Design Topic Virginia History_ Subject(s) _Virginia History_ Grade(s) _4th_ Designer(s) Ronald Riffle

Understanding by Design

Unit Cover Page

Unit Title: ___How did Virginia Start? ______________ Grade Levels: ____4th _______

Topic/Subject Areas: ____Virginia Geography and Colonial History__________

Key Words: __Jamestown, Williamsburg, Indian Language Nations, Colonists ______

Designed By: ____Ronald Riffle__________ Time Frame: ____2 Weeks______

School District: Regent University School: Teacher Ed & IDS Dept.

Brief Summary of Unit (including curricular context and unit goals):

This unit focuses on Virginia Geography and its colonial history. Students will learn about the regions,
waterways, and the importance they play in everyday life in Virginia; they will be introduced to basic
cartography and learn about how maps impacted colonization. Students will begin to explore the
colonial history featuring the Indian Language Nations and the English Colonists. By the end of the
unit, students will be able to identify the Indian Language Nations, the colonies, and the locations of
important geographic locations/areas. For their final performance task, students will design a map of
Virginia identifying the Indian Language Nations, colonies, waterways, and the different regions.

Unit design status: X Completed template pages – stages 1, 2, 3

Completed blueprint for each performance task X Completed rubrics

Directions to students and teacher Materials and resources listed

x Suggested accommodations x Suggested extensions

Status: Initial draft (date: ___________) Revised draft (date: ____________)

Peer Reviewed Content Reviewed Field Tested Validated Anchored

Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005) 1

Design Topic Virginia History_ Subject(s) _Virginia History_ Grade(s) _4th_ Designer(s) Ronald Riffle
STAGE 1 – DESIRED RESULTS

Unit Title: Intro to Virginia History

Established Goals:
VS. 2 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between physical geography
and the lives of the 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; and
g) describing the lives of American Indians in Virginia today.
Understandings: Students will understand that… Essential Questions:
• •
1. That the Virginia waterways connected 1. Why did the Virginia waterways affect the
groups for travel, commerce and everyday settlement at Jamestown?
living. 2. How did the Native American groups of
2. That Native American groups migrated Virginia differentiate?
and settled in specific geographic regions 3. How did climate affect the food, clothing,
due to resources and water. and shelter of the different Native
3. The early settlers affected life today American groups?
because of locations of colonization, the 4. How would you describe the different
understanding of new resources, and regions of Virginia?
5. How does the waterways connect
Virginians?
6. Would you rather be a settler in
Jamestown, or a Native American at that
time? Support your thought.
7. What affected Native American
settlement?
8. What were the characteristics of the
Algonquian, the Siouan, and the Iroquoian
tribes?
9. How did colonial settlements affect
present day Virginia/America?

Students will know: Students will be able to:

• •
1. Major waterways of Virginia (Atlantic 1. Locate the major waterways on a map.
Ocean, Chesapeake Bay, James River, 2. Identify and locate the different
York River, Potomac River, geographical regions of Virginia.
Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005) 2
Design Topic Virginia History_ Subject(s) _Virginia History_ Grade(s) _4th_ Designer(s) Ronald Riffle
Rappahannock River, and Lake 3. Locate Virginia and its capital on a map.
Drummond and the Dismal Swamp). 4. Locate the surrounding Virginia states.
2. The different geographical regions of 5. Describe how American Indians related to
Virginia: the Coastal Plain, the Piedmont, the climate and their environment to
the Ridge and Valley, and the secure food, clothing, and shelter.
Appalachian Mountains 6. Identify the similarities and differences
3. The similarities and differences between between the Algonquian, the Siouan, and
the Algonquian, the Siouan, and the the Iroquoian language groups.
Iroquoian language groups. 7. Discuss the effects of settlement on
4. The important settlements for the English Virginia/American history.
and the different language groups.
5. Where Virginia and its capital is on the
map.
6. The locations of the surrounding states:
North Carolina, Maryland, West Virginia,
Kentucky, and Tennessee.
7. The effects of settlement on
Virginia/American history.

Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005) 3

Design Topic Virginia History_ Subject(s) _Virginia History_ Grade(s) _4th_ Designer(s) Ronald Riffle
STAGE 2 – ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE
Performance Tasks: Other Evidence:

1. GRASP – Designing a map of colonial 1. 5 item Quiz – Geography facts and

Virginia, including waterways, colonies, information
regions, and the Native American nations. 2. Homework – Early colonist and Native
2. Write a story – Students will take the American life
perspective of a Native American or a 3. Prompt – Students will write an essay
Colonist and write about a point of view about one of the Native American
until they meet one another. language groups
3. Geography check – Students will use a
map to locate the major rivers, the
colonies of Virginia, and the neighboring
states.

Student Self-Assessment and Reflection

1. Student will write a reflection about the easiest and hardest thing they have learned.
2. Questions for the Questioner: Create questions that is based off what is covered in class.
3. Students will get in groups and write questions and answer their own critical thinking
questions about what they have been taught.

Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005) 4

Design Topic Virginia History_ Subject(s) _Virginia History_ Grade(s) _4th_ Designer(s) Ronald Riffle
STAGE 3 – LEARNING PLAN
Summary of Learning Activities:
(list by number here and then complete the week-by-week planning calendar below using the same information)

1. Pre-assessment – Students will take a 20 question pre-assessment about Colonial Virginia (Jamestown, Indian
Nations, colonies) and geography facts (latitude, longitude, location of major VA cities, major waterways, and
surrounding states).
2. Food for Thought – Show different maps and compare and contrast those maps. Talk about how maps impacted
travel. Segway into giving an overview about the impact of travel for colonial Virginia
3. Introduce GRASP
4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=342&v=fLdvInDrQ2c – Brief history on maps and cartography.
5. Cornell Notes 1 – This on Geography
6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=59&v=ZINHFyVDp3s – Background information/introduction about
Jamestown colony.
7. Cornell Notes 2 – This on Native American Language Groups, colonies, and
8. Geography check – Students will use a map to locate the major rivers, the colonies of Virginia, and the neighboring
states
9. Student Reflection 1 – Students will write the easiest and hardest thing they have learned about.
10. Design a map of a region – This allows students to practice as a whole class.
11. Triple Venn Diagram on the Indian Language Groups - Help students visually compare and contrast the language
groups
12. 5 item Quiz – Geography facts and information
13. Prompt – Students will write an essay about one of the Native American language groups
14. Write a story – Students will take the perspective of a Native American or a Colonist and write about a point of view
until they meet one another. They will work with a partner that chooses the opposite.
15. Group timeline – Students will work as a class to order events from the start of Indian colonization to when the English
colonists established Jamestown
16. Questions for the Questioner: Create questions that is based off what is covered in class.
17. Section off Virginia – Students and teacher work together to take a map of Virginia and section it off in regions and
Indian nations, placing the rivers, colonies, and capital.
18. Jeopardy – Students will be placed in teams to answer questions based on Virginia geography and early colonial
history
19. GRASP
20. Student Reflection 2 - Students will get in groups and write questions and answer their own critical thinking questions
about what they have been taught.

Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005) 5

Design Topic Virginia History_ Subject(s) _Virginia History_ Grade(s) _4th_ Designer(s) Ronald Riffle

Stage 3 – Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction

Consider the WHERETO elements. You must include enough instruction for 20 lessons.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
- Pre-assessment - Video about geography - Video on Jamestown - Student Reflection 1 - Design a map of the
- Food for Thought - Cornell Notes 1 - Cornell Notes 2 - Geography Check region
- Introduce Grasp - Triple Venn Diagram

6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
- 5 item quiz - Write a story - Group Timeline - Section off Virginia - Turn in GRASP
- Prompt (Will be taken - Questions for the - Jeopardy - Student Reflection 2
home) Questioner

Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005) 6