Virginia Waterways Reader’s Theater
Characters:
1. James River
2. York River
3. Potomac River
4. Rappahannock River
5. Shenandoah River
James: Hi everybody! Today we are going to review the 5 major rivers
of Virginia. I am so glad that you are here with us. I am the mighty
James River! I am the most southern river in Virginia, located at the
bottom right corner of the map.
York: Hi, James! I am the York River. I am the river right above you,
just a little bit up the right side of Virginia.
Rappahannock: I guess I should jump right in, because I am the
Rappahannock River. I am the river above the York, half way up the
side of Virginia on a map.
Potomac: And I am the Potomac River at the very tip top of Virginia.
You know the neat thing about the four of us rivers is that we all flow
into the Chesapeake Bay!
Shenandoah: Don’t forget about me! I am the Shenandoah River! I am
in the western part of Virginia, and I flow into you, Potomac.
Potomac: So technically, if you flow into me—and I flow into the
Chesapeake Bay—you flow into the Chesapeake Bay too—through me!
James: I think we should take a moment and advertise for our river!
York: I think that is a great idea!
Rappahannock: Who should start?
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Shenandoah: How bout we start with the James, since he is at the very
bottom. Then we can work our way up the map of Virginia the way the
rivers flow.
James: Ok. Well, I am the James River—like I said before. I start from
two western tributaries in the Blue Ridge Mountains and flow down
through the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions of Virginia.
York: Wow, you are a long river!
James: Sure I am! A whopping 348 miles long! I am the famous river
that the early English settlers traveled up to plant their first successful
colony.
Rappahannock: You mean Jamestown?
James: Yes, can’t you see the similarity in our names?
Rappahannock: Yes, James River and Jamestown.
James: Quite right. In fact, we were both named after the king of
England at the time Jamestown started. His name was King James I.
Shenandoah: Are we going to learn about him later on in our study of
Virginia?
James: Yeah, I think we start learning about King James I in late
October when we study Jamestown.
York: So is the Jamestown settlement located along you, James River?
James: Yes. It is! The James River provided easy access for boats to
dock at the harbor and deliver new colonists and supplies to the
growing colony of Jamestown.
Rappahannock: Was it also a great source of food too with fish and
crabs and seafood?
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James: Yes, good thinking, Rappahannock. Another important city
along me is our state capitol of Richmond.
Shenandoah: I can definitely see a trend…settlements, towns, and
cities seem to spring up around rivers. At least that’s the trend I see
from the map.
James: Quite right, Shenandoah. As settlers traveled by boat inland up
the James River they had to stop at the fall line, because they could not
get their boats over the waterfalls on the river. So, they planted the city
of Richmond right there.
Potomac: So, Richmond is on the fall line then?
James: You got it! So who is next?
York: I am! Again, I am the York River.
Potomac: Didn’t I hear that you are rather short?
York: (chuckles to himself or herself) Yes, I am somewhat short. I am
only 34 miles long. But you must give me credit for having two longer
tributaries feed into me.
Shenandoah: Which two tributaries?
York: The Mattaponi and the Pamunkey rivers!
Rappahannock: Wow! They sound like Indian tribes!
York: They are. They form a “y” as they flow into me, the York.
James: Hey, Y for York River!
York: Great observation, James!
Shenandoah: What cities are along you?
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York: Well, a long time ago, the great Indian village capitol of the
Powhatan Indians was along me. It was called Werowocomoco.
Rappahannock: Wow, that’s quite an impressive sounding name!
York: Well, it was an impressive village!
Shenandoah: Is it still around today?
York: No, not anymore. Only the remains of the village have been
discovered by archeologists through digging.
Potomac: You mean Indian artifacts have been discovered near there?
York: Yes indeed! I have a lot of history near me! The other major
town on my river is Yorktown. Yorktown was the location of a famous
fort during the Revolutionary War.
James: Isn’t that the spot where the British surrendered to the Patriots
and won the whole war?
York: Yes! George Washington’s Continental Army won the battle of
Yorktown over the British there!
Rappahannock: Cool! Well, I am the Rappahannock River. I am about
195 miles long and I flow from west to east into the Chesapeake Bay.
York: On a map of Virginia, you are the one right above me, right
Rappahannock?
Rappahannock: You got it! I start in the Blue Ridge Mountains and
make my way across the Piedmont and Coastal Plain before dumping
out my waters into the bay. The major city along me is Fredericksburg.
Potomac: Do you have any history located with you?
Rappahannock: I do! I do! Many early colonists set up settlements
near me. Then during the Civil War, many battles were fought between
the Confederate and Union armies near me.
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Shenandoah: Where does your name Rappahannock come from?
Rappahannock: Actually, my name comes from an Algonquian Indian
word that means “river of quick, rising water,” which was the name
used by the local native population, the Rappahannock Indian tribe!
James: Wow! So not only do rivers tell about settlements that grew up
along their banks, but rivers also tell history! And not just the history of
English colonists but also of Native Americans like the Rappahannocks!
Fascinating!
Potomac: You know, my name, the Potomac, also has its roots with the
Indians.
Shenandoah: Really? Tell us more!
Potomac: Potomac is the Algonquian word that means the “place where
people trade.” It was also the name of the Indian tribe that lived nearby
the river.
York: So, where were the locations along you where people may have
traded? If that’s what the word Potomac literally means.
Potomac: Great question! The major city along the Potomac is
Alexandria. The Potomac River also forms the border between
Washington, DC and Virginia.
James: Wow! If you look closely at a map, most of Virginia’s border at
the top is the outline of the Potomac River.
Potomac: Yes, it sure is! A lot of states’ borders look squiggly. If they
do, like Virginia’s up top, then it’s most likely a river forming that
border. And in this case, it’s me—the Potomac!
Shenandoah: So, how long are you?
Potomac: I’m very very long… I am 405 miles long in fact.
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Rappahannock: Do you have any history along you that we should
know about?
Potomac: Well, one of the most famous houses of a famous American is
located along me!
Shenandoah: Who? Who? Let me guess!
Potomac: Ok, first president of the United States!
Shenandoah: Oh, I know! George Washington!
Potomac: Quite so! George Washington’s home, Mount Vernon, is
located along my river banks on the Potomac.
James: Wow, that’s so neat! Aren’t we going to Mount Vernon on a field
trip later in the year?
Potomac: You heard right! We are! So, when you come to Mount
Vernon, you will definitely see me—the Potomac River!
York: Hey, can’t the kids in our class see you now—if they go over to
Trump Golf course, Algonkian Park, or Great Falls Park?
Potomac: Yes, that’s very true!
Rappahannock: So, that means that most of the kids here HAVE seen
you, Potomac!
Shenandoah: The question is: have they ever seen ME? I’m the river
flowing into the Potomac on the west side of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
I meander my way up the Valley and Ridge region of Virginia. I am the
Shenandoah River.
Rappahannock: Shenandoah, it’s a beautiful name. Wasn’t there a
song written about it?
Shenandoah: Yes! (breaks out in song) Oh, Shenando—I long to hear
you. Away, you flowing river.
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James: Now, unlike the four of us, you flow south to north along the
ridge in the Shenandoah valley.
Shenandoah: Yes, that’s correct. I am about 57 miles long, and I empty
out into the Potomac River at the point of West Virginia and Virginia at
Harpers Ferry.
York: Well, I think that about covers it for now.
Rappahannock: What can we all learn from each other?
James: Great question!
Potomac: I learned that we all flow into the Chesapeake Bay!
Shenandoah: I learned that we all have people groups that settled
along us—first the Native Americans, then the colonists who settled
near the water for food, water, and transportation.
York: Transportation by boat!
James: And that each of us has a major town or city located along our
river route!
Rappahannock: You know, the other thing I learned today was that
there is a lot of history that each of us rivers tell.
Potomac: Yeah, rivers tell history!
Shenandoah: And since rivers are a part of geography, the land lay out
of a state, that means that geography and history go hand in hand!
York: Yeah, geography and history go together!
James: I guess that’s why Miss O. wrote it like that on the back bulletin
board!
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