Why Bother Studying WV History?

(plus cool geography games!)

~the 3rd in a series of articles~
Click here to start at the beginning of the series.

As parents and teachers, we are preparing our children for the future – a future which they will have a vital role in shaping. Understanding the forces (geographical, historic, political, economic, etc.) which have molded and influenced West Virginia in the past is a key important component in determining and defining its future. And West Virginia’s future is exactly what our children will face as they grow up and confront the adult world challenges and opportunities.

Our job, then, is to not only teach but train our children how to stand as Christians and engage the culture – impacting it, changing it, shaping it – all for the glory of Christ. First Chronicles 12:32 refers to men who understood the times, men with knowledge of what to do.  Likewise, our sons and daughters will one day stand as men and women and help establish their families, their communities, and their state.

As Edmund Burke famously quipped, “Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.” Today, more than ever, it is imperative to recall the wisdom of Ecclesiastes 1:9:  “The thing that has been — it is what will be again, and that which has been done is that which will be done again; and there is nothing new under the sun.”  We must learn from the past!

Online WV Geography Games

Online games are a great way to help students learn geographical information. Here are a few links to get your student started:

County Game: https://www.purposegames.com/game/48cadb92e8

Rivers Game: https://www.purposegames.com/game/west-virginia-rivers-game

River Cities Game: https://www.purposegames.com/game/west-virginia-river-cities-game

County Seat Game: https://www.purposegames.com/game/west-virginia-county-seats-quiz

Tip #4 – Groups of 10 or more can often get discounts at educational 

sites. Call and ask! (They often include parents in the count.)

Tip #5– The Beckley Coal Mine Exhibit 

Take a tour in a real coal mine, explore a recreated coal town, and visit a comprehensive coal museum. This is a great way to complement a unit study and help ‘book learning’ come to life!

Click here to read the next article in the series.