VAHPERD The Virginia Journal Fall 2017

Integrating a 4 th Grade Social Studies Lesson on the Five Regions of Virginia With an Obstacle Course in Physical Education Mark Pankau, Physical Educator, Guilford Elementary School, Loudoun County Public Schools

 Jamestown, Virginia is a popular historical site, and one of the favorite 4 th grade field trip destinations. The 4 th grade Teach- ers of Guilford Elementary School in Loudoun County selected Jamestown and the 5 regions of Virginia as their One to the World (OTTW) project (1). The field trip provided a first-hand experience of the life and times of our earliest Settlers in the coastal region. Additional classroom lessons provided information about the five regions of Virginia.  The author realized there is a significant difference from personal experience between a field trip and a text book. After visiting with one of the 4 th grade Teachers, the author developed an obstacle course in the gym, to reinforce the understanding of the five re- gions. It was discovered that most of the students had not visited or travelled through other regions, so they could not appreciate the beauty or history of the Commonwealth.  The author outlined the shape of Virginia across the entire gym floor using a standard Physical Education floor tape. Regional lines were then laid down, each in a different color tape.

 Natural Bridge in the south was constructed from large cones, half hoops and a small parachute. The Settlers went through Great Falls in the north, they got on their scooter wagons and traveled to the southern part of the Piedmont Region.

 The third region, the Blue Ridge was constructed using the blue colored exercise step boxes arranged in sets of three steps in pyramid form to look like rolling hills. Once the Settlers traveled through Natural Bridge they left their scooter wagons and climbed up and over the Blue Ridge step boxes, negotiating a set of agility ladders going north again.

Three, folded tumbling mats were used in Southeast Virginia to replicate the triangular shape of the Jamestown settlement in the Coastal region. Once the Settlers arrived at Jamestown, they disembarked from their ship and crab walked through the orange cone obstacles visible in the picture below.

 The fourth region, the Valley and Ridge, is represented by the Shenandoah Valley and Shenandoah River. Once the Settlers suc- ceed in climbing the Blue Ridge obstacles they would lie chest down on their scooter and use swimming motions to complete the fourth region.

 The second region, referred to as the Piedmont Region, has two well-known sites; Great Falls on the Potomac River in the north was replicated using the wedge shaped tumbling mat. Settlers went over the falls by rolling down the wedge mat.

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