West Virginia fact file
Research West Virginia: where it is, what it is known for, three interesting facts, and a drawing.
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Explore West Virginia
Explore West Virginia through reading passages about Charleston, New River Gorge, mountain towns, and people who shaped history. Choose a place or text type and discuss details from the reading.
9 readings
Reading passages across West Virginia
Browse every reading connected to West Virginia, including passages from its regions, cities, landmarks, and natural features.
Hazel's Windy School DayLower Elementary · Diary Entry • FictionWest Virginia
Katherine Johnson Counts the WayLower Elementary · BiographyWest Virginia
Miles Finds the BridgeLower Elementary · Short Story • FictionWest Virginia
Charleston and the Kanawha RiverUpper Elementary · Explanatory Article • InformationalWest Virginia
How the New River Carved a GorgeUpper Elementary · Explanatory Article • InformationalWest Virginia
The Story of Mother's Day: A Celebration of GratitudeUpper Elementary · Explanatory Article • InformationalWest Virginia
A State Born from Conflict: The Creation of West VirginiaGrade 5 · Explanatory Article • InformationalWest Virginia
The Raid on Harpers Ferry BeginsMiddle School · Explanatory Article • InformationalWest Virginia
Where the Tracks MeetMiddle School · Reader's TheaterWest VirginiaWest Virginia printables & worksheets
Print-and-go West Virginia activities for the classroom or home — ready to download as PDF.
Build a West Virginia workbook Pro
One PDF with the reading passages, puzzles and worksheets you pick — start from a grade level and adjust from there, with the answer keys at the back.
West Virginia KWL chart
Write what you already know about West Virginia, what you want to find out, and what you learned.
Browse all kwl chartWest Virginia story map
Plan a story set in West Virginia: characters, setting, problem, what happens first, next, and last, and how it ends.
Browse all story mapWest Virginia word web
Put West Virginia in the middle and collect words and ideas connected to it.
Browse all word webCompare two things from West Virginia
Use a Venn diagram to compare two places, landmarks, animals, traditions, or other features from West Virginia.
Browse all compare two things from west virginiaWest Virginia acrostic poem
Write an acrostic poem using the letters in the name West Virginia.
Browse all acrostic poemWest Virginia word game worksheets
Printable word puzzles built from West Virginia words — download as PDF, answer key included.
Easy word search
8×8 grid · 6 words across and down · answer key included
Medium word search
10×10 grid · 8 words with diagonals · answer key included
Tricky word search
12×12 grid · 10 words with backwards words · answer key included
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About West Virginia
Charleston is the capital of West Virginia.
The New River and Gauley River meet to form the Kanawha River.
Harpers Ferry lies at the meeting of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers.
Explore West Virginia through place-connected readings
West Virginia’s reading map brings together stories and informational texts about its capital, rivers, mountain towns, and history. Choose a place or grade band, then use details from the reading and questions to guide a discussion.
Visit the capital and the gorge
Charleston and the Kanawha River explains how the capital connects to a wider river system. Miles Finds the Bridge follows a family looking for the New River Gorge Bridge. How the New River Carved a Gorge explores the landscape’s long history.
Discover mountain communities
In Hazel's Windy School Day, two friends repair a paper bird in Thomas. Where the Tracks Meet is a historical script set in the railroad town of Thurmond around 1910.
Meet people and explore history
The Raid on Harpers Ferry Begins examines John Brown’s 1859 raid and the conflict over slavery. Katherine Johnson Counts the Way introduces a mathematician who grew up in White Sulphur Springs. The Story of Mother's Day: A Celebration of Gratitude describes early celebrations in Grafton and Philadelphia.
Choose a reading and review its questions for your learners. Return to the United States reading map to explore another state.
West Virginia reading map FAQ
Which reading introduces West Virginia’s capital?
Charleston and the Kanawha River explains the capital’s connections to the river and other communities.
Which passages explore New River Gorge?
Miles Finds the Bridge is a story about a family visit; How the New River Carved a Gorge explains the landscape.
Is there a historical reading about Harpers Ferry?
The Raid on Harpers Ferry Begins examines John Brown’s 1859 raid and its connection to the conflict over slavery.
Which passage introduces Katherine Johnson?
Katherine Johnson Counts the Way follows the mathematician from her childhood in White Sulphur Springs to her work at NASA.