Public learning track
West Virginia in American History and Primary Source Inquiry
10 lessons
Goal
Reconstruct West Virginia's unique path to statehood, industrial development, labor struggles, and culture using historical primary source evidence.
Featured Diagrams
Analyzing Primary and Secondary Sources Like a Historian
10 lessons
0 of 10 done
- Analyzing Primary and Secondary Sources Like a HistorianUp next
- Western Virginia Tensions Before the Civil WarNot started yet
- The Wheeling Conventions and the Restored GovernmentNot started yet
- West Virginia Becomes the 35th StateNot started yet
- Civil War Battles and Divided Loyalties in West VirginiaNot started yet
- Reconstruction and the 1872 West Virginia ConstitutionNot started yet
- The Coal Boom, Railroads, and Industrial Growth in West VirginiaNot started yet
- Life in a West Virginia Coal CampNot started yet
- Immigrant Workers and the West Virginia Mine WarsNot started yet
- Crafting a West Virginia History Inquiry ProjectNot started yet
Standards Covered
- SS.5.25West Virginia Social Studies Standards · Social Studies · all grade levels · All agesReconstruct the economic, social and political history of West Virginia through the use of primary source documents.
- SS.5.10West Virginia Social Studies Standards · Social Studies · all grade levels · All agesCompare the industrial North and the agricultural South prior to the Civil War, the geographic characteristics and boundaries of each region and the basic way of life in each region.
- SS.5.20West Virginia Social Studies Standards · Social Studies · all grade levels · All agesDemonstrate an understanding of the industrial North and the agricultural South before, during and after the Civil War. • Research the roles and accomplishments of the leaders of the reform movements before and during the Civil War (e.g., abolition movement, Underground Railroad and other social reforms, etc.). • Explain how specific events and issues led to the Civil War (e.g., sectionalism fueled by issues of slavery in the territories, states’ rights, election of 1860 and secession). • Summarize key battles, strategies and turning points of the Civil War (e.g., Fort Sumter, Antietam, Gettysburg, other regional battles and the surrender at Appomattox). • Compare the roles and accomplishments of historic figures of the Civil War (e.g., Abraham Lincoln (Emancipation Proclamation, Gettysburg Address) Ulysses S. Grant, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, Clara Barton and Frederick Douglass, etc.). • Explain the impact of the Civil War’s physical destruction on the nation and the people (e.g., soldiers, women, African Americans, and the civilian population, etc.).
- SS.5.21West Virginia Social Studies Standards · Social Studies · all grade levels · All agesExamine the economic, political and social developments during Reconstruction. • Explain the effects of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination and the goals of Reconstruction. • Characterize the effects of Reconstruction on African Americans (e.g., rights and restrictions, Thirteenth, Fourteenth, Fifteenth Amendments, rise of discriminatory laws and groups (Klu Klux Klan), motivations to relocate, and the actions of the Freedmen’s Bureau, etc.).
- SS.5.9West Virginia Social Studies Standards · Social Studies · all grade levels · All agesAssess the resources (e.g., oil, land, gas, etc.) of the geographic regions (e.g., Midwest, Middle East, etc.) of the United States and the world and explain their impact on global economic activities.
- SS.5.24West Virginia Social Studies Standards · Social Studies · all grade levels · All agesAnalyze the people and the factors that led to Industrialization in the late 19th century United States. • Examine how the Industrial Revolution was furthered by new inventions and technologies (e.g., light bulb, telegraph, automobile, assembly line, etc.). • Identify prominent inventors and scientists of the period and summarize their inventions or discoveries (e.g., Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, the Wright Brothers, Henry Ford and Albert Einstein, etc.). • Explain the causes and effects of immigration and urbanization on the American economy during the Industrial Revolution (e.g., role of immigrants, the growth of cities, the shift to industrialization, the rise of big business and reform movements, etc.).
- SS.5.7West Virginia Social Studies Standards · Social Studies · all grade levels · All agesExplain the concept of supply and demand in specific historic and current economic situations in the United States (e.g., slavery, oil, gas, Industrial Revolution, etc.).
- SS.5.8West Virginia Social Studies Standards · Social Studies · all grade levels · All agesCritique the economic reasons for immigration and migration throughout the United States during specific times in history and relate the information to the present (e.g., Great Migration, Ellis Island, etc.).
- SS.5.15West Virginia Social Studies Standards · Social Studies · all grade levels · All agesSummarize the significance of large-scale immigration and the contributions of immigrants to America in the early 1900s (e.g., the countries from which they came, the opportunities and resistance they faced when they arrived and the cultural and economic contributions they made to this nation, etc.).
Curriculum Framework
4th Grade · Social Studies · US-WV-SS
1
5 lessons
Geographic Tools and Spatial Analysis
Master essential geographic tools, digital mapping systems, coordinate grids, and thematic data displays to analyze spatial information.
2
7 lessons
Regions and Geography of the United States
Explore the physical landscapes, states, capitals, and settlement patterns across the major regions of the United States.
3
7 lessons
Civic Participation, Government Powers, and the Constitution
Analyze the rights and duties of citizens, compare the roles of local, state, and federal government, and understand the processes for making laws and amending the Constitution.
4
5 lessons
The American Judicial System and the Courts
Understand how courtroom trials function, the roles of legal participants, and how court decisions and legal advocacy protect civil rights and resolve disputes.
5
10 lessons
Basic Economics, Markets, and Global Resources
Explain core economic principles including supply and demand, migration incentives, natural resource distribution, and global trade.
6
5 lessons
Antebellum America: Regional Differences and the Abolition Movement
Compare the contrasting economies, cultures, and daily life of the Antebellum North and South, and examine the rise of abolitionist resistance and the Underground Railroad.
7
7 lessons
The Road to Civil War: Crises, Compromises, and Secession
Trace the escalating political conflicts, Supreme Court rulings, and key events from the 1850s compromises to the outbreak of the Civil War at Fort Sumter.
8
7 lessons
The Civil War: Leaders, Strategies, and Major Turning Points
Evaluate the political and military leadership, overall war strategies, and early decisive turning points of the American Civil War.
9
6 lessons
The Civil War: Key Campaigns, Frontline Contributions, and the Aftermath
Examine pivotal campaigns, the vital contributions of soldiers and women, and the ultimate conclusion and human toll of the Civil War.
10
11 lessons
Reconstruction and the Struggle for Civil Rights
Analyze the political, social, and economic rebuilding of the United States after the Civil War, focusing on the Reconstruction Amendments and African American experiences.
11
7 lessons
Settling the Frontier: Migration, Railroads, and Western Industries
Examine the geographic challenges, transportation developments, and major industries such as farming, ranching, and mining that drove westward migration.
12
6 lessons
Impacts of Westward Expansion: Indigenous Nations and the Environment
Analyze the profound effects of westward expansion on Native American sovereignty and lifeways, as well as the environmental consequences and the rise of conservation.
13
6 lessons
Inventions, Industry, and the Rise of Big Business
Analyze how new technologies, mass production, and industrial leaders transformed American industry and daily life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
14
6 lessons
Immigration, Urbanization, and Progressive Reforms
Explore how mass immigration and rapid urbanization reshaped American cities, the hardships workers and immigrants faced, and the reforms created to address these challenges.
15
10 lessons
America Becomes a Global Power
Analyze how international trade, military expansion, the Spanish-American War, and the Panama Canal established the United States as a world power.
16
10 lessons
West Virginia in American History and Primary Source Inquiry
Reconstruct West Virginia's unique path to statehood, industrial development, labor struggles, and culture using historical primary source evidence.
17
9 lessons
The Formation of West Virginia: Timeline and Constitutional Tensions
Sequence the historical events that created West Virginia and analyze the moral, ethical, and constitutional tensions surrounding its statehood during the Civil War.