Virginia in the 20th Century

History Lesson Plan Day 1

Teacher: Arendt Grade: 5th Date: 3/29 Objective: Virginia Essential Knowledge and Skills (SOL)
VS.8 The student will demonstrate an understanding of Virginia during the twentieth century and beyond
by a) describing the economic and social transition from a rural, agricultural society to a more urban,
industrialized society; b) describing how national events, including women’s suffrage and the Great
Depression, affected Virginia and its citizens; c) describing the social and political events in Virginia
linked to desegregation and Massive Resistance and their relationship to national history; and d) describing
the political, social, or economic impact made by Maggie L. Walker; Harry F. Byrd, Sr.; Oliver W. Hill,
Sr.; Arthur R. Ashe, Jr.; A. Linwood Holton, Jr.; and L. Douglas Wilder.

“I Can” statement(s):
Describe how Virginia changed from a rural, agricultural society to a more urban, industrialized society in the 20 th century.
Explain how agriculture changed in the 20th Century.

Type of lesson:
Whole group interactive writing lesson___X___ Whole group shared writing lesson_____
Whole group interactive read aloud lesson_______ Whole group shared reading lesson______

Resources and Materials: Cognitive Level:

Assessment: Exit Ticket Key vocabulary:

Mechanization, technological, suffrage, federal government, amended, Massive Resistance,
integration, civil rights,

Differentiation: The teacher should determine this based on student data. Consider providing a graphic organizer to support discussions during
guided practice.
Anticipatory Set/Activate Prior Knowledge
Communicate the learning target to students.
Activate prior knowledge or provide background
information. Review/introduce any skills,
routines, procedures.
Procedures/Direct Instruction
Provide input, demonstrate/model, check for
understanding.
What teaching moves will you make?
What questions will you pose?
What information do students need?
What vocabulary needs to be taught?
How will the students interact with the content of
the lesson?
Introduce Chapter 9 by having students examine the photograph on pages 140-141. Project the
photograph (Virginia in the 20th Century - Google Slides). Activate background knowledge and
anticipate learning using the questions below:
• Read the caption on page 140. Do these 1939 events surprise you?
• What does this image tell you about equality between African Americans and White
Americans?
• Read the quote on page 141. How does this quote relate to racial reconciliation?
• You learned about Thurgood Marshall in 2nd grade. What do you remember about the career he
had as a lawyer? Based on what you know about him, does this sound like a quote he would
make? Explain
• You also learned Marshall was the first African American justice of United States Supreme
Court. Government exists at the local(community), state (Virginia), and national (United States)
levels. The judicial branch of government is the court system. At the state level and the national
level, the judicial branch decides cases about people breaking the law. Do you know what branch
of government makes the laws? Which branch makes sure the laws are carried out?
Display the word MECHANIZATION. Encourage students to decode the word to guess its
meaning. After hearing some guesses, share the following: Farmers started using new inventions
that helped them harvest crops quickly. These machines saved time and energy because they were
faster and more efficient than the work animals the farmers had been using. Mechanization
changed farming forever. Have students apply context clue skills to determine the meaning of the
word mechanization. When ready, confirm mechanization is using machines to replace human or
animal labor. Ask students to infer how mechanization could change farming.
TTW play read aloud of pages 142-143 in Our Virginia textbook. TSW follow along in their
book.
Guided Practice After reading, TTW facilitate discussion on the reading. TSW use what they learned from their
reading to engage in discussion.
Students work on learning target, with teacher
support and feedback.
Discussion questions:
Why did some Virginia farmers stop farming?
• What industrial changes invited people to move to the big cities?
• What role did coal play in this change?
• What transportation changes occurred during this time? What impact did these changes have on
Virginia cities?
• What communication changes occurred during this time? What impact did these changes have?
• Why did crop prices lower?
• What economic differences brought people away from rural areas into urban ones?
• Explain what was happening in Europe during the early 1900s? How do you think these events
impacted Virginia?
• What right were women granted after the war? Do you think this meant women were now
treated equally? Why or why not?

TS will complete fishbone diagram with TT. vs_reproducible_133.pdf (efiveponds.com)

Complete the head of the diagram on the projected reproducible to reflect the EFFECT of changes
in Virginia. Have students help you summarize the effect of changes in Virginia and write
“Virginia changed from a rural, agricultural society toa more urban, industrial society” in the
head of the diagram. Explain to students that they will complete a reproducible that identifies
three causes with supporting evidence that led to this effect.

TTW project Mechanization slide (slide 5 of Google Slides). TTW instruct students to create a
bar graph of the date. TTW also draw one on the board. TTW say, Your graph helps you visualize
how much mechanization impacted farming throughout the 20th century.
 Discussion:
How did the growth of transportation affect Virginia’s transition from rural to urban?

Independent Practice TSW complete Transitioning from a Rural to Urban Society Notes activity Page (Pages 2,3 of
TPT resource).
Students independently practice and apply the
skills/strategies introduced in whole group
Transitioning CU Exit Ticket (in files)
instruction.

Closure TTW say, great job learning about Virginia’s transition from rural to urban society today. In this
Summarize knowledge that relates back to the Big unit we will be learning about many events that happened in just the last 100 years. Some of these
events will be very recent and have not yet found resolution. We will also be talking about some
Idea, Enduring Understanding and Essential
current issues. So stay up to date with what’s happening in our country right now because I am
Questions. Reflect on learning target with
sure you’ll see how the events of the 20th century have directly impacted where we are today.
students.
Please get packed up and ready for lunch.
 History Lesson Plan Day 2,3
Teacher: Arendt Grade: 5th Date: 3/30,31 Objective: Virginia Essential Knowledge and Skills (SOL)
VS.8 The student will demonstrate an understanding of Virginia during the twentieth century and beyond
by a) describing the economic and social transition from a rural, agricultural society to a more urban,
industrialized society; b) describing how national events, including women’s suffrage and the Great
Depression, affected Virginia and its citizens; c) describing the social and political events in Virginia
linked to desegregation and Massive Resistance and their relationship to national history; and d) describing
the political, social, or economic impact made by Maggie L. Walker; Harry F. Byrd, Sr.; Oliver W. Hill,
Sr.; Arthur R. Ashe, Jr.; A. Linwood Holton, Jr.; and L. Douglas Wilder.

“I Can” statement(s):
Describe how Virginia changed from a rural, agricultural society to a more urban, industrialized society in the 20 th century.

Type of lesson:
Whole group interactive writing lesson___X___ Whole group shared writing lesson_____
Whole group interactive read aloud lesson_______ Whole group shared reading lesson______

Resources and Materials: Cognitive Level:

Assessment: Key vocabulary:

Exit Ticket Mechanization, technological, suffrage, federal government, amended, Massive Resistance,
integration, civil rights,

Differentiation: The teacher should determine this based on student data. Consider providing a graphic organizer to support discussions during
guided practice.

Anticipatory Set/Activate Prior Knowledge Current Event Focus: Mt. Etna

Italy's Mount Etna Puts Up A Dazzling Show Kids News Article (dogonews.com)
Communicate the learning target to students.
Activate prior knowledge or provide background
information. Review/introduce any skills,
routines, procedures.
Procedures/Direct Instruction
Provide input, demonstrate/model, check for
understanding.
What teaching moves will you make?
What questions will you pose?
What information do students need?
What vocabulary needs to be taught?
How will the students interact with the content of
the lesson?
TTW read the current event and lead a discussion regarding the significance of it. Students will discuss
their thoughts on it.
TTW say, Normally, our current event will be more related to Social Studies but I wanted to include the
volcano one today as a warm up and because we were talking about volcanoes in Science. Normally we
will discuss what your thoughts were on how people are handling a certain situation or how the situation
affects you. But for this one, I want to know how you connected this story to what you are learning in
science.
Review with students how you have been talking about Virginia’s growing cities and how
Virginia was changing from a rural society to an urban one.
Project the image of the family at the bottom of page 144. Do not supply any details about the
family. Ask:
• Does this family look like one who lives in a new, growing city? Why or why not?
• What do you observe about this family?
• Based on their expressions and body language, how do you think they are feeling? Explain.
• Why do you think they are barefoot?
Tell students that during the 1930s life changed for many Virginians and people across the nation.
Have students locate the bold words Great Depression in the text on page 144. Model how to use
context clues to define what the Great Depression was: A time of harsh economic conditions that
affected much of the world.
Project the definition and define any unknown words. Challenge students to list synonyms for the
unknown words you define. Then have students rewrite a definition for the Great Depression
using words familiar to them. Refer back to the projected photograph. Ask students how the harsh
economic conditions might affect families in ways other than not having new clothes and shoes.
This will help build background knowledge before reading page 144.
TTW play read aloud of pages 144-145. TSW follow along in their books.
Guided Practice After reading TTW discuss the following questions with the students:
 What is the stock market? How can the stock market help ordinary
Students work on learning target, with teacher
people? How can it hurt ordinary people?
support and feedback.
• Why were people borrowing so much money from banks in the
late 1920s?
• What happened in 1929?
• How did this stock market crash affect Virginians?
• What was this period during the 1930s called? Do you think this is
an appropriate name? Why or why not?
• Did the Great Depression only affect Virginia?
• Who was the United States president during this time?
• What was the federal government’s plan to help the United States
recover from the Great Depression?
• Was the plan successful? Explain.
• The harsh economic conditions of the Great Depression spread
worldwide. What happened from 1939-1945? How was Virginia
affected by this event?

TTW present slides: Virginia in the 20th Century - Google Slides.

TTW discuss main details of the New Deal. TTW play the video of the New Deal then facilitate the
following discussion: Do you think it was the government’s responsibility to step in and help the
American people during the Great Depression?

Independent Practice TSW complete Virginia Leaders in World Wars activity Page (Pages 4,5 of TPT resource).
Students independently practice and apply the
skills/strategies introduced in whole group instruction. VA Leaders for Peace CU Exit Ticket (in files).

Closure I’m sure some of you have heard your grandparents or other talk about the Great Depression
Summarize knowledge that relates back to the Big and challenges that came with it. How do you think you and your generation would handle
Idea, Enduring Understanding and Essential something like this? What similarities and differences are their between those challenges and the
Questions. Reflect on learning target with current challenges of the pandemic right now?
students.
*Lesson plan took two days*
 History Lesson Plan Day 4, 5
Teacher: Arendt Grade: 5th Date: 4/1,2 Objective: Virginia Essential Knowledge and Skills (SOL)
VS.8 The student will demonstrate an understanding of Virginia during the twentieth century and beyond
by a) describing the economic and social transition from a rural, agricultural society to a more urban,
industrialized society; b) describing how national events, including women’s suffrage and the Great
Depression, affected Virginia and its citizens; c) describing the social and political events in Virginia
linked to desegregation and Massive Resistance and their relationship to national history; and d) describing
the political, social, or economic impact made by Maggie L. Walker; Harry F. Byrd, Sr.; Oliver W. Hill,
Sr.; Arthur R. Ashe, Jr.; A. Linwood Holton, Jr.; and L. Douglas Wilder.

“I Can” statement(s):
Describe how Virginia changed from a rural, agricultural society to a more urban, industrialized society in the 20 th century.

Type of lesson:
Whole group interactive writing lesson___X___ Whole group shared writing lesson_____
Whole group interactive read aloud lesson_______ Whole group shared reading lesson______

Resources and Materials: Cognitive Level:

Assessment: Exit Ticket and Activity Page Key vocabulary:

Mechanization, technological, suffrage, federal government, amended, Massive Resistance,
integration, civil rights,

Differentiation: The teacher should determine this based on student data. Consider providing a graphic organizer to support discussions during
guided practice.

Anticipatory Set/Activate Prior Knowledge Current Event Focus: (Choose event that has to do with racism in our country).
Communicate the learning target to students.
How do you think the people involved handled this event? Did the event have a positive result?
Activate prior knowledge or provide background
information. Review/introduce any skills,
routines, procedures.
Procedures/Direct Instruction
Provide input, demonstrate/model, check for
understanding.
What teaching moves will you make?
What questions will you pose?
What information do students need?
What vocabulary needs to be taught?
How will the students interact with the content of
the lesson?
Guided Practice
Students work on learning target, with teacher
support and feedback.
Other thoughts?
Project the photo of the all-black school on page147. Ask students what adjectives come to mind
as they study the picture. Discuss whether or not they think the all-white elementary schools of
the time looked the same and how that fits into America's promise that all people are equal.
Before reading pages 146-147, have students use the Glossary of their textbook to define these
terms to aid in comprehension of these pages:
• Segregation • Desegregation • Integration
TTW read pages 146-147 to students pausing at discussion points.
Discussion:
 Who was Barbara Johns? What event did she lead?
• Name the case that resulted from the strike.
• Explain how the two court cases discussed at the top of page 147
are connected.
• How did the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court ruling affect public schools?
• Name the policy established by Virginia’s government in response to
Brown v. Board of Education. What did the policy fight to “resist”?
• Which Virginia governor led the Massive Resistance movement?
What happened to some schools that avoided desegregation?
• Why did the policy of Massive Resistance fail? What happened as a
 result of the failed policy?
• Governor Harry F. Byrd, Sr. made some positive contributions. He
modernized Virginia state government. What was his policy called for
road improvements? Why was it called “pay-as-you-go”?
• If you could talk to one of the Virginia governors mentioned on this
page, whom would you talk to and why?

Independent Practice vs_reproducible_134.pdf (efiveponds.com)

Students independently practice and apply the TSW complete The Civil Rights Movement In Virginia activity Page (Pages 6,7 of TPT
skills/strategies introduced in whole group resource).
instruction.
The Civil Rights Movement CU Exit Ticket (in files).

Closure TSW Turn in Exit Tickets

Summarize knowledge that relates back to the Big
* Lesson plan took 2 days *
Idea, Enduring Understanding and Essential
Questions. Reflect on learning target with
students.