The Solid South Shifts

Day One and Two
Engage: 
Percentage of Votes Cast for Republicans, 1856 – 2008 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07F5XMUOvrw 

The percentage of votes cast for Republicans in presidential elections in each county from 1856 – 2008 is measured in these maps. They show how the Republican Party emerged in the North and Midwest before the Civil War, and how support for the Republican Party spread down into the South during Reconstruction.  Notice the shift of support from Republican to Democrat and back again as the years advance.  Keep students’ attention focused on the South, as this set of maps is being used to introduce the big idea of the South shifting from support of the Democratic Party to support of the Republican Party as the Civil Rights movement gained traction in the second half of the twentieth century.

Note:  Set the video to run on 0.5 (or even 0.25) speed so that the teacher can provide commentary and students can keep track of the information displayed on the lower left side of the screen.  Practice to find the speed that is most comfortable.  Video may be stopped at around 1:13 (1980).

Freeze Frame
This strategy is used to break a video into shorter segments to allow viewers to process the information a piece at the time.  With this video, use the information box on the lower left side of the screen as a tool to review events students have studied prior to this lesson.  Have the video set to begin with 1860.  

Pause periodically to discuss the information.  Decide how much or how little commentary to include, but be sure to draw attention to noteworthy events to refresh students’ memories.   

The focus is for students to note how the change in color on the map over time indicates how support for the Republican Party began in the North prior to the Civil War, spread South during Reconstruction, and shifted again as the Civil Rights Movement grew stronger in the second half of the 20th century.  

The events in the information boxes provide clues for students as to WHY the South shifted from Democratic Party to the Republican Party.  Students should have access to this video as they research reasons for that shift.

The Solid South Shifts Flow Map
Students begin their research after viewing and discussing the video in Day One.  Students work to complete their Maps on Day Two with a Gallery Walk and summary of work on Day Three.

Students may work small groups of three or four.  Each group will create a Flow Map describing factors that led South Carolina to make the political shift from being a Democratic state to becoming a Republican state.  A Flow Map is a combination of graphic organizer and concept map.  The distinguishing feature is that when the items being organized are arranged, learners craft a sentence describing the connections between the items.  
Each group needs the following:
Low tech option:

• The Shift - Guiding Questions handout for research 
• Handouts of articles (see Resources tab)  
  • The Solid South Shifts – Guiding Questions for Flow Map
  • The Birth, Decline, and Re-Emergence of the Solid South:  A Short History
  • Dixiecrats
  • Democrats vs Dixiecrats
  • United States Presidential Election of 1964

Access to internet to research events and ability to print pictures for their Flow Maps. Possible sites include:

• Percentage of Votes Cast for Republicans, 1856 – 2008
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07F5XMUOvrw 
• 5 Historical Facts that explain SCs modern Democratic Party
  http://www.thestate.com/news/politics-government/article59276273.html
• The Solid South
  https://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/08292008/profile3.html
• Race, Voting Rights, and Segregation:  Racial Realignment of Parties, 1948 – 1984
  http://umich.edu/~lawrace/votetour8.htm
• President Johnson and the Voting Rights Act of 1965
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AN4NZSROvs 
• Strom Thurmond Bio
  http://www.sciway.net/hist/governors/thurmond.html

Materials

• Large piece of paper (at least poster sized) on which they will arrange the parts of their flow map
• String or yarn to indicate connections between items
• Sentence strips or pieces of adding machine paper on which to write the connections
• Students arrange their artifacts before taping/gluing them down on their poster.

Tech option:

• The Shift - Guiding Questions handout for research (electronic, if devices are available)
• iPads, tablets, PCs – one for each group of students
• Students can use apps to arrange their artifacts on their electronic Flow Map - Popplet (both iOS and PC/Android compatible), MindMap (Google Chrome extension), or similar app for creating maps
• Access to electronic copies of handouts (see Resources tab)
  • The Solid South Shifts – Guiding Questions for Flow Map
  • The Birth, Decline, and Re-Emergence of the Solid South:  A Short History
  • Dixiecrats
  • Democrats vs Dixiecrats
  • United States Presidential Election of 1964

Day Three
Students put the final touches on their Flow Maps if necessary.

Students circulate around the room to view completed Flow Maps.  Each student records three important points from each display.  
When students return to their own display, they compare notes and craft a summary of the information presented in the collection of maps.

Closure:  Write About It
Each student completes a Quick Write explaining why the Solid South shifted.

How will students share their work?
Flow Maps

Evaluation/Assessments:
Formative check for understanding:  Collect the Quick Write paragraphs.  Use points from some of the Quick Writes to promote dialogue about Civil Rights in subsequent lessons.
 
Days Four-Six
The students will be placed in groups. Each group will be assigned the same political party platforms that are of particular interest to the citizens of South Carolina. Possible platform topics can include environmental issues, gun control, job growth, immigration,  domestic security, and education.

Each group must determine the party position of the Democratic and Republican Party for each issue and determine how the beliefs of each are alike and different. 

Finally, groups should form their own independent third party, naming it, and using the platform positions, create their own policies that differ from the Democratic and Republican views. Groups should always keep in mind that their constituents are South Carolina voters.

How will you persuade South Carolina voters? Why should South Carolina become a state that is known for the group’s third party views? Groups can choose their form of presentation whether it be video, social media, or other forms of expression. A link with vetted choices is provided, as are links to current party platforms.

Persuasive Rubric:
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/printouts/Persuasion%20Rub...