About

The Center for History and New Media (CHNM) at George Mason University received funding from the Virginia Department of Education to create For Virginians: Government Matters circa 2010. It may no longer map perfectly to current Virginia Standards of Learning.

Purpose

For Virginians: Government Matters is a free online teaching and learning resource highlighting active citizen involvement, the impact of state and local government on daily life, and how individuals shape their communities in the Commonwealth.

Features

For Virginians: Government Matters is a free website with four key features:

  • a Teaching Source Database with introductions and essential questions to offer guidance on how to use those sources critically and tools for annotating and organizing the sources;
  • Website Reviews that focus on valuable online resources for teaching and learning Virginia state and local government;
  • Teaching Activities focused on state and local government that provide context, teaching tools, and strategies for teaching primary sources drawn from the Teaching Source Database; and
  • Teaching Case Studies by experienced scholars and teachers that model strategies for using primary sources to teach state and local government in the Commonwealth.
Project Directors
  • Beverly Thurston
  • Coordinator for History and Social Sciences, Virginia Department of Education
  • Kelly Schrum
  • Director of Educational Projects, Center for History and New Media
Staff Members
  • Ken Albers
  • Web Developer
  • Katherine Gustin
  • Project Manager
  • Kristin May
  • Research Assistant
  • Liz Moore
  • Research Assistant
  • Emily Perdue
  • Research Assistant
  • Chris Raymond
  • Web Designer
Contributors
  • Melanie Biermann
  • Educator
  • Rob Campbell
  • Roanoke County Public Schools
  • Jessica Cromer
  • Floyd County Schools
  • Jim Dillard
  • Educator and Former House Delegate
  • Shawn English
  • Fairfax County Public Schools
  • Steve Farnsworth
  • George Mason University
  • Jeff Geiger
  • Virginia Economic Development Partnership
  • Cliff Gold
  • Loudoun County Schools
  • Harry E. Gregori, Jr.
  • Vice President of Environmental Solutions, Inc.
  • Charlie Grymes
  • George Mason University
  • Karen Head
  • Virginia Beach City Schools
  • Meg Heubeck
  • University of Virginia
  • Bob Holsworth
  • Educator
  • Quentin Kidd
  • Christopher Newport University
  • Joe LaRocco
  • Roanoke County Schools
  • Georgia Lesser
  • Loudoun County Schools
  • Linda Long
  • Roanoke County Schools
  • Rebecca Mills
  • Spotsylvania County Schools
  • Mark Rozell
  • George Mason University
  • Deborah Sprenger
  • Roanoke County Schools
  • Kenneth Stroupe
  • University of Virginia
  • Kelly Walker
  • Virginia Beach City Schools
  • Tanya Wanchek
  • University of Virginia
  • Karenne Wood
  • Virginia Foundation for the Humanities