Wishing you peace and happiness this holiday season!
Be sure to check our December Factoids for events and related content throughout the month!
View our Winter Holidays Collection!
FEATURED IN DECEMBER
Check for details below on these featured resources!
NEW ON KNOWITALL:
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New module from Reconstruction 360 - A Seat at the Table
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We Have a Story to Tell: 350 Years of the South Carolina National Guard
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Upgraded video files for our Palmetto Heritage Series
FEATURED THIS MONTH:
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Series and Collections
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What’s New on KnowItAll - Newest content is listed at the top of the page – scroll down to be sure you haven’t missed any of our new content, lesson plans, etc.!
NEW ON KNOWITALL.ORG
Freedom Comin' - A Gullah Kinfolk Wish - Now available for the holiday season from South Carolina ETV and Aunt Pearlie Sue!
Host Aunt Pearlie Sue has a story to tell: Christmas Eve of December 1860 also happens to be the eve of the American Civil War. The life of slavery weighs heavily on the hearts of those who work on southern plantations, but this story contains a silver lining: a Gullah kin-folk wish: “Freedom Comin’!”
In April, 1756, a 10 year old girl from Sierra Leone named ‘Cilla (formerly Binda) was kidnapped and transported to Charleston, South Carolina, in the belly of a slave ship. ‘Cilla soon became the property of Elias Ball, a rice plantation owner. During the 5-8 week-long voyage, these Africans suffered inhumane conditions. Sir John Newton, a captain of one of these slave ships experienced a spiritual rebirth during a terrible storm; realizing the evil that is slavery. Newton became an abolitionist and preacher, and later penned the famous song “Amazing Grace”.
South Carolina Military Museum | Let’s Go! - New content from Let's Go!
First established in Sumter county as the “National Guard Museum and State Weapons Collection”, the South Carolina Military Museum relocated to the capital city of Columbia to better serve its mission of preserving the State’s military history.
This new location offered strong partnerships with the South Carolina Military Department and the opportunity to expand the collection. Through the efforts of staff and volunteers, the former National Guard motor pool was transformed into an inviting space for the community to learn their rich military heritage.
Officially recognized by the U.S. Army’s Center for Military History and the National Guard Bureau, the museum features a timeline of South Carolina military history within two full exhibit galleries available for visitors to explore. Staff members are on hand to help with research inquiries by utilizing our archival collection or resource material. Always striving to lead by example, the museum also hosts community events to thank our veterans and build relationships with the community.
A Seat at the Table – Second Module from Reconstruction 360
Now available from Reconstruction360, our second module, A Seat at the Table!
You are invited to dinner in Savannah in 1868. The mother of a Black family has prepared a special meal to commemorate the new Georgia State Constitution that her husband and pastor have helped to create.
Reconstruction 360 uses a 360 degree video platform as a storytelling device that lets the audience step inside pivotal Reconstruction events. By clicking on icons within the 360 video the user can access short documentaries that offer the perspectives of multiple characters, historians and descendants. Reconstruction 360 also includes lesson plans, curriculum standards and primary documents. This module, A Seat at the Table, focuses on the theme of institution building, with a focus on the institution of family.
Explore the 360 Experience
Videos
Professor Amir Jamal Touré of Savannah State University discusses the importance of Savannah, Georgia to the creation of African American institutions in Georgia and beyond.
The Hoskins-Brown family of Savannah, Georgia, embodies some important African American traditions – respect for elders, a strong female head of household, caring neighbors. But they are also creating new traditions, as three brothers experience life with their biological dad and a “bonus mom.”
The Reconstruction Acts of 1867 divided the South into five military districts and directed the Army to register Black and White men to vote. Former Confederate states had to write new constitutions. In 1868 in Georgia, 37 Black men were elected as delegates to the Georgia Constitutional Convention.
After the slave revolt led by Nat Turner in 1831, most Southern states passed laws making it a crime to teach the enslaved to read and write. During Reconstruction freedpeople demanded education, and Southern state legislatures established free public schools for Blacks and Whites.
During Reconstruction women who had been enslaved could finally devote themselves to their own families. The work of women was always vital to the Black family and community, throughout enslavement and beyond. After the Civil War, freedwomen began the Black women’s club movement, which is still thriving today.
Over time, Black Southerners developed their own forms of worship. They incorporated some African religious traditions and turned certain biblical stories to their own purposes, envisioning a God who would liberate them from bondage.
Between 1820 and 1860, slave owners in the upper South sold nearly a million enslaved people to plantations in the lower South. After they gained their freedom, formerly enslaved people published newspaper advertisements seeking lost relatives, and ministers read the ads aloud at church services.
In West Africa, elders are greatly respected and family groups often form the basis of society, but the institution of slavery tore African American families apart. Freedom meant that families, including grandparents, could live safely together.
Black Churches have often served as places to meet and organize, and during Reconstruction many religious leaders were elected to political office. In the Civil Rights movement of the 20th century Black religious leaders carried on this tradition of fighting for social justice.
Many of the foods enjoyed by enslaved and freedpeople - and Americans today - originally came from Africa. In this video culinary historian Michael Twitty discusses the origins of African American foodways.
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Notebook (coming soon)
In 1866 a new Republican Congress defied President Andrew Johnson and began the period known as Radical Reconstruction. Southern states created new constitutions that gave the right to vote to all men regardless of race, and granted other long-awaited rights and freedoms to African Americans.
Conversations with Crescent - New animated series!
Conversations with Crescent is an animated educational series created by Black female students in South Carolina. In the series, Crescent invites viewers to extend the conversations that take place in her world and among her friends. Episodes are standard aligned and primarily lend well to learning activities in ELA and Social Studies.
The objectives of the series are:
- To model courageous conversation
- To promote social awareness, inclusivity, and cultural competency
- To provide examples of Black excellence
Video
Worksheet and Lesson Starters:
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Episode 1: ELA Short Answer Worksheet | Conversations with Crescent
- Episode 1: Social Studies Lesson Starters | Conversations with Crescent
Go For It - New videos now available!
Chef Kevin Mitchell joins Devyn Whitmire in this episode of “Go For It’ to cook up a traditional and delicious South Carolina dish.
Join Devyn as she steps back in time on a visit to Historic Brattonsville, one of the many sites throughout the state that preserves South Carolina’s unique Revolutionary War history.
Experience the history and charm of this small, Southern town as Devyn attempts to delve into its celebrated ceramics
Join Devyn as she explores an island off the coast of South Carolina that can only be reached by boat.
From baking and toy making, to weaving and making furniture, Devyn goes to the Living History Park in North Augusta, GA to try out colonial life.
New ETV documentary - Now available from Carolina Stories!
We Have a Story to Tell: 350 Years of the South Carolina National Guard
This Carolina Stories documentary tells the story of the South Carolina Army National Guard, from its founding in 1670, to present day. The Guard’s history is long and rich; its service to the United States and to South Carolina is enduring. The SC Military Museum partnered with the SC Military History Foundation to tell the stories of the SC Army National Guard and the SC Air National Guard.
The origins of the SC Army National Guard trace back to the founding of Charles Towne in 1670. The original SC National Guard started with only one hundred men, and the idea of the “citizen soldier” endures to this very day. Militia troops played an important role during the American Revolutionary War, of which South Carolina’s militia heavily contributed to the cause for freedom. Units of volunteer military forces were formed across the country during the Federal Period, and South Carolina units served with distinction during the War of 1812, and the Mexican-American War.
During the Civil War, the Union and the Confederacy turned to the states to build and maintain their armies. While some volunteer units stayed home to defend South Carolina, many other units were transferred into Confederate service, and saw action in other locations throughout the war. The National Guard became federalized with The Militia Act of 1903, which meant many significant changes to guard units across the country. The most notable changes were funding, and improvements in National Guard training.
The first federalized call up for the National Guard was the Mexican border dispute in 1916, which proved to be a trial run for the battlefields of World War I. SC units such as the 117th Engineer Regiment, and the 118th Infantry distinguished themselves during The Great War. One Medal of Honor recipient, James C. Dozier, became Adjutant General of South Carolina in 1926. During Dozier’s tenure, he expanded the number of armories in SC. South Carolina units served in every major campaign in the European Mediterranean theater of the Second World War, such as Operation Torch, Operation Husky, Operation Avalanche, and even Operation Overlord.
General Dozier realized the importance of the new Air National Guard, and put the service into motion by taking ownership of Congaree Air Base, just east of Columbia. In the 73 years since that first muster in December 1946, the SC Air National Guard has been a major contributor to the defense of America. In 1950, Gen. Dozier established the Palmetto Military Academy. Many of the Guards leaders over the next 70 years would pass through the doors of PMA.
General John Dozier retired as South Carolina’s Adjutant General in 1959, and was replaced by Major General Frank D. Pinckney. Pinckney led the SC National Guard through the tumultuous 1960’s, an era of change and painful progress for the National Guard, and for America as a whole. As the world changed, so too did the National Guard, with the full integration of African Americans and women into the SCNG. Visionary leaders prepare the National Guard for what it would become in the 21st century: a well-trained, world-wide deployable force that would stand at the front of the line when asked to support South Carolina, and defend the U.S. The next few Adjutant Generals, Major General Robert L. McCrady and Major General T. Eston Marchant made significant contributions and expansions to the SCNG. Maj. Gen. Marchant’s political influence and persistence brought major upgrades to the Guard.
The SC Air National Guard received some major upgrades in the early 1980’s, like replacing the old A-7 Corsairs of the Vietnam era with F-16 Fighting Falcons, as well as the arrival of AH-64 Apache attack helicopters. Marchant’s relationships at the state and local level were never more essential than in 1989 when Hurricane Hugo struck South Carolina. Hurricane Hugo changed everything about not only how the National Guard operates, but it also changed how South Carolina prepares for emergencies.
Major General T. Eston Marchant became the first Adjutant General in decades to send troops into combat in Operation Desert Storm. South Carolina’s 51st and 251st units were called up to serve in Desert Storm, as well as the 169th Fighter Wing of the SC Air National Guard. After Marchant’s 16 year service as Adjutant General, he was succeeded by Major General Stanhope S. Spears in 1994. Like Marchant before him, Spears would send SC Guard Units to other foreign countries such as Bosnia and Kosovo. Whenever not engaged in combat operations, the SC National Guard was busy building roads, bridges, schools and medical clinics in neighboring countries that needed assistance.
The date of September 11, 2001 changed everything for the U.S., which meant changes for the SCNG as well. 9/11 marked the beginning of an operational tempo for the SCNG which has held steady for two decades, including deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq.
Ever since September 11, 2001, the SC National Guard’s 263rd Army and Air Missile Defense Command has had continuous watch over the skies of Washington, D.C. Today, the SC Air National Guard has units stationed all over the globe. Previous deployments are used as benchmarks to prepare SC National Guardsmen and Airmen for future deployments.
In the aftermath of 9/11, SC National Guard commanders lost soldiers in combat for the
first time in a generation. Ranking officers in the SCNG reflect on losing colleagues in battle, what it means to be a leader, and how life in the National Guard effects family life. Since 9/11, family and service member care also ramped up under General Spears and Deputy Adjutant General Harry Burchstead.
Today, the SC National Guard is a global force in the fight for worldwide peace and security. In partnership with other countries, its engagement and impact continue to be felt well beyond the borders of the U.S. Major General R. Van McCarty was appointed as Adjutant General of the SC National Guard in 2019. The SC National Guard has made tremendous impacts in South Carolina’s society; ordinary citizens in civilian life one day could turn around and be a SC National Guard leader the next!
In addition to the new content recently added to KnowItAll.org, we have also updated the video files for these programs from our Palmetto Heritage Series.
The video quality has been upgraded and captions have been added. This work brings us closer to completing the steps needed toward offering Spanish translations, which are also planned for this and other series on KnowItAll.org in the future.
Palmetto Heritage - Upgraded video quality and captions now available!
- Burning of Columbia
- Charleston Tea Party
- Brooks-Sumner Affair
- Cherokees
- Secession, Part 1
- Secession, Part 2
More to come in the near future!
Be sure to check here often to stay current on What’s New on KnowItAll.org!
From the KnowItAll home page, click on the magnifying glass, and when the Search field opens and the magnifying glass appears, ,click on the magnifying glass once more. You will instantly see all the content recently added to KnowItAll with the newest content at the very top. Just scroll down to be sure you’ve seen everything that is new to you!
EXTEND THE LEARNING – ALL THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS!
FIRST, EXPLORE OUR SERIES…
During this season of giving, we hope you’ll take time to consider one additional gift that comes to us at this time of year—the gift of a little more time! We hope you’ll take a little of that time to explore some of the SERIES and COLLECTIONS that are new to you on KnowItAll!
You can select the content in a number of ways:
- View our KnowItAll Series by Grade Level!
- View our KnowItAll Series by Subject!
- For your convenience, our Interactives are all located here!
Below we have listed some of our SERIES that we’d like to bring to your attention. We hope you’ll take a look over the full list on our SERIES page and take note of some you’d like to come back to in the New Year!
Conversations with Scientists & Astronauts
Creating a Career with the Arts in Mind
Creating a Career with the Media Arts in Mind
Detective Bones and SC History Mystery
Flu PSAs - Illness Prevention Tips & Wash Hands Song
Healthy Hannah’s Healthy Choice Heroes
- 1918 Flu Pandemic in S.C.
- Ancient Rome
- Birth of the Constitution
- Carolina Day
- French and Indian War
- Persian Gulf War
- Reconstruction Amendments
- Space Race
- Women's Suffrage Movement
- World War I
- Balloon Blast | Hobby Shop
- Catapult Calamity Lesson
- Don't "Cell" Yourself Short Lesson
- Microscope | Hobby Shop
- Microscopic Life Lesson
- Rocket | Hobby Shop
- Roaring Rockets Lesson
Keep it Real
- Benjamin Mays Historical Preservations Site
- Bettis Academy
- Booker T. Washington High School
- Catawba Cultural Center
- Columbia Museum of Art
- Florence C. Benson Elementary School
- Fort Hill Plantation
- H.L. Hunley Museum
- Historic Brattonsville
- Historic Scott's Branch High School
- Lamar High School
- Mann-Simons Site
- Modjeska Monteith Simkins House
- Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon
- Penn Center
- Powder Magazine
- SC Confederate Relic Room & Military Museum
- South Carolina Military Museum
- South Carolina State House
- Upcountry History Museum
- USS Yorktown at Patriot's Point
- Woodrow Wilson Family Home
- Health Science on Let's Go Careers
- Manufacturing on Let's Go Careers
- Public Safety on Let's Go Careers
- Transportation & Logistics on Let's Go Careers
Reconstruction 360 & A Seat at the Table
RiverVenture
Road Trip! Through South Carolina’s Civil Rights History
SC LIFE
SciShorts in Foreign Languages
Smart Cat
SOLKIT: Guideposts for Black Girlhood Celebration
South Carolina African American History Calendar
- A. Settlement
- B. American Revolution
- C. New Nation
- D. Civil War
- E. Reconstruction
- F. Early 20th Century
- G. Late 20th a& Early 21st Centuries
Southern Campaign of the American Revolution
Stories Behind the Carols We Love to Sing
Explore the FULL LIST of SERIES titles on our SERIES page!
NEXT, DELVE INTO OUR COLLECTIONS…
View our COLLECTIONS to find content grouped by topic from a number of series. We hope you’ll find quite a few topics that interest you!
- Please note that SUB-COLLECTIONS are available beneath some of our COLLECTIONS! Please be on the lookout for these below each Collection!
- Briggs v. Ellliott
- Friendship Nine
- NAACP
- Noted African Americans
- Orangeburg Massacre
- Penn Center
- Slavery in South Carolina
- All About Bats
- Cat Lovers
- Dog Lovers
- National Farm Animals Day
- National Zoo and Aquarium Month
- World Migratory Bird Day
- World Turtle Day
- Archaeo-Tech
- Finding Clovis
- For God, Glory and Gold
- Fort Hill Plantation
- Mapping of Kosciuszko’s Tunnel
- Natural State
- Palmetto Scene
- Pee Dee Explorer
- Ring People
BK Collection: All Things Ladybugs
Career Explorations! Career Aisle
- Advice, Education & Skills
- Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
- Architecture & Construction
- Arts, A/V Technology & Communications
- Business, Management & Administration
- Education & Training
- Finance
- Government & Public Administration
- Green & Sustainability Skills
- Health Science
- Hospitality & Tourism
- Human Services
- Information Technology
- Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security
- Manufacturing
- Marketing
- Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
- Sports-Related Careers
- Transportation, Distribution & Logistics
- America Recycles Day
- Endangered Species Day
- National Learn About Butterflies Day
- National Plant a Flower Day
- World Bee Day
- About South Carolina
- Agriculture
- Business & Industry Today
- Education
- Food & Drinks
- Habitats
- Music
- National Great Outdoors Month
- National Peach Month
- Places to Visit in S.C.
- Religion
- S.C. State Symbols
- Towns & Cities
- Visual & Performing Arts
Ghosts & Legends of South Carolina
Higher Education & Workforce Development
- Constitution Day
- Halloween
- Independence Day
- Juneteenth
- Thanksgiving Day
- Valentine’s Day
- Winter Holidays
- A. Holocaust Overview
- B. Seared Souls: South Carolina Voices of the Holocaust (documentary)
- C. South Carolina Voices: Lessons from the Holocaust (interviews)
- International Day of Democracy
- International Day of Peace
- International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism
- International Day of the Girl Child
- International Youth Day
- World Day of Social Justice
- World Environment Day
- World Habitat Day
- World Humanitarian Day
- World Teachers’ Day
- World Tourism Day
- A. Early Learning
- B. Elementary
- C. Middle School
- D. High School
- Career Education
- English Language Arts
- Health Education
- Math
- Physical Education
- Science
- Social Studies
- Visual & Performing Arts
- World Languages
Libraries, Literature & Learning
- American Writers
- Authors of Children’s Books
- For Student Writers
- For Young Readers
- Illustrators
- Journalism, Broadcasting & Communications
- Poets & Poetry
- Poets Laureate
- S.C. Authors
- Shakespeare
Limited-Access Series (programs with a limited rights period – includes expiration dates)
- African
- African American Music Appreciation Month
- Blues
- Classical | Orchestral
- Country | Bluegrass
- Cuban | Latin | Salsa
- Gospel, Hymns & Spirituals
- Gullah Music | Evolution of African Music
- Hip Hop } Rap
- Holiday Music
- Jazz
- Music History
- Musical Instruments & Musicians
- Musical Theater
- Opera
- Pop and Soul
- Rhythm and Blues
- Rock and Roll
- Catawba
- Cherokees
- Chicora
- Natchez Kusso, Later Edisto
- Pee Dee
- Santee
- Sewees
- Tuscarora/Iroquoian Tribe
- Varner Town
- Waccamaw
- Activists
- Artists
- Athletes/Athletics
- Business/Entrepreneurs
- Educators
- Finance
- Firsts
- Former South Carolina Governors
- Healthcare/Medicine
- Historians
- Musicians
- Political Leadership
- Science & Engineering
- War Heroes
- Writers
SC Users Only (programs available to South Carolina educators with a free KnowItAll account)
Student Gallery (features media content created by students)
Timelines (Timelines from important events in history)
- A. French and Indian War/Seven Years War (1754-1763)
- B. American Revolutionary War (1775-1783)
- C. War of 1812 (1812-1815)
- D. Mexican-American War (1846-1848)
- E. American Civil War (1861-1865)
- F. Spanish-American War, 1898
- G. World War I (1914-1918)
- H. World War II (1939-1945)
- I. Cold War (1947-1991)
- J. Korean War (1950-1953)
- K. Vietnam War (1962-1975)
- L. Persian Gulf War (1990-1991)
- M. War in Afghanistan (2001-2021)
- N. Iraq War (2003-2011)
- O. National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day
- Women – Civil Rights & Equal Rights Advocates
- Women – Disability Rights Advocates
- Women in Arts Professions
- Women in Aviation
- Women in Business
- Women in Education
- Women in Engineering
- Women in Government & Public Administration
- Women in Leadership Roles
- Women in Legal Professions
- Women in Literature
- Women in Media
- Women in Medicine
- Women in Science
- Women in Sports
- Women in Technology
VIEW OUR MOST POPULAR CONTENT HERE!
If you missed viewing these in November, be sure to check out our most popular lesson plans, videos, interactives, series, audio, documents, photos and collections!
MONTHLY OBSERVANCES, WEEK-LONG OBSERVANCES AND ONE-DAY OBSERVANCES CAN BE FOUND IN EACH MONTH’S KNOWITALL FACTOIDS!
View these each month to find out about Collections we’ve developed on topics you may never have considered we’d make available on KnowItAll.org!
- View the December Factoids page!
- You can also view the KnowItAll Factoids for the full year here!
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THESE AREAS EACH TIME YOU VISIT KNOWITALL.ORG!
If we were able to spark your curiosity with the resources listed above, please visit these additional areas on KnowItAll.org!
Knowitall.org features over 9,000 mobile-friendly videos, worksheets, and interactives for preK-12. Now you can drill down to the specific Topics and Subtopics you’re interested in.
Find topical content and lessons grouped together for your convenience. These are available all year long for your planning purposes.
Lesson plans for teachers that meet South Carolina standards.
Be sure to review our KnowItAll blogs! They provide dates and links to resources each month. You may be surprised by all the topics you'll find!
From the top of the home page, click on the magnifying glass, and when the search box opens, click on the magnifying glass again, and the results will come up, showing all of the assets available on KnowItAll.org. The newest content will appear at the top of the results. Just scroll down to view all of the content that is new to you! Visit often, so you won’t miss a thing!
We welcome your questions and comments! We would love to hear from you!
Wishing you much happiness this holiday season and throughout the New Year!
The Learning Continues on KnowItAll.org!