Catesby - Seeing the Parts and Connecting the Whole

The student will explore and compare how individual elements influence the whole to create a new environment, specifically making the connections between bird migration and the development of the rice plantations and the transatlantic slave trade. 

Duration
Multiple days
Lesson Type
Project Based Lesson

Lesson Created By: Gerilyn Leland and Liz Goodloe, Edited by Lisa Ray and Lewis Huffman

Lesson Partners: Charleston County School District, Catesby Commemorative Trust, College of Charleston

Essential Question

“How do individual elements influence the whole to create a new environment?”

Grade(s):

  • 6
  • 8

Subject(s):

Other Instructional Materials or Notes:

  • Colored copies of Vol. I, plate 14
  • Analyzing prints handout
  • Power Point “Gallery Walk”
  • Images printed off for the gallery walk
  • Quilt template
  • Markers/colored pencils/scissors 

Lesson Progression

Procedure
Hook:In 1729 Mark Catesby publish the Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands.  

This book illustrated the flora (plants) and fauna (animals) found in the new land. 
Drawing was used as a tool during that time for the study of nature. 
Artists carefully studied the plants and animals and created drawings and paintings to help explain to people in Europe.

Students will examine Vol. I, plate 14 with no descriptors using the attached Analyzing Prints handout.

Engage

Share out: Allow students (5-8 minutes) to share out their responses with partner/group.

Provide students with the descriptor.  Ask: “What new information did you get?”
“What information could (Vol. 1 Plate 14) and the migration map provide historians and those studying natural history?”

Students should brainstorm the term MIGRATION from either past knowledge, experience, or through the help of a dictionary and provide a working definition.
The teacher will discuss PUSH and PULL factors for migration. This may be a new concept for some of the students. 
Ask students “What would PULL the birds from one area to another?” 
What does that migration tell us about the area/environment that they are being pulled to?”
What are the features of the natural environment that supported rice growth?

Rice is a labor intensive crop. What does the term labor intensive mean?  How did economic factors and the natural enviroment of the outer coastal plain combine to foster the growth of slavery?

Show the Map of Transatlantic slave trade. 
Explain that students will explore the FORCED migration patterns of slaves to the Americas by engaging in a gallery walk. Refer to the site forcedmigration.org.  Today, forced migration is catorgorized into three distinct "types". Which "type" would best describe the slave labor of the Colonial Period? Have students defend their answer showing how economics and natural enviroment contributed to the growth of slavey in the colonies

Explore

Gallery Walk--see images available on the PPt-gallery walk

Follow up class discussion: If bird migration was pulled by the availability of food, how might the increase of slave labor be tied to the pull of the Bobolink to the Carolina coast?

 
Elaborate and Reflection - Quilt and/or Student Blog

Final Product

Answers the question “How do individual elements influence the whole to create a new environment?”

Individuals--explore their individual elements/contributions using the Quilt Template on the PPT-Gallery Walk

Piece together each student’s patch to create a class quilt.

Another possible assessment is to have students create a blog which is tied directly to Catesby and colonial history. This could be a responsive blog where parents and/or other students ask for clarification about the essential question and background concepts.

Reflection: free write “How do our individual elements influence the whole class to create a unique classroom environment?”

 

Teacher Notes

Class discussion is important to ensure students are understanding the topic. It can also help gauge comprehension and the need to review related material. 

Another possible assessment is to have students create a blog which is tied directly to Catesby and colonial history. This could be a responsive blog where parents and/or other students ask for clarification about the essential question and background concepts. Student responses should be filtered through the teacher, and must clarify the issue the question adddresses.

Catesby Analyzing Prints

Analyzing sheet worksheet

View Resource

Seeing the Parts and Connecting the Whole - PowerPoint

PowerPoint for completion of the project

View Resource

Blog Rubric

*Rubric may need to modified to meet the needs of the teacher/classroom.

View Resource

Quilt Rubric

Assessment for the individual quilt square

View Resource

Standards

Assessments

Create a blog that answers the essential question. In answering the essential question explain how the essential question relates to:
- the various cultures in colonial South Carolina
- South Carolina's geography/natural history    

“How do individual elements influence the whole to create a new environment"?

Create a class quilt.

Both the quilt and the blog should answer the essential question. 

Rubrics for the quilt and blog are found under "Resources".