Virginia SOL VS.7.d
The Standard
explaining major events and issues that divided Virginians and led to secession, war, and the creation of West Virginia
Virginia Standards of Learning for History and Social Science
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students explain how slavery and disagreement over leaving the Union divided Virginia. They connect Lincoln’s election, Fort Sumter, Lincoln’s call for troops, and Virginia’s secession in a cause-and-effect sequence. They explain why many western counties remained with the Union and formed West Virginia.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can place key events in order and explain how one led to the next. The explanation identifies slavery and disagreement over secession, not geography alone, as reasons for division. The student uses a map or voting evidence to explain why many western counties became West Virginia.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think West Virginia existed before the war or separated only because mountains made travel difficult. They may assume every Virginian supported the Confederacy, though views on secession differed by region. They may treat Lincoln’s election as an immediate end to slavery.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: Number these events from 1 to 5: Lincoln elected, Fort Sumter attacked, Lincoln calls for troops, Virginia secedes, West Virginia becomes a state. Then explain why many western counties opposed secession.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs event cards and a Virginia map; students arrange the cards, draw cause arrows, and mark regions that supported or opposed secession.
Discuss and write: Why did some Virginians choose the Union while others chose the Confederacy, and what evidence supports your answer?
Play Cause-and-Effect Match: students pair event cards with result cards, then earn a point by explaining each link aloud.
Compare an 1861 Virginia county map with a current map, then identify the counties that became West Virginia and explain the border change.
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- VS.7.f
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