Virginia Physiography

 

Joyce Tillar Watson, Educator, Mathematics & Science Center

Developed with funding from the Mathematics & Science Center

Major Understanding

Virginia is a state rich in natural resources, including various rock and mineral deposits, water (both surface and groundwater), soil, and air.  In today’s busy world, one part of the state cannot separate its activities and their effects from the other parts.  Everything in this state and the world are interconnected.  By examining the physiography of Virginia from several different viewpoints, we can better appreciate the vast resources Virginia has to offer, and develop the ability and desire to use them wisely.

 

Objectives

Use GIS mapping software to identify the five physiographic provinces in Virginia and show how geologic processes are evidenced.

 

Relate the location of some natural resources in Virginia to the province in which they are found.

 

Use the map construction and layering capabilities of a GIS to determine the major watersheds in Virginia and their direction of flow.

Time

PowerPoint Presentation on Virginia Physiography

10 min

PowerPoint Presentation on ArcIMS Application

10 min

ArcIMS Practice

5 min

GIS Lab: Virginia Physiography

40-60 min

Data Interpretation and Conclusion

5-10 min

Assessment

10-15 min

 

 

 

Materials

For each student:

 

1 Copy of Background: Virginia Physiography

1 Computer with Internet Access (ArcExplorer Application Optional)

1 CD with Virginia Physiography Data Set (if no Internet Access)

1 Copy of GIS Lab: Virginia Physiography
1 Copy of Mineral Resources in Virginia worksheet

 

For the class:

 

1 Networked Printer

1 Computer Projection System (optional)

State and National Correlations

Virginia Standards of Learning: Earth Science (ES.2, ES.8, ES.9, ES.10): Computer Technology (C/T8.1, C/T8.4)

 

National Science Standards:Content Standard A (Science as Inquiry); Content Standard D (Earth and Space Science); Content Standard E (Science and Technology)

Instructional Strategies

1.      Anticipatory Set
Divide the class into groups consistent with the number of computers available for use.  Have students complete a survey by listing all of the cities and tourist attractions they have visited in Virginia.  Through discussion, have students talk about some of the places that were not listed.

2.      Background Information
Present a PowerPoint presentation (Virginia Physiography) or have students read Background: Virginia Physiography.
Introduce students to ArcIMS with the PowerPoint presentation: ArcIMS.  You can also run the application using a projector to demonstrate key features of the software.

 

3.      Key Questions (Checking for Understanding)
Why is it not wise to take a rock hammer to Virginia’s Coastal Plain?
Why do we refer to the Piedmont as the foothills of Virginia?
Are there dinosaur fossils in Virginia?
Explain why we refer to the Valley and Ridge as having Karst topography?
Explain in your own words your understanding of a watershed.

 

4.      GIS Lab: Virginia Physiography
Conduct the GIS Lab. If the computers do not have internet access, you may download a free copy of ArcExplorer 2 for Windows and ArcExplorer 4 JAVA Script at the ESRI web site.  If you are running on an Apple machine, you will need the JAVA script version and your operating system needs to be OS10 or higher.  Those of you who are using a windows format need just the ArcExplorer 2 for windows.

Have the students individually follow the instructions and answer questions on the Instruction/worksheet GIS Lab: Virginia Physiography.
 

Practice

Guided Practice: Rocking Across Virginia

 

  • Open the web based GIS mapping page titled ‘Virginia Physiography’ again and use your mouse to put a check in the ‘Visible’ column for ‘counties,’ ‘state boundary,’ water bodies,’ and physiographic regions.  Put a check in the ‘Visible’ column and a dot in the ‘Active’ column for ‘rocks and mineral links’.
  • Click ‘Refresh Map’ located at the bottom of the layers list.
  • Use your mouse to click on the ‘Hyperlink’ tool to the left.
  • Now using your mouse, click on each of the red dots on the map and fill in the Guided Practice chart provided.

Independent Practice: Mineral Resources in Virginia

 

 

Closure

Restate the lesson objectives and relate to the learning experience.  Ask students to state which of their activities helped them learn the most about Virginia.  Re-teach if necessary.  Encourage continued learning through the extensions and resources.

Extensions

Encourage students to extend their learning by continuing with the Virginia Physiography project file in GIS and have them visit some of the websites included in the ‘References’ section of this lesson.

Encourage students to extend their learning by investigating the watershed in which they live in greater detail.  This can be done by going to the web site Surf Your Watershed found at http://www.epa.gov/surf.

Assessment

Two sample items are provided for use in assessing students’ understanding.

Paper-Pencil Test: Virginia Physiography

Performance Task

Rubric: Virginia Physiography

 

The following table shows how the assessment items are related to specific objectives.

 

 

Objective

Paper-Pencil Test

Product/
Performance

Use GIS mapping software to identify the five physiographic provinces in Virginia and show how geologic processes are evidenced.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 13

 

Relate the location of some natural resources in Virginia to the province in which they are found.

6, 7,11, 12

 

Use the map construction and layering capabilities of a GIS to determine the major watersheds in Virginia and their direction of flow.

14

 

 

Major Understanding: Virginia is a state rich in natural resources, including various rock and mineral deposits, water (both surface and groundwater), soil, and air.  In today’s busy world, one part of the state cannot separate its activities and their effects from the other parts.  Everything in this state and the world are interconnected.  By examining the physiography of Virginia from several different viewpoints, we can better appreciate the vast resources Virginia has to offer, and develop the ability and desire to use them wisely.

 

Performance Task

 

 

Teaching Tips

For additional information on teaching this lesson, go to the following links:

 

Key Questions Used to Check for Understanding (with answers)

 

Key to GIS Lab:  Virginia Physiography

Key to Guided Practice: Rocking Across Virginia

 

Key to Independent Practice: Mineral Resources in Virginia

 

Key to Paper-Pencil Test:  Virginia Physiography

References

Geography Network

On-line resource for finding and sharing geographic content including maps and data.

http://www.geographynetwork.com

 

The Geology of Virginia

This site uses maps to describe each province in the state and the geology associated with each physiographic province.
http://web.wm.edu/geology/virginia/

 

Geology of Virginia Web Source

This site explains the geological evolution of Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic region.  It provides a detailed descriptive record of Virginia geology.
http://csmres.jmu.edu/geollab/vageol/

 

Mathematics & Science Center: Where it all adds up!

Web site of the Mathematics & Science Center with variety of information on programs and opportunities for students.

http://mathsciencecenter.info/

MathInScience
Visit this educational resource site to acquire web-based lessons and resources for K-12 students and teachers.  This site is the on-line educational arm of the Mathematics & Science Center
http://MathInScience.info

 

U. S. Geological Survey’s Learning Web

This is a learning web that provides geologic information for the public, educators, students, scientists, businesses, and government.
http://www.usgs.gov/education/

 

Virginia Earth Science Resource Page

This site is in support of SOLs ES.7 and ES.8, particularly as they relate to the state of Virginia.  It was designed by Virginia Earth Science teachers and financed by the Department of Education.
http://vtso.geol.vt.edu/vesr/