Virginia SOL 2.8.a
The Standard
the availability of plant products affects the development of a geographic area
Virginia Standards of Learning for Science
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students identify products that come from local plants, such as lumber, paper, cotton, grain, and fruit. They explain how plentiful plant resources can attract jobs, businesses, and transportation.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Given a map showing forests, orchards, or crop fields, students predict a likely product, job, or business. They explain how having the resource nearby supports that development.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think plant products include only fruits and vegetables, not wood, paper, cotton, or grain. They may assume every area has the same resources or that resource availability is the only reason communities develop.
How to Assess It
- Show a picture of a town near a large forest. Ask students to name one likely product and business, then explain why each could develop there.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs forest, orchard, and cotton-field maps, then have them place matching product and business cards on each area.
Ask students to answer: How would a town change if many apple trees grew nearby? Require one change and one reason.
Play a three-card matching game using plant resource, product, and local business cards, such as trees, lumber, and furniture shop.
View a photo of a nearby farm or forest, then name one local job or business that could rely on its products.
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Printable 2.8.a Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 2.8.a, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
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Related Standards
- LS.6.b
the availability and use of resources may lead to competition and cooperation;
- 1.8.b
human actions can affect the availability of natural resources; and
- 1.7.c
changes in temperature, light, and precipitation affect plants and animals, including humans.
- 2.5.a
plants and animals are interdependent with their living and nonliving surroundings;
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