Breaking NEWS

Hello Parents and Guardians,

Our class will be finishing up our unit on matter, molecules, and atoms with a test this
Friday, and on Monday we will begin our new unit in social studies. I am so excited
for this social studies unit, as I have many fun learning opportunities planned that I
hope your children will enjoy. There is a lot of information to cover, but I know all
your children will make it look like a breeze. Please check out the below information
to learn which SOL standard this unit will cover and what my expectations are.

Virginia Studies SOL 10

The student will demonstrate knowledge of government, geography, and economics by:
a) identifying the three branches of Virginia government and the function of each;
b) describing the major products and industries of Virginias five geographic regions;
c) explaining how advances in transportation, communications, and technology have
contributed to Virginias prosperity and role in the global economy.

The Big Questions

Students will be expected to be able to answer these questions by the end of the unit:
1. What are the three branches of government in Virginia, and what are the powers
of each branch?
2. What are the major products and industries of each of the five regions in Virginia?
3. How have advances in transportation facilitated migration and economic growth?
4. How have advances in communications and technology helped the economy of
Virginia grow?
5. In what ways is Virginia part of the U.S. economy?

Bring on the Fun!

I have some fun activities planned to help enrich our classs learning including:

A guest speaker from our local government to talk to the students

about the three branches of Virginia government and how a bill
becomes a law (Parents are more than welcome to come and hear
the speaker too if this interests you)

A class simulation of the interactions between the three branches of

Virginia government in which students will get to work through
the process of making their own law

Creating a their very own travel brochures about the industries, products, and attractions that Virginia has to offer other states.

Keeping Up With The Kids at Home

Here is how you can get involved with this unit to help your child:

Ask your child what they are learning in social studies.

Use the Big Questions from the front of this newsletter to see if your child is
grasping the major concepts that we are going over in class.

Ensure your child is keeping up with his or her homework (Students will
usually only have social studies homework if they dont complete their work
in class)

Send in any travel brochures about the state of Virginia or maps of Virginia
you have with your child

Encourage your child to explore who current state government officials are
and different industries in Virginia and where they are located.

Help your child find some silly states laws to share with the class (Ex. It is illegal to sell peanut brittle on Sundays.) As always, please monitor your child
if they are using the internet to do any research.

I hope all of you are doing well. If you have any

questions or concerns please do not hesitate to
contact me.

Contact Information

Email: smm013@eagles.bridgewater.edu