Download REGIONS OF VIRGINIA PROGRAM

Regions of Virginia
Objective: By the end of the 20 minute session, each student will know there are 4
major rivers and 5 geographic regions of Virginia and will be able to name at least one
product or attribute of each region.
SOL’s
History & Social Science Standards 2.b & 2.c - The student will demonstrate knowledge
of the geography and early inhabitants of Virginia by:
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, and
Rappahannock River).
History & Social Science Standard 10.b - The student will demonstrate knowledge of
government, geography, and economics by: describing the major products and industries
of Virginia’s five geographic regions.
Science Standard 4.8 - The student will investigate and understand important Virginia
natural resources. Key concepts include:
a)
b)
c)
d)
watershed and water resources;
animals and plants;
minerals, rocks, ores, and energy sources; and
forests, soil, and land.
Materials: Regions of VA capsule (in tub) – one per station (available for teachers to
check out after Farm Field Days)
Set Up:
There are 4 stations, one for each class that comes in. At each station the same
lesson will be simultaneously presented for approximately 20 minutes. There will be 8
class rotations (every 20 minutes) through the Regions of VA Barn. At each station:
spread the canvas map on the floor and have the accessories close at hand. The
students in the class will sit around the outside edge of the canvas map on the floor.
Lesson Plan:
Overview of Activity: Start with general information below as an introduction. Hand
out all the cards for the 5 regions, along with the 4 cards for the major rivers, and one
card each for the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean. Have students orient themselves
by placing each region, river and water body card on the map. Briefly define Chesapeake
Bay watershed. Then talk about each region and bring in detail for each product. Have
students place the ‘products’ on the map in the appropriate regions. Talk about major
industries in each region (sols). At the end, if more time, quiz them using the “VA
Geography Questions” or read some “Fun Facts about Agriculture” that are included in
the Regions of VA tub.
1) Introduction: General Virginia Agriculture Information - Agriculture has been a
rich part of Virginia’s history and has been the main basis for VA’s economy for
more than 300 years. It is the oldest and largest industry in VA. In Virginia,
agriculture spans a wide spectrum of activities, from the traditional raising of field
crops, vegetables, livestock, and nursery products, to the breeding of commercial
horses, the bottling of premium wines, and the growing of fish, or aquaculture.
Virginia’s diverse agriculture systems are a product of the varied geography, climate
and soil systems across the state, and are linked to the state’s economy, ecology and
heritage. Virginia’s beautiful ridge and valleys, rolling piedmont hills, and sandy
coastal plain play a large role in dictating the type of crops, animal production and
conservation practices employed to protect the state’s environment while maintaining
farm profitability.
2) Placing the ‘name cards’: Briefly discuss something about each ‘name card’ using the
information below.
a) WATER BODIES
i) Potomac River
ii) Rappahannock River
iii) York River
iv) James River
v) Chesapeake Bay
vi) Atlantic Ocean
vii) Briefly define the Chesapeake Bay Watershed: a drainage basin (includes
most of VA) that acts like a funnel where all the rivers and streams within it
are channeled into the Chesapeake Bay.
3) The 5 Geographic Regions - split up by geology, soil type, and topography. Have a
student place a name card on each region (and the fall line) as you talk about it.
a) Tidewater/Coastal Plain - begins at the Atlantic Ocean/Chesapeake Bay and
continues inland to a distinct physiographic line known as the fall line (a natural
border between the Tidewater/Coastal Plain region and the Piedmont region
where waterfalls prevent further travel up the river.)
i) Major cities formed along the fall line of the large rivers because ships could
not navigate past this point. Cargo had to be transported farther west by
land, creating an economic base for cities: Potomac River (Great Falls),
Rappahannock (Fredericksburg), James River (Richmond)
ii) Warmer Climate (due to the ocean’s influence) - is warmer than the Piedmont,
so it has a longer growing season. This means that more than one crop can be
grown in a season.
iii) Level Topography – the flat land means it is better suited for cropland. This
low land region also contains a lot of salt marshes and swamps.
b) Piedmont – located between the Blue Ridge foothills to the west and the
Tidewater/Coastal Plain (fall line) to the east.
i) The Piedmont is characterized by gently rolling, well rounded hills and long low
ridges with little elevation difference between the hills and valleys
c) Blue Ridge Mountains - north from about Roanoke and extends through several
states and contains the highest elevations and the most rugged topography in the
Appalachian Mountain system of eastern North America
d) Valley & Ridge – area of valleys (including the
i) Shenandoah Valley) and small ridges west of the Blue
ii) Ridge Mountains. The valleys are riddled with caverns (ie: Luray & Skyline
caverns) carved into the abundant limestone rock.
e) Appalachian Plateau – located in the southwest corner of VA. This plateau
continues north to New York and south all the way down to Alabama. The plateau
is elevated, rugged land that is relatively flat on top and contains many coalfields.
4) Placing the ‘Products & Industries’ for each Region – When students place each
item on the map, briefly discuss something about each ‘product or industry’ using the
information below.
a) Tidewater/Coastal Plain Products and Industry - Main product is seafood.
Industries include tourism, federal military installations (sea ports and bases).
Additional products: corn, soybeans, cotton, peanuts, potatoes, pumpkins, wheat,
barley, tomatoes, strawberries, peas, asparagus (Due to the level topography,
farms are generally large in size and consist mostly of cash grain crops.)
i) Additional info on products in the Tidewater
ii) Corn -There are two kinds of corn grown in VA. Do you know what they are
used for? A small percentage is for us to eat. Most of it is for animals to eat.
Farmers take the corn, husks, leaves and all, and grind it up and put it in a silo.
The corn ferments because bacteria in the environment digest the moist parts
of the corn. As the corn ferments, liquid drips out the bottom of the silo
during this process. This process stabilizes the corn so it is easier to store
and it won’t rot. It can easily be bagged up as animal feed and transported or
stored to feed animals in the winter. The bacteria in the “silage” are also good
for cows to eat.
iii) Peanuts
(1) First commercial crop grown in Virginia (started in the 1840’s.)
(2) Civil war soldiers liked them and the word spread
(3) Not a significant agricultural crop until the early 1900’s when the boll
weevil destroyed the South’s cotton crop.
(4) It is now a multimillion dollar crop in Virginia.
(5) 250-350 million pounds produced annually
(6) Virginia produces 8% of the nation’s peanuts annually
iv) Potatoes
(1) Virginia is a major producer of early summer potatoes and is the #10
potato producer in the country.
v) Soybeans
(1) Virginia farmers grow more than a half-million acres of soybeans each year.
(2) Soybeans have been grown in China for several thousand years. However,
the U.S. now produces the most soybeans.
(3) Many products are made from soybeans
(a) Candles, Crayons Cleaners, Flooring, Pens, Ink, Waxes,
Shampoos, Hair Conditioner, Cosmetics, hair styling products
Paint Remover Hand cleaner
Infant Formula Salad Dressing Bio
Diesel Fuel
vi) Cotton
(1) Cotton was planted in 1607 at Jamestown by the Virginia colony
(2) Cotton has become a popular alternative to soybeans because it is more
profitable and as an alternative to corn because it is more drought tolerant
(3) Cotton is actually 2 crops, SEED and FIBER.
(a) SEED -Cottonseed is crushed for oil and meal used in food products and
animal feed.
(b) FIBER – Cotton fiber is used for cloth, cotton balls, etc.
vii) *****Eastern Shore Products (part of the Tidewater/Coastal Plains) – soy
beans, berries, vegetables, seafood, major shipping and seaports
b) Piedmont Products and Insdustry - Main products are tobacco and information
technology. Industry is technology, federal and state government, farming,
and textiles. Other products include: peanuts, cotton, dairy cattle, and beef
cattle (Rich Pamunkey* soil)
i) Northern Piedmont is rolling foothills (very suitable for pastures/grazing
animals)
ii) Southern Piedmont is more rural than the Northern Piedmont and the climate
is milder and supports a longer growing season. The light soils are excellent for
growing tobacco, peanuts, and in recent years, cotton.
Additional info on products in the Piedmont Region
iii) Tobacco
(1) Tobacco is Virginia’s largest cash crop
(2) Virginia is the 4th largest tobacco producing state in the United States.
(3) The Native Americans were already growing tobacco when the Jamestown
settlers arrived in 1607.
(4) The settlers learned to grow the “Golden leaf” from the Native Americans.
The first shipment reached England in 1613.
(5) The plant thrived in the Virginia soil and climate.
(6) Some worried about the dependence on one crop.
(7) Tobacco was very hard on the soil and depleted the nutrients.
(8) Tobacco has the highest value of all the plant crops grown in VA (but
chickens are higher in value as the overall agricultural product, and beef is
second in value as overall agricultural product in VA).
iv) Dairy cattle
(1) Most of Virginia’s dairy farms are small, family farms with fewer than 200
cows.
(2) In 2002, dairy cows in Virginia produced an average of 6 gallons of milk a
day. To produce this much milk, a cow consumes 35 gallons of water, 20
pounds of grain, and feed, and 35 pounds of hay and silage.
(3) There are 120,000 dairy cows in Virginia
(4) 1.9 billion pounds of milk produced in 2002
(5) Younger kids: What can you make from milk?
v) Beef cattle
(1) Virginia is 20th in the United States in number of cattle.
(2) There are 1.63 million cattle and calves in Virginia
vi) Pamunkey Soil The state soil of Virginia.
(1) These soils formed in the basin of the James River. This soil was named
for the Pamunkey Indian Tribe because they farmed it and then later the
first settlers at Jamestown planted their crops there.
(2) Most areas of VA with Pamunkey soil are cultivated. That means they are
used for farming. The rest of these soils are used for pasture and forest
land.
(3) Some people say that the reason why Jamestown survived when the other
settlements did not in the original colonies was the rich Pamunkey soils.
c) Blue Ridge Mountains Products and Industry The main product is apples and
the major industry is recreation. Other products include: Christmas trees,
chickens, horses, and forest products.
Additional info on products in Blue Ridge Mountains
i) Apples – VA grows 24 different varieties. Can you name some? (Red
Delicious, Ginger Gold, York, Granny Smith, etc.)
ii) Christmas trees – Can be grown on steep slopes. How many years does it take
to grow a Christmas tree? 7-8 years
iii) Chickens - are the agricultural product that makes the most money for the
State. Chickens don’t take a lot of room because they are grown in chicken
houses in a small area
iv) Horses - are in the north of the Blue Ridge Region and here in PW County.
There are 225,000 horses in VA.
v) Forest Products - Forest Product industry produces over $11.5 billion worth of
goods and services each year
(1) Lumber, Plywood, Flooring, pallets, furniture,
(2) Pulp and paper products, pressure treated lumber.
d) Valley and Ridge Products and Industry – Mountains separate this region from
the other regions of VA. Main products are poultry and apples. The major
industry is farming. There are also many of the same products grown here as in
the Piedmont and Tidewater regions.
e) Appalachian Plateau Products and Industry The main product is coal and the
main industry is coal mining. Tobacco, pumpkins, dairy cattle, and sheep are also
grown here.
Additional info on products in Appalachian Plateau
i) Coal - How were the layers of coal made? A great many trees and plants, blown
down by the waves and wind, became thick layers in flood waters. They became
soaked with water and sank. Then they were buried deep in the mud. Pressure
crushed them together and turned them into black substance (material) called
carbon. It takes 12 feet of wood to make one foot of coal. Today, there is no
place on earth where coal layers are still being formed from plant life. Trees
and other plant life that fall on the ground decay (rot) and become part of the
topsoil. A big flood is the only thing that could have caused coal layers to
be made.
Use the placemat “Agricultural Map of Virginia”
to figure out what regions other agricultural
products (those not mentioned in the text above)
are grown in. You will see that many of the same
products are grown in different regions.