Mattaponi Tribe
Piedmont Region:
Monacan Tribe
Location and physical characteristics influenced the decision to settle at Jamestown.
When the settlers arrived in 1607, they founded Jamestown on a narrow peninsula bordered on three sides by the James River. Today,
Jamestown is located on an island in the James River.
Reasons for site choice
Instructions told the settlers to go inland and find a suitable place for their colony. The location could be easily defended from attack
by sea (by the Spanish). The water along the shore was deep enough for ships to dock. They believed the site had a good supply of
fresh water.
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The English settlers found life in Jamestown harder than they had expected.
Hardships faced by the settlers
The site they chose to live on was marshy and lacked safe drinking water. The settlers lacked some skills necessary to provide for
themselves.
Many settlers died of starvation and disease.
Changes that resulted in survival
The arrival of supply ships; The forced work program and strong leadership of Captain John Smith; The emphasis on agriculture
Essential Skills:
 Analyze and interpret maps to explain relationships among landforms and water features. (VS.1i)
 Determine cause-and-effect relationships. (VS.1b)
 Draw conclusions and make generalizations. (VS.1d)
 Interpret ideas and events from different historical perspectives. (VS.1g)
 Analyze and interpret maps to explain relationships among landforms, water features, climatic characteristics, and historical
events. (VS.1i)
 Compare and contrast historical events. (VS.1c)
 Sequence events in Virginia history. (VS.1f)
 Interpret ideas and events from different historical perspectives. (VS.1g)
Vocabulary
Academic
analyze
interpret
sequence
draw conclusions
Grade 4: Virginia Studies
cause/effect
Content
compare/contrast
make generalizations
Continent
Prime Meridian
Grid
Cardinal Direction
Boundary
Mountain
Valley
River
Artifacts
Climate
Natural Resources
Archaeologist
Hemisphere
Regions
Equator
Approximate
Compass Rose
Ocean
Plateau
Peninsula
Lake
Arrowheads
Forrest
Culture
Site
Border
Ridge
Piedmont
Harbor
Swamp
Pottery
Seasons
Archaeology
Geography
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Peninsula
Shore
Marshy
Island
Settlement
Disease
Colony
Hardship
Survival
Assessment Evidence ~ What is evidence of mastery? What did the students master & what are they missing?
Assessment/ Evidence
Exit Slips
Foldables
Quizzes
Interactive Achievement
Teacher Made Assessments/Interactive notes
Interactive Notebooks
Class Work
Enhance Scope and Sequence
Maps
Homework
Projects
Lap Books
Learning Plan ~ What are the strategies and activities you plan to use?
Learning Experiences/ Best Practices
Learning Experiences
Students will create Interactive notebooks to:
 unpack the standards
 identify and define terminology and vocabulary
Use higher order thinking questions to:
 demonstrate “What It Look Like.”
 challenge students’ thinking
Teacher and students will create anchor charts to:
 make thinking visible
 build a culture of literacy
 keep relevant and current learning accessible
 use as tools as they answer questions, expand ideas, or
contribute to discussions and problem-solving
 use visuals for ESL students to track their learning and
serve as reference tools
Students will use graphic organizers to:
 "map out" ideas using different structures
 organize the information
 summarize information learned
Students will create foldables to:
 organize, review, remember and learn information
 use their creativity in a kinesthetic learning environment
Grade 4: Virginia Studies
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Instructional Strategies
Use the Five Themes of Geography as guidelines (location,
place, relationship with places, movement and regions)
Lectures
Discussions
Graphic Organizers
Cooperative Learning
Anchor Charts
Interactive Notebook
United Streaming Videos
Power Points
Cloze Reading Strategy
Higher Order Thinking Questions
Foldables
Identifying Similarities and Differences
Summarizing and Note Taking
Nonlinguistic Representations
Lap Books
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 use as a self-check study guide
 use as an alternative assessment
Students will work in cooperative learning groups to:
 engage in working together to accomplish shared goals
 self-evaluation
 demonstrate leadership skills, communication skills and
decision making skills
Students will develop map skills to:
 understand the purpose and usage of maps, and globes
 reading maps, legends, symbols, and scales
 using a compass rose, grids, time zones; using mapping
tools
 comparing maps and making inferences; understanding
distance
 interpreting and analyzing different kinds of maps;
creating maps
The teacher will facilitate a learning experience to engage
students to”
 “Think Like A Historian”
Technology Integrations
http://tinyurl.com/q5oa44o (Enhanced Scope and Sequence)
http://ttaconline.org/ (Differentiation)
http://www.rpstech.org/virginia-studies.html (pw:rps1)
http://www.solpass.org/va.php (pw:richmond)
http://vastudies.pwnet.org/all/index.htm (lesson ideas and resources)
http://vastudies.pwnet.org/all/index.htm
http://tinyurl.com/nex9jez (Rockingham Co. Site)
http://tinyurl.com/otp6zrp (SOL Teacher)
http://rpshistory.weebly.com/ (pw:RPSSchools)
http://www.markerhistory.com/tag/virginia-studies-vs-2-a/
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Resources
http://www.virtualjamestown.org Virtual Jamestown
http://www.virginiaplaces.org/regions/fallshape.html
http://www.virginiaplaces.org/regions/index.html
http://www.virginiaplaces.org/
http://vastudies.pwnet.org/coolstuff/foldables.html
http://www.historyisfun.org/
https://cmcelraft.edublogs.org/virginia-studies-corner/
http://www.history.org/kids/games/dirtDetective.cfm
http://www.virginiatrekkers.com/Menu/Activities.html
Virginia Experience Text Book
Horizons Text Book
Five Ponds Our Virginia Text Book
Houghton Mifflin Virginia Social Studies Text
Virginia Historical Society
Cross Curricular Connection
Cross curricular
Cross curricular
Cross curricular
Cross curricular
Cross curricular
Cross curricular
connection
connection
connection
connection
connection
connection
Grade 4: Virginia Studies
with Art: design and create a map of Virginia and its regions, and or Native American village
with Music: learning songs to help remember History content
with Language Arts: shape poems, narrative writing using Native American symbols
with Science: students create a classroom garden of Virginia grown products
with Science: Research Virginia’s Natural Resources found in each Geographical region
with Math: Use a map scale to measure / illustrate “How Far Are You From?”
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