Unit Assessments
Lesson #1:
o Sub-unit formative: After an initial discussion on bordering states, the teacher will ask students to “be” the states and bodies of water by getting up and acting out where they are in reference to Virgnia on the map. The students will use poses with their bodies to show their state or body of water.
o Sub-unit formative: Students will label a map with the states and bodies of water to turn in to the teacher.
Lesson #2:
o Sub-unit formative: Students will create a 5-tab foldable with attributes and a description of each region.
o Extension activity: During the science block, have students discuss how the plants and animals in each region were essential to both the region’s ecosystem AND the survival of the early settlers of Virginia. Have students use their knowledge about each region’s plants and animals to create an ecosystem web using the attached template (Science SOL).
o Extension activity: Students will discuss how the plants and animals of the region were used for bartering instead of money for early colonists (Economics SOL).
Lesson #3:
o Sub-unit formative: Students will create an “Important Rivers of Virginia” foldable in which they will label the water features on a map of Virginia, and fill out a chart with important facts.
o Extension activity: Students will explore during their math block what units of measurement can be used to describe the amount of water contained in water features. Students will do research on approximate measurements of water in one local water feature, and will then convert that number to the metric equivalent using their previous knowledge of the metric system (Math SOL).
o Extension Activity: Students will play the “I Have…Who Has” game to review their knowledge of Virginia Studies. This might be useful to play in the spring as an SOL test practice game (linguistic).
Lesson #4:
o Sub-unit formative: Students will participate in a discussion at Great Falls about what they have seen and how the Potomac River played a vital role in Virginia’s history.
o Extension (STUDENT CHOICE ACTIVITY): Students will draw a picture of their experience, which will contain facts about how water features like the canal contributed to the development of Virginia, OR write a song or poem (musical) about their experience that contains facts about how water features like the canal contributed to the development of Virginia, OR write a paragraph about their experience and facts about how water features like the canal contributed to the development of Virginia (Fine Arts SOL) (intrapersonal).
Lesson #5
o Sub-unit formative: The students will write a persuasive essay about how water features would influence their decision to move to Virginia in the 1800’s.
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT (STUDENT CHOICE ACTIVITY):
o Students will attach their essay, as well as a choice of 3 other items (unit formative assessments, pictures, vocabulary words, facts, maps, etc.) pertaining to the unit to the cube to create a final product that demonstrates their complete learning of the unit.
o Sub-unit formative: After an initial discussion on bordering states, the teacher will ask students to “be” the states and bodies of water by getting up and acting out where they are in reference to Virgnia on the map. The students will use poses with their bodies to show their state or body of water.
o Sub-unit formative: Students will label a map with the states and bodies of water to turn in to the teacher.
Lesson #2:
o Sub-unit formative: Students will create a 5-tab foldable with attributes and a description of each region.
o Extension activity: During the science block, have students discuss how the plants and animals in each region were essential to both the region’s ecosystem AND the survival of the early settlers of Virginia. Have students use their knowledge about each region’s plants and animals to create an ecosystem web using the attached template (Science SOL).
o Extension activity: Students will discuss how the plants and animals of the region were used for bartering instead of money for early colonists (Economics SOL).
Lesson #3:
o Sub-unit formative: Students will create an “Important Rivers of Virginia” foldable in which they will label the water features on a map of Virginia, and fill out a chart with important facts.
o Extension activity: Students will explore during their math block what units of measurement can be used to describe the amount of water contained in water features. Students will do research on approximate measurements of water in one local water feature, and will then convert that number to the metric equivalent using their previous knowledge of the metric system (Math SOL).
o Extension Activity: Students will play the “I Have…Who Has” game to review their knowledge of Virginia Studies. This might be useful to play in the spring as an SOL test practice game (linguistic).
Lesson #4:
o Sub-unit formative: Students will participate in a discussion at Great Falls about what they have seen and how the Potomac River played a vital role in Virginia’s history.
o Extension (STUDENT CHOICE ACTIVITY): Students will draw a picture of their experience, which will contain facts about how water features like the canal contributed to the development of Virginia, OR write a song or poem (musical) about their experience that contains facts about how water features like the canal contributed to the development of Virginia, OR write a paragraph about their experience and facts about how water features like the canal contributed to the development of Virginia (Fine Arts SOL) (intrapersonal).
Lesson #5
o Sub-unit formative: The students will write a persuasive essay about how water features would influence their decision to move to Virginia in the 1800’s.
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT (STUDENT CHOICE ACTIVITY):
o Students will attach their essay, as well as a choice of 3 other items (unit formative assessments, pictures, vocabulary words, facts, maps, etc.) pertaining to the unit to the cube to create a final product that demonstrates their complete learning of the unit.