Virginia SOL VS.5.d

Social Studies4th Grade1607 through the American Revolution

The Standard

identifying the importance of the American victory at Yorktown

Virginia Standards of Learning for History and Social Science

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students explain that the British surrender at Yorktown ended major fighting and pushed Britain toward peace talks. They connect the victory to American independence.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can place Yorktown near the end of a Revolution timeline. The student can explain that the surrender led to peace negotiations, not immediate legal independence.
Common Misconceptions: Students may think Yorktown was the only battle or that the war officially ended that day. They may also overlook French military and naval support.
How to Assess It: Ask: “Why was the victory at Yorktown a turning point?” Require students to use the words surrender, peace talks, and independence.

Lesson moves

Use a Virginia map, troop cards, and string to model how American and French forces trapped the British at Yorktown.
Write a newspaper headline and three-sentence report explaining why the surrender changed the course of the war.
Match cause, event, and result cards for French support, the Yorktown siege, British surrender, peace talks, and independence.
Create a Yorktown historical marker that tells Virginia visitors why the site matters to the nation’s independence.

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