SOL # |
SOL |
Key Points |
Activity |
Scientific Investigation, Reasoning, and
Logic K.1 |
The student will conduct investigations in which � Basic properties of objects are identified by direct
observation;
� Observations are made from multiple positions to achieve
different perspectives;
� A set of objects is sequenced according to size;
� A set of objects is separated into two groups based on a
single physical attribute;
� Objects are described both pictorially and verbally |
The museum has a collection of rocks and minerals on display
in the Geology exhibit. |
Observation, discussion and comparison of the rocks and
minerals in the Geology exhibit. Observation, discussion and comparison of any of the
exhibits. |
Matter K.4 |
The student will investigate and understand that objects can
be described in terms of their physical properties. Key concepts include � The eight basic colors
� Shapes and forms
� Textures and feel
� Relative size and weight
� Position and speed |
Exhibits at the museum feature a number of objects such as
rocks and minerals, indian artifacts, fossils, etc. that can be compared by size, shape,
color, etc. |
Observation of the rocks and minerals in the Geology exhibit.
Discussion and comparison of their physical properties. |
Earth Patterns, Cycles, and Change K.9 |
The student will investigate and understand that change
occurs over time, and rates may be fast or slow. Key concepts include �
Natural and human-made things may change over time; and
� Changes can be noted and measured |
The museum has an extensive collection of photographs (The
Totten Collection) spanning well over 100 years of local history. |
Totten Collection timeline activity. |
Scientific Investigation, Reasoning, and
Logic 1.1 |
The student will plan and conduct investigations in which � Differences in physical properties are observed using the
senses and simple instruments to enhance observations
� Objects or events are classified and arranged according
to attributes or properties |
Exhibits at the museum feature a number of objects such as
rocks and minerals, indian artifacts, fossils, etc. that can be compared by size, shape,
color, etc. |
Observation of the rocks and minerals in the Geology exhibit.
Discussion of their physical properties. |
| Life Processes 1.5 |
The student will investigate and understand that animals,
including people, have life needs and specific physical characteristics and can be
classified according to certain characteristics. Key concepts include �
Life needs (air, food, water, and a suitable place to live)
� Physical characteristics (body coverings, body shape,
appendages, and methods of movement)
� Characteristics (wild/tame, water homes/land homes) |
The museum has fossils and models of various ice age mammals,
including mammoth, mastodon, giant beaver, and musk ox. |
Comparison of woolly mammoth and mastodon: differences in
their teeth, tusks, size, etc. |
Resources 1.8 |
The student will investigate and understand that natural
resources are limited. Key concepts include � Identification
of natural resources…minerals… |
Saltville has large deposits of salt, gypsum, and limestone
which have been utilized for hundreds of years. |
Discussion of minerals in the area and how they have been
used. |
Living Systems 2.5 |
The student will investigate and understand that living
things are part of a system. Key concepts include � Living
organisms are interdependent with their living and nonliving surroundings; and
� Habitats change over time due to many influences |
Animals were attracted to the area by the salt. Woodland
Indians were attracted by the abundance of animals and other natural resources. |
Observation of the Ice Age Mammals and Woodland Indian
exhibits. Discussion of why they were found in this region. |
Matter 3.3 |
The student will investigate and understand that objects can
be described in terms of the materials they are made of and their physical properties. Key
concepts include: � Objects are made of smaller parts;
� Materials are composed of parts that are too small to be
seen without magnification; and
� Physical properties remain the same as the material is
reduced in size |
Exhibits at the museum feature a number of objects such as
rocks and minerals, indian artifacts, fossils, etc. that can be compared by size, shape,
color, etc. |
Observation and discussion of rocks and minerals in Geology
Exhibit. |
Life Process 3.4 |
The student will investigate and understand that behavioral
and physical adaptations allow animals to respond to life needs. Key concepts include: � Methods of gathering and storing food, finding shelter,
defending themselves, and rearing young; and
� Hibernation, migration, camouflage, mimicry, instinct,
and learned behavior |
Long hair on mammoth and mastodon was an adaptation to cold
weather during the Ice Age. Mammoth and mastodon teeth are each designed for the type of
food they ate. |
Observation and discussion of the ice Age fossils. |
Living Systems 3.5 |
The student will investigate and understand relationships
among organisms in aquatic and terrestrial food chains. Key concepts include: � Producer, consumer, decomposer;
� Herbivore, carnivore, omnivore; and
� Predator – prey |
Mammoths and mastodons were herbivores. The museum has
fossils of the teeth of several of the Ice Age mammals. These demonstrate how the teeth
were adapted to the type of food eaten by each particular animal. |
Observation and discussion of Ice Age mammal fossils. |
Living Systems 3.6 |
The student will investigate and understand that environments
support a diversity of plants and animals that share limited resources. Key concepts
include � Water-related environments (pond, marshland,
swamp, stream, river, and ocean environments);
� Dry-land environments (desert, grassland, rainforest, and
forest environments) |
Due to the prevalence of salt in the soil and water,
Saltville is the site of a salt-marsh environment. There are plants there that are
normally found only in coastal areas. |
Observation and discussion of wellfields area using the
interactive valley model. Visit to the wellfields to observe the environment there
directly. |
Interrelationships in Earth/Space Systems
3.7 |
The student will investigate and understand the major
components of soil, its origin, and importance to plants and animals including humans. Key
concepts include: � Soil provides the support and nutrients
necessary for plant growth;
� Topsoil is a natural product of subsoil and bedrock;
� Rock, clay, silt, sand, and humus are components of
soils;
� Soil is a natural resource and should be conserved. |
The wellfields area, less than one half mile from the museum,
has a variety of plants growing there in different types of soil. In places where the soil
is too salty, plants do not grow at all or they are plants which are normally found in
coastal regions. Elsewhere in the wellfields are areas of blue-gray clay. This was
excellent for preservation of fossils. |
Visit to the wellfields to observe the environment there
directly. |
Resources 3.10 |
The student will investigate and understand that natural
events and human influences can affect the survival of species. Key concepts include � The interdependency of plants and animals;
� Human effects on the quality of air, water, and habitat |
The chemical plant located in Saltville had a major impact on
the area. Humans apparently hunted and used the Ice Age mammals for food, etc.
Animals were attracted here by the salt they needed in their diets. |
Observation and discussion of the Company Town exhibit. Observation
and discussion of the Ice Age mammal fossils. |
Resources 3.11 |
The student will investigate and understand different sources
of energy. Key concepts include: � Fossil fuels
� Renewable and nonrenewable resources |
The Geology exhibit contains samples of coal and related
sources of fuel. |
Observation and discussion of the Geology exhibit. |
Living Systems 4.5 |
The student will investigate and understand how plants and
animals in an ecosystem interact with one another and the nonliving environment. Key
concepts include � Habitats and niches;
� Life cycles; and
� Influence of human activity on ecosystems |
Due to the prevalence of salt in the soil and water there,
the wellfields area (one half mile from the museum) provides a special habitat for some
coastal plants and birds. The extensive drilling of salt wells has affected the
wellfields area for hundreds of years.
The museum has fossil evidence of Ice Age mammals. |
Observation of Ice Age fossils and discussion of why they
were found in the Saltville valley. Visti to wellfields to observe the unique
environment there. |
Resources 4.8 |
The student will investigate and understand important
Virginia natural resources. � Minerals, rocks, ores, and
energy sources |
Saltville’s abundant natural resources (salt, gypsum,
limestone, etc.) have been important to both animals and humans for thousands of years. |
Observation of the minerals in the Geology exhibit.
Discussion of how they have been used and why they are important. |
Scientific investigation, Reasoning, and
Logic 5.1 |
The student will plan and conduct investigations in which � Rocks, minerals, and organisms are identified using a
classification key |
The Geology exhibit contains rocks and minerals that can be
used to practice identification using a classification key. |
Observation and discussion of classifications of rocks and
minerals in the Geology exhibit. |
Earth Patterns, Cycles, and Change 5.7 |
The student will investigate and understand how the
Earth’s surface is constantly changing. Key concepts include
� The rock cycle including the identification of rock
types;
� Earth history and fossil evidence
� Plate tectonics
� Weathering and erosion |
Saltville sits on top of a 450-mile long fault line called
the Saltville Fault. During the spring of 2002, the Saltville Exhibit Hall features a
fossil exhibit entitled "Fossils: Traces of the Ages." For more information click here. |
Observation and discussion of the Saltville Fault on the
interactive valley model. Tour of fossil exhibit in Saltville Exhibit Hall. Worksheet
and study guide are available. |
