Virginia SOL WG.7

WG.7 is a Standards of Learning history and social science standard. These are the skills expectations under it.

• WG.7.a

  identifying and analyzing the location of major geographic regions and major cities on maps and globes

• WG.7.b

  describing major physical and environmental features and how geography may change over time

• WG.7.c

  analyzing cultural influences and landscapes

• WG.7.d

  explaining important economic characteristics, including the distribution of economic activities and global trade.

01

What Students Need to Do

Students locate and compare West, Central, East, and Southern Africa, key landforms, and major cities using maps and globes. They connect climate, environmental change, culture, resources, work, and trade to patterns across these regions.

02

What Mastery Looks Like

Given a blank map, students can place major regions, cities, landforms, and climate zones accurately. They can use map evidence to explain why an economic activity or cultural pattern developed in a particular place.

03

Common Misconceptions

Students may treat Africa as one country with the same climate and culture everywhere. They often confuse the Sahara with lands south of it, mix up cities and countries, or assume natural resources create prosperity for everyone.

04

How to Assess It

Give students a blank map and ask them to label two regions, two cities, one landform, and one climate zone. Then have them explain one link between geography and trade in three sentences.

1. 01

   Give pairs outline maps and colored tracing paper to layer rainfall, landforms, cities, population, and exports, then mark two visible patterns.

2. 02

   Ask, “How can the same resource create both jobs and problems?” Students cite evidence from a map and a short country profile.

3. 03

   Run a map relay where teams place city, region, river, biome, and resource cards correctly, then explain one placement.

4. 04

   Students inspect cocoa, coffee, tea, or phone labels, trace one supply chain from an African producer, and identify who earns money.

• WG.5

  The students will analyze the characteristics of the regions of Europe by

• WG.8

  The student will analyze the characteristics of the regions of North Africa and Southwest Asia by

• WG.9

  The student will analyze the characteristics of the regions of South Asia and Southeast Asia by

• WG.6

  The student will analyze the characteristics of the regions of Russia and Central Asia by