West Virginia State Museum Lesson Plan
Basic Information
Lesson Title: Is Charleston Your Lucky Charm?
Tiffany Anderson
Author(s):
Social Studies
Content
Area(s):
You are young citizen of the new state of West
Synopsis:
Virginia living in Charleston area. The decision to
choose the capitol city is up for vote, what will you
decide – Charleston or Wheeling?
West Virginia’s State
Capitol
Background Students will learn the
history of the location of
& Student
West Virginia’s state
Relevance
capitol.
Subject(s):
Grade
Level(s):
4, 5, 6, & 8th
WVCSO’s:
Grade 4
SS.O.4.3.4--relate the concept of taxation to public services.
SS.O.4.3.6--construct and use charts, graphs, tables and grids to display data.
Museum
Correlation:
Standards
Industrialization
Discovery Room 16
Grade 5
SS.O.5.1.4--evaluate the importance of citizens having and supporting common democratic
values and principles expressed in the nation’s core documents.
SS.O.5.2.1--judge whether local, state and national governments do or do not provide for the
needs and wants of people, establish order and manage conflict.
Grade 6
SS.O.6.2.1--evaluate competing ideas about the purposes government should serve (e.g.,
promoting the common good, protecting individual rights, providing economic
security).
21st Century
Skills:
Grade 8
SS.O.08.02.06--examine and explain the various types of elections in West Virginia
SS.O.08.02.09--analyze conditions under which constitutional government flourishes.
SS.8.2.12--compare and contrast rights and privileges of the individual citizen
21C.O.5-8.1.LS.1--Student, when presented with a problem, identifies the information needed,
uses text, people, online databases and search engines to filter relevant information efficiently,
analyzes information for biases, synthesizes
information gathered and creates an effective and efficient response to the problem.
21C.O.5-8.2.LS.2--Student draws conclusions from a variety of data sources to analyze and
interpret systems.
Implementation Plan
Essential Question: What makes places unique and different?
Prior to attending the museum, the teacher will discuss with the class the history of the location of West
Virginia’s state capitol.
At the museum, the students will complete the following questions:
1. Where was the first state capitol located?
2. How many different cities were home to West Virginia’s capitol?
Is Charleston Your Lucky Charm.doc, Page 1
West Virginia State Museum Lesson Plan
3. How many times did the location of the capitol change?
4. When was the final decision made as to where the capitol would be, and why was that city chosen?
5. What is located on the state capitol grounds in Charleston?
After the museum, the teacher will review the answers to the questions with the students. As a whole class
compile a list of reasons why each city housed the capitol.
Product Description
Using the information found in the museum, on the internet and in the encyclopedia determine why Charleston
was chosen to be the permanent capital of West Virginia. Students will complete an individual assignment and
a group project.
Individual Assignment: Each student will do a research paper on the location of the West Virginia state
capital. (requirements to be determined by the teacher)
Group Project: West Virginia Cereal Box – each group will design a West Virginia cereal box that tells the
story of the history of the state capital and name the cereal based on information they learned. The box will
display the following information:
 History of the capital’s location
 The burning of the capital
 Design and importance of the State Capitol Annex
 Examples of Capitol Complex statues and memorials
Material’s List
1. An empty, unfolded cereal box
2. Internet access
3. Construction paper, glue, colored pencils, etc.
Assessment
See attached Rubric—“Is Charleston Your Lucky Charm Rubric”
Technology Integration
Use of Internet to do additional research.
Additional Notes
Is Charleston Your Lucky Charm.doc, Page 2
Cereal Box Project Grade Sheet – 126 Points
Student Name: ________________________________________ Period: __________________
Box Bottom – name. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . /1
Box Top – Most significant contribution; the “grabber” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ./10
Box Side 1 – Interesting quotes with description of context – 3 quotes at 5 points each. . . . . . . . . /15
Box Side 2 – Interesting facts related to WV Capitol history – 5 facts at 3 points each. . . . . . .. . . /15
Box Front
Name of Cereal reflecting person - 5 points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Picture of historical figure and the cereal - 5 points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Slogan that reflects person - 5 points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . /15
Box Back
Biographical BCR - 10 points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.........................................................................
Events - 10 points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(Up to 5 additional points if done as a crossword puzzle or similar item). . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pictures - 5 points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(Up to 2 additional points each if done in a “Where’s Waldo”, Connect the Dots, or Maze
configuration). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . /25
Creativity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . /10
Organized and uncluttered. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . /10
Mechanics – minus 1 point for each spelling/mechanical error. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . /10
Bibliography. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . /10
Class Presentation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . /5
TOTAL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . /12