|
Student Activities
“Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle
of rum!”
 Middle
school teachers across the state are introducing their students
to South Carolina pirates as part of a new curriculum approach designed
to meet eighth-grade standards. Funded through the South Carolina
Commission on Higher Education, South Carolina Studies: An Interdisciplinary
Approach to Meeting Eighth Grade Standards focuses on the state’s
natural history, human history, land use, literature, and culture.
South
Carolina Studies is a more defined portion of the SC MAPS project
which covers several different grades, representing a massive amount
of material. John Wagner, Ph.D., professor in Clemson’s School
of the Environment, is a geological consultant for the SC MAPS project,
and was involved in developing the new curriculum. “SC Studies
focuses on the 8th grade specifically because state standards in
science and social studies for this grade level are South Carolina-based.
Concentrating on that grade level gives us a way to pull things
together,” observes Wagner.
 |
In their
study of pirates, students draw a scale diagram of a pirate
ship, then determine how many “mates” they’d
need to sail the high seas. |
The
program uses case studies to teach various disciplines. For example,
the unit based on pirates from South Carolina incorporates economics,
politics, social studies, and coastal landscapes by having students
navigate where the pirates hide and land. Also, the effect of tides
on the ships and mathematical models of the pirate ship all tie
back into the theme. Making these case studies a component of the
8th grade year provides an interesting and effective way of learning
various disciplines because the themes are something children can
relate to. Other themes include folk art and folk lore and geography.
The
program has model lesson plans ready for use, or SC Studies can
coordinate with schools to customize activities and lesson plans
for specific concepts. For more information, contact Peggy Waters
at 864-656-1560; email: scmaps@clemson.edu
.
|
