Virginia Forests

Virtual Lesson 

Virginia 

Forests 

Grade: Four 

Teacher: Miss. Juliana 

SOL: The student will investigate and understand important Virginia natural resources. Key concepts include: 

forests, soil, and land.

Wonder time!
What is a forest?
share your ideas with the class.

Who has visited a forest?
Feel free to share a picture with the class.

What did you see there? What did you do?
share your experience with the class.

This is my picture of my visit to two forests this weekend. 

Time to Learn 

Take notes. you will need them later.

What is a forest? 

A forest is a dense growth of trees, together with other plants, covering a large area of land. It is also an ecosystem, consisting of a community of plants and animals interacting with one another and with the physical environment.

Forests in Virginia 

The Virginia state forest system includes 26 state-managed forests covering a total of 71,972 acres .They are managed by the Virginia Department of Forestry.

Virginia has two national forests, the George Washington National Forest and Jefferson National Forest. Both are located in the western mountains of the state.

what is Forestry? 

Forestry is the science of growing and managing forests. Forests can grow by themselves, but by managing them, we can provide the most benefits to people, wildlife and the rest of the environment. Good forestry is sustainable.

This means that managed forests continue to grow 

and produce the things people need from trees, while

keeping a healthy

environment.

Do you know what is a working forest?

yes

No

Working Forests 

A working forest is one that is actively managed and usually gives its owner income at some time. Working forests not only

supply products like paper and lumber, but also clean our air and water, protect the soil, produce oxygen, provide shade, create wildlife habitat, offer beautiful scenery and give us space for recreation. 

Why do we cut down tress? 

Trees are harvested to make products we use every day. These include lumber for building, paper,  and more than 5,000 other products. You can find tree products in odd places: toothpaste, ice cream, chewing gum, molded plastics, packaging and soap, to name a few! 

New vocabulary! 

Lumber: wood that has been cut into various lengths for building

Adventure time 

I visited two forests in Virginia this past weekend. 

Ready to take a look with me? 

George Washington National Forest 

Lesesne 

State Forest 

Note: Please go to the PowerPoint presentation located in our classroom dashboard. You will explore some videos of a virtual fieldtrip to two different Virginia Forests. 

Come back to this lesson after you are done watching the videos. 

Activity 

Seeking Signs

You don’t need a whole forest to look for signs of wildlife…you can check out one single tree! Find a tree in your yard, at school or in a nearby park. Examine it carefully and write down all the creatures and their signs that you find on or near the tree. Go back at different times of the year to observe changes. You

might be surprised at the wildlife diversity! 

Provide pictures of your observations. You can write or draw what you observed.

Let's Test your Knowledge!

Print this puzzle out, complete it and turn it in next class. 

What is a forest

1. An impenetrable thicket or tangled mass of tropical vegetation
2. A large, dry area where there is very little rain and few plants
3. A barrier constructed to hold back water and raise its level, forming a reservoir
4. A dense growth of trees, covering a large area of land

How many national forest does Virginia have ?

1. 4
2. 6
3. 2
4. 3

How many State forest does Virginia have?

1. 26
2. 40
3. 35
4. 20

Forest

Beach

Tree

Mountain

What are five products that come from trees? 

Drag the images to the box 

Products that come from Tress 

What is Lumber?

1. It is other word for plumbing
2. A hard, brittle substance, typically transparent or translucent
3. A silver-white metallic chemical element
4. wood that has been cut into various lengths for building

You're done!

You did it! You finished the lesson on Forests in Virginia! 

Resources:

https://dof.virginia.gov/ 

https://www.usda.gov/

https://doe.virginia.gov/instruction/environmental_literacy/va-natural/index.shtml

https://dof.virginia.gov/forest-markets-sustainability/forest-inventory/