Social Studies Standards

Grade 3

South Carolina Studies

Standard 3-1: The student will demonstrate an understanding of places and regions in South Carolina and the role of human systems in the state.

Enduring Understanding

People utilize, adapt to, and modify the physical environment to meet their needs. They also identify regions based on geographic and human characteristics to help them interpret Earth's complexity. To understand how people interact with the physical environment, the student will utilize the knowledge and skills set forth in the following indicators:

Indicators

3-1.1 Categorize the six landform regions of South Carolina—the Blue Ridge, the Piedmont, the Sand Hills, the Inner Coastal Plain, the Outer Coastal Plain, and the Coastal Zone—according to their climate, physical features, and natural resources.

3-1.2 Describe the location and characteristics of significant features of South Carolina, including landforms; river systems such as the Pee Dee River Basin, the Santee River Basin, the Edisto River Basin, and the Savannah River Basin; major cities; and climate regions.

Standard 3-2: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the exploration and settlement of South Carolina.

Enduring Understanding

The inhabitants of the early Carolina colony included native, immigrant, and enslaved peoples. To understand how these various groups interacted to form a new and unique culture, the student will utilize the knowledge and skills set forth in the following indicators:

Indicators

3-2.1 Compare the culture, governance, and physical environment of the major Native American tribal groups of South Carolina, including the Cherokee, Catawba, and Yemassee.

3-2.2 Summarize the motives, activities, and accomplishments of the exploration of South Carolina by the Spanish, French, and English.

3-2.3 Describe the initial contact, cooperation, and conflict between the Native Americans and European settlers in South Carolina.

3-2.4 Summarize the development of the Carolina colony under the Lords Proprietors and the royal colonial government, including settlement by and trade with the people of Barbados and the influence of other immigrant groups.

Standard 3-3 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the American Revolution and South Carolina's role in the development of the new American nation.

Enduring Understanding

People establish governments to provide stability and ensure the protection of their rights as citizens. To understand the causes and results of the American Revolution on South Carolina, the student will utilize the knowledge and skills set forth in the following indicators:

Indicators

3-3.1 Summarize the causes of the American Revolution, including Britain's passage of the Stamp Act, the Tea Act, and the Intolerable Acts; the rebellion of the colonists; and the writing of the Declaration of Independence.

3-3.2 Compare the perspectives of South Carolinians during the American Revolution, including Patriots, Loyalists, women, enslaved and free Africans, and Native Americans.

3-3.3 Summarize the course of the American Revolution in South Carolina, including the role of William Jasper and Fort Moultrie; the occupation of Charles Town by the British; the partisan warfare of Thomas Sumter, Andrew Pickens, and Francis Marion; and the battles of Cowpens, Kings Mountain, and Eutaw Springs.

3-3.4 Summarize the effects of the American Revolution, including the establishment of state and national governments.

Standard 3-4: The student will demonstrate an understanding of life in the antebellum period, the causes and effects of the Civil War, and the impact of Reconstruction in South Carolina.

Enduring Understanding

South Carolina played a key role in events that occurred before, during, and after the Civil War; and those events, in turn, greatly affected the state. To understand South Carolina's experiences during this tumultuous time, the student will utilize the knowledge and skills set forth in the following indicators:

Indicators

3-4.1 Compare the economic conditions for various classes of people in South Carolina, including the elite, the middle class, the lower class, the independent farmers, and the enslaved and free African Americans.

3-4.2 Summarize the development of slavery in antebellum South Carolina, including the invention of the cotton gin and the subsequent expansion of and economic dependence on slavery.

3-4.3 Explain the reasons for South Carolina's secession from the Union, including the abolitionist movement and the concept of states' rights.

3-4.4 Summarize the course of the Civil War in South Carolina, including the Secession Convention, the firing on Fort Sumter, the Union blockade of Charleston, the significance of the Hunley submarine; the exploits of Robert Smalls; and General William T. Sherman's march through the state.

3-4.5 Explain how the destruction caused by the Civil War affected the economy and daily lives of South Carolinians, including the scarcity of food, clothing, and living essentials and the continuing racial tensions.