The Exploration of South Carolina

1. The teacher will start out the lesson by asking this hook question: What would cause you to leave your homeland for an unexplored world? The teacher will listen to student responses
and prompt students to think about why certain locations may seem more appealing to different kinds of people. Make this relatable to the students. Ask them who is originally from the area. Because of the ever-growing population of South Carolina, most of the people living here are not originally from the area. Ask students why their parents thought this new location would be a good place to live and raise a family.
What factors played a role in this move? Why might someone living in the north be prompted to move down south? Does weather or access to the coast play a role in this decision? Ask students to turn and talk to their neighbor about these questions. Then call on students to share their partner’s responses. This discussion will make sure students are engaged and listening to what their partner has to say.

2. Explain to students that as explorers and others were coming to the New World, the only way they could communicate to people back home was by means of writing letters. There was no internet to send emails and no phone to send texts. Letter writing was the only way people could communicate with others near and far. It is important that
students realize this problem and that most would have to wait weeks or months to hear from those in the New World.

3. To take a closer look at what the Carolina colony was like, explain to students that as a class they will be reading two primary source documents from William Hilton and Nicholas Carteret. Pass out the two copies of the letters. You may want to copy both on the same page.

4. Carteret was one of the passengers aboard the Carolina. As a class, read these two passages aloud and while reading ask students questions about the passage. Talk about the language and how the words in the document are different from how we write and speak today. As a class, make an anchor chart to analyze the two passages. In one column, analyze William Hilton’s letter. Ask the students if they can interpret what William was trying to say. Ask students about the language they used. In the other column, write down facts from Nicholas Carteret’s letter. Ask the students if the two letters have anything in common. Call on students to describe in their own words a
description of both places.

5. Explain to students that they are going to be using the knowledge they have gained from their research to persuade those living in England why they should come to live in South Carolina. Review the art of persuasion with students.
a. Students have the following options to choose from to make their final piece:
● Make a poster (poster board, markers, crayons)
● Use canva.com to make a comic strip, brochure, or flyer
● Use easel.ly.com to make an infographic
 

If you have not used these two sites before with your class, I would suggest taking the time to go
over with them how to use it appropriately and the expectations for using these
sites.
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b. Before allowing the class to get started, review the rubric with the class so they
are aware of the expectations. Answer any questions students may have.
Please also review the websites that are listed below. Students should be able
to use these websites to help them create their final project. You may want to
add these sites to your google classroom so that students have easy access to
them. Allow students to use their chromebooks or ipads to research.
c. Once the class is finished, have students present their projects to the class. This
presentation will be a component in the rubric for their grade.

For the assessment, students will present part of their display or project, as stated above, to the class. Students will be assessed based on the rubric provided at the end of this lesson plan.
Examples of Student Outcomes:
Students will create and present poster, flyer, comic strip, or brochure to persuade a person from England to move to the colony of South Carolina in the 1700’s.

Presentation Rubric - see in documents section.
Example of Anchor Chart:
William Hilton
Nicholas Carteret