SCSGC Text Version - Coastal Heritage Curriculum Connection

S.C Sea Grant Consortium
Coastal Heritage Curriculum Connection - ARCHIVES
Explore middle and high school curriculum guides written to accompany each issue of Coastal Heritage, a quarterly publication of the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium.

[ TEXT HOME | CONTACT | SEARCH | GRAPHIC VERSION ]

   Archives:
       Winter 2002: The Freeway City
       • http://www.scseagrant.org/library/library_coaher_winter_2002.htm
       • Curriculum Connection – High School
       • Curriculum Connection – Middle School

       Fall 2002: Rise and Fall and Rise: South Carolina's Maritime History
       • http://www.scseagrant.org/library/library_coaher_fall_2002.htm
       • Curriculum Connection – High School
       • Curriculum Connection – Middle School

       Summer 2002: Floyd Follies: What We've Learned
       • http://www.scseagrant.org/library/library_coaher_summer_2002.htm
       • Curriculum Connection – High School
       • Curriculum Connection – Middle School

back to current Curriculum Connection

Coastal Heritage Curriculum Connection (Winter 2002) – High School

“The Freeway City” is the lead article for Winter 2002-03. Have students read the article and create an inquiry lesson based on the article and following questions. Please make copies of this page as needed.

Prior to reading the article, what do you think “the freeway city” refers to? Do you think that you live in or near a freeway city?
After reading the article, visit http://www.vtsprawl.org to learn more about urban sprawl and smart growth. Explore a virtual new urbanist neighborhood, as well as a photo gallery of sprawl and new urbanism neighborhood at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/earthpulse/sprawl/index_flash.html.
Keep a daily log of your family’s activities each day for a week. Do you drive to school? Do you carpool? Do you ride the bus? Do you walk? Calculate the distance from your home to school. If you drive, keep a record of the distance you drive in one day and in one week. Ask your parents to do the same. How many cars does your family own? Do your parents carpool to work? Do they ride public transportation to work? What is the distance from your home to your parents’ workplaces? How many minutes do they commute each day? At the end of the week, write a summary of your family’s daily habits. Do your family members’ daily routines follow smart growth or new urbanism principles? Explain your answer. Are there parts of your family’s routine that could be modified? For example, could you carpool to school? Could your parents carpool to work?
Observe your neighborhood. How close do you live to your neighbors? Do you have a large yard? Are you within walking or biking distance of restaurants, stores, salons, and other necessary businesses? If not, how many minutes does it take you to drive to these places? Do you know your neighbors? Do you spend time walking/running/biking around your neighborhood? If you live in a neighborhood, research the development history of your neighborhood. Does it follow smart growth principles? Are there neighborhoods in your city that were built with smart growth principles in mind? In your city, are there barriers to following smart growth principles? (For example, is there a well-developed public transportation system so that many people do not need to drive to work?)
Using the article, write a short essay on the evolution of the southern city. In your essay, address the following questions. Why has it been possible for urban sprawl to occur in the South? Why is it necessary for new suburbs to be built? (For example, why was downtown Charleston large enough 200 years ago, but now new suburbs appear outside of the city limits yearly?) Why do environmentalists care about urban sprawl? Are there dangers to human health associated with expanding urban areas?
Science: IID5b Social Studies: 10.5.2, 10.7.8, 10.7.11, 10.8.8

Vocabulary
Smart growth, urban sprawl, urbanization, suburb, new urbanism

Acknowledgements
Special thanks to Elaine Freeman, Park Interpreter at Edisto Beach State Park, for her assistance in compiling this curriculum guide. For more information about field trips at Edisto Beach State Park, contact Elaine at (843) 869-9073. For information about Edisto Beach State Park, visit www.discoversouthcarolina.com/stateparks.

For further information contact Jennifer Jolly Clair,
COASTeam@cofc.edu or (843) 953-7745

Urban Sprawl for High School
Lesson Plans
http://fga.freac.fsu.edu/drfernald/whereisaway.html
This lesson plan discusses waste management issues within a community.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/12/g912
“Life on the Edge: Cities on the Fringe” focuses on centers of transportation and trade.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/12/g912/sprawlnational.html
“Sprawl: the National and Local Situation” investigates how sprawl impacts the environment, people’s daily lives, and the local and regional economy.

References
http://www.sprawlwatch.org
This is a collection of articles related to urban sprawl.

http://www.strom.clemson.edu
Search the site for these two articles: “Modeling and Predicting Future Urban Growth in the Charleston Area” and “Land Conversion in South Carolina: State Makes the Top 10 List”

http://www.vtsprawl.org/
This is a good website for general background information about urban sprawl and smart growth.

http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/data/2001/07/01/html/ft_20010701.3.html
This is an excerpt from a National Geographic article about achieving smart growth. The page also has links to other websites related to smart growth and urban sprawl.

http://www.sierraclub.org/sprawl
A good introduction to the sprawl and the environmental issues associated with urban sprawl.

http://www.plannersweb.com/sprawl/home.html
This is an online sprawl guide designed to familiarize the public with key issues associated with sprawl and direct the reader to information available on the Web.

Resources
http://www.scseagrant.org/library/library_pubs.htm
Visit the Sea Grant website for printable versions of two past issues of Coastal Heritage related to urban sprawl and coastal development. The title of the articles are: “Coastal Growth Hits Home” vol. 16, no. 2, Fall 2001 and “The Beauty of Sprawl” vol. 15, no.2, Fall 2000.

Coastal Heritage Curriculum Connection (Winter 2002) – Middle School

“The Freeway City” is the lead article for Winter 2002-03. Create an inquiry lesson based on the article and following questions:

Prior to reading the article, what do you think “the freeway city” refers to? Do you think that you live in or near a freeway city?

After reading the article, visit http://www.vtsprawl.org to learn more about urban sprawl and smart growth. Explore a virtual new urbanist neighborhood, as well as a photo gallery of sprawl and new urbanism neighborhood at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/earthpulse/sprawl/index_flash.html.
Keep a daily log of your family’s activities each day for a week. Do your parents drive you to school? Do you carpool? Do you ride the bus? Do you walk? Calculate the distance from your home to school. Ask your parents to keep a record of the distance they drive in one day and in one week. How many cars does your family own? Do your parents carpool to work? Do they ride public transportation to work? What is the distance from your home to your parents’ workplaces? How many minutes do they commute each day? At the end of the week, write a summary of your family’s daily habits. Do your family members’ daily routines follow smart growth or new urbanism principles? Explain your answer. Are there parts of your family’s routine that could be modified? For example, could you carpool to school? Could your parents carpool to work?
Observe your neighborhood. How close do you live to your neighbors? Do you have a large yard? Are you within walking or biking distance of restaurants, stores, salons, and other necessary businesses? If not, how many minutes does it take you to drive to these places? Do you know your neighbors? Do you spend time walking/running/biking around your neighborhood? If you live in a neighborhood, research the development history of your neighborhood. Does it follow smart growth principles? Are there neighborhoods in your city that were built with smart growth principles in mind? (For example, in the Charleston area, the I’on community was built with these principles in mind. Photos of the neighborhood may be viewed at http://www.ionvillage.com) In your city, are there barriers to following smart growth principles? (For example, is there a well-developed public transportation system so that many people do not need to drive to work?)
Using the article, write a short essay on the evolution of the southern city. In your essay, address the following questions. Why has it been possible for urban sprawl to occur in the South? Think about where you live. Are there any natural barriers to the spread of sprawl? Why is it necessary for new suburbs to be built? (For example, why was downtown Charleston large enough 200 years ago, but now new suburbs appear outside of the city limits yearly?) Why do environmentalists care about urban sprawl? Are there dangers to human health associated with expanding urban areas? How does the expansion of road systems affect the issue of run-off and how does runoff affect water quality?
Science: 7th gradeIIIA3a-c Social Studies: 7.3.10

Vocabulary
Smart growth, urban sprawl, urbanization, suburb, new urbanism

Acknowledgements.
Special thanks to Elaine Freeman, Park Interpreter at Edisto Beach State Park, for her assistance in compiling this curriculum guide. For more information about field trips at Edisto Beach State Park, contact Elaine at (843) 869-9073. For information about Edisto Beach State Park, visit www.discoversouthcarolina.com/stateparks.

For further information contact Jennifer Jolly Clair,
COASTeam@cofc.edu or (843) 953-7745

Urban Sprawl for Middle School
Lesson Plans
http://www2.una.edu/geography/statedepted/lessons/cities/cities_anywhere.htm#Activity%20One
“Cities, Cities Anywhere?” In this activity, students analyze maps, history, and current information to determine how humans change natural ecosystems by development.

http://fga.freac.fsu.edu/drfernald/whereisaway.html
“Where Is Away?” In this activity, students explore the problems associated with waste materials.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/12/g68/sprawlwhat.html
“What To Do About Sprawl” teaches students about sprawl and related issues.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/12/g68/newtown.html
“Planning a New Town” has students make decisions about buildings, businesses, services, and housing areas to include in the development of a new town.

References
http://thevillageproject.com/pdfs/Sec6-Water.pdf
This is an article about development the effects of impervious surfaces on the environment. The article is rather long and contains some difficult language. The teacher may choose to have the class read only a section of the article.

http://www.sprawlwatch.org
This is a collection of articles related to urban sprawl.

http://www.vtsprawl.org/
This is a good website for general background information about urban sprawl and smart growth.

http://www.sierraclub.org/sprawl
A good introduction to the sprawl and the environmental issues associated with urban sprawl.

http://www.scseagrant.org/library/library_pubs.htm
Visit the Sea Grant website for printable versions of two past issues of Coastal Heritage related to urban sprawl and coastal development. The title of the articles are: “Coastal Growth Hits Home” vol. 16, no. 2, Fall 2001 and “The Beauty of Sprawl” vol. 15, no.2, Fall 2000.

Coastal Heritage Curriculum Connection (Fall 2002) – High School

“Rise and Fall and Rise . . . South Carolina's Maritime History” is the lead article for Fall 2002. Have students read the article and create an inquiry lesson based on the article and following questions:

• What do you know about ports in general? What do you know about the Port of Charleston? Have students locate the port of Charleston on a map of South Carolina.

• Divide the class into small cooperative learning groups. Have each group use the article to create a timeline of the Charleston port. Assign each group a significant point on the timeline, for example the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825, and have the group present its historical significance.

• How has the port historically been tied to the economy of the Charleston area? How is the port tied to the economy of the modern-day Charleston area? How does the port affect the economy of South Carolina (how many jobs does the port create, are large corporations more likely to build in a state with a port, etc.)? Ask students to record the home country of the garments they are wearing, backpacks, handbags, wallets, etc. Divide the class into cooperative learning groups. Have each group use stickers to mark the countries of origin on a world map. Which region has the most stickers? What if you could only use products manufactured in your home state? How does the closing of a port affect the economy of a region (you may want to point out the recent California closing)?

Social Studies: 12.15.1

Language Arts Connection
Have each student, or small group of students, write a paper comparing and contrasting the economic impact of the port vs. the environmental impact of maintaining a viable port. Provide the students with newspaper articles regarding the expansion of the Charleston port. A search for “port” or “global gateway” at http://www.charleston.net will yield many results. Provide the students with time to research environmental and economic issues raised in the articles. Then, split the class into two groups Environmental and Economic. Have each group present an argument for or against port expansion. Students should not make general statements such as “the port is bad for the environment” without data to support the argument.

Following the debate, pose the question: “Do you feel that the attitudes of present-day Charlestonians toward port expansion on Daniel Island are similar to the attitudes of 19th-century Charlestonians toward railway expansion? Why or why not?” Divide the class into small groups to discuss the question, then have each group present its opinion to the class.

Social Studies: 12.9.10, 12.10.1

Vocabulary
Hinterland, infrastructure, hidebound, antebellum, stevedores

Acknowledgements
Special thanks to Elaine Freeman, Park Interpreter at Edisto Beach State Park, for her assistance in compiling this curriculum guide. Special thanks also to Lundie Spence at N.C. Sea Grant, Lisa Norman at Ashley Hall School, James Reed, Walter Rhett, Anne Moise at the S.C. State Ports Authority, and Virginia Roberson with the Colleton County School District, for their contributions.

For further information contact Jennifer Jolly Clair,
COASTeam@cofc.edu or (843) 953-7745

Ports for High School
Lesson Plans
http://www.portseattle.org/portandyou/educ/02teach.htm
This site contains case studies for high school students relating to geography, social studies, writing and economics.

References
http://www.port-of-charleston.com
Check out this website for “fun facts” about the port, general statistics regarding the port, information about how cargo moves from ship to store, and general information about the port.

http://www.port-technology.com/projects/charleston
This is the website for the ports and sea terminals industry. This link discusses the expansion of the port in Charleston.

http://www.aapa-ports.org/education/index.html
This is the education page of the American Association of Ports Authorities.

http://www.seacoastnh.com/blackhistory/jacks.html
This is a site of questions and answers about African American seamen.

Field Trips
Georgetown Rice Museum http://www.ricemuseum.com
The story of the rice culture in Georgetown County -- one of the most colorful chapters in the history of American agriculture -- has been captured at The Rice Museum. Through maps, dioramas, artifacts, and other exhibits, visitors to the Museum gain a knowledge and understanding of a society based on one crop.

South Carolina State Museum http://www.museum.state.sc.us
The museum offers a field trip for 8th grade students that focuses on the importance of cotton in antebellum South Carolina. The museum also offers a cultural history of South Carolina tour for students in grades K-12.

Old Santee Canal Park http://www.oldsanteecanalpark.org
Old Santee Canal Park offers field trips about the historical importance of the canal. The programs can be adjusted for both middle and high school students.

Coastal Discovery Museum http://www.coastaldiscovery.org
The museum offers middle school programs that discuss the historical importance of ports in the region and of important export crops, such as rice.

For further information contact Jennifer Jolly Clair,
COASTeam@cofc.edu or (843) 953-7745

Coastal Heritage Curriculum Connection (Fall 2002)– Middle School

“Rise and Fall and Rise . . . South Carolina's Maritime History” is the lead article for Fall 2002. Create an inquiry lesson based on the article and following questions:

• What do you know about ports in general? What do you know about the port of Charleston? Have students locate the port of Charleston on a map of South Carolina.

• Have students use a map of ocean surface currents (http://www.acl.lanl.gov/GrandChal/GCM/currents.html) to trace the path a mariner would have taken in the 1700s in order to transport a product from Europe to the American colonies. Why did Charleston become a port city? How did greater precision in navigation and improved ocean vessels affect the port of Charleston?

Social Studies: 8.2.1, 8.8.5

• Divide the class into small cooperative learning groups. Have each group use the article to create a timeline of the Charleston port. Assign each group a significant point on the timeline, for example the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825, and have the group present its historical significance.

• How did the African American culture contribute to the success of the port of Charleston? Have each student, or small group of students, create and present a poster detailing the impact of the slaves on the maritime history and economy of Charleston.

Social Studies: 8.1.1, 8.2.1, 7.3.7

• Compare and contrast the maritime histories of the North and the South. Were coastal settlers in the North plantation owners? How did slaves contribute to the maritime culture of the South? Why is it important to have an established railway system associated with a port and why did Charlestonians reject the idea of a railroad system?

Social Studies: 8.3.6, 8.8.5, 8.8.2, 8.8.3, 8.2.1, 7.3.7

Language Arts Connection
Instruct each student to create a “day in the life” journal entry. The student should write in first person and may choose to be a “character” from any time period discussed in the article, e.g. a dock worker in the early 1900s, the owner of a rice plantation, a slave waterman, etc.

Vocabulary
Hinterland, infrastructure, hidebound, antebellum, stevedores

Ports for Middle School
Lesson Plans
http://www.apl.com/boomerangbox/index.htm
Have your students explore the world with the Boomerang Box! Since October 1997, the bright blue Boomerang Box has visited nearly every continent and traveled over 163,000 miles! Where is it going next?

http://www.portseattle.org/portandyou/educ/02teach.htm
This site contains case studies for middle school students relating to geography, social studies, writing and economics.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/resources/ngo/education/ideas58/58wearing.html
This lesson introduces the concept of global interdependence by exploring the origins of many of the goods that students wear and use every day.

http://ofcn.org/cyber.serv/academy/ace/soc/cecsst/cecsst131.html
These activities are designed to show the students that imported products literally "touch" the lifestyles and everyday activities of America's youth.

References
http://www.port-technology.com/projects/charleston
This is the website for the ports and sea terminals industry. This link discusses the expansion of the port in Charleston.

http://www.port-of-charleston.com
Check out this website for “fun facts” about the port, general statistics regarding the port, information about how cargo moves from ship to store, and general information about the port.

http://www.aapa-ports.org/education/index.html
This is the Education page of the American Association of Ports Authorities.

http://www.seacoastnh.com/blackhistory/jacks.html
This is a site of questions and answers about African American seamen.

Resources
Adopt-a-Ship Plan http://www.marad.dot.gov/adopt_a_ship/brochu1.htm
The purpose of the Plan is to teach young America, the citizens of tomorrow, the need for an educated American Merchant Marine for domestic and foreign shipping. The Plan fosters interests in geography, history, transportation, foreign and domestic trade, science, math, and English.

Field Trips
South Carolina State Museum http://www.museum.state.sc.us
The museum offers a field trip for 8th grade students that focuses on the importance of cotton in antebellum South Carolina. The museum also offers a cultural history of South Carolina tour for students in grades K-12.

For further information contact Jennifer Jolly Clair,
COASTeam@cofc.edu or (843) 953-7745

Coastal Heritage Curriculum Connection (Summer 2002)– High School

“Floyd Follies: What We've Learned” is the lead article for Summer 2002. Create an inquiry lesson based on the article and following questions:

Have students read the article “Floyd Follies: What We’ve Learned” from the Summer 2002 issue of Coastal Heritage. Lead a class discussion about the Hurricane Floyd evacuation:

Did anyone in the class evacuate during Hurricane Floyd? How long were you stuck in traffic? Where was your destination?
According to the article, why was the Floyd evacuation such a disaster? What would have happened if Floyd had made landfall and there was still a traffic jam on I-26?
According to the article, how was the Floyd evacuation effective (page 6)? What improvements have been made to evacuation plans since the Hurricane Floyd evacuation?

Language Arts Connection
Would you order a mandatory evacuation? Direct students to the Web site http://weathereye.kgan.com/lounge/plans/hurricane.html. Students become the mayor of a Florida city just as a hurricane is forming and must decide whether or not to order a forced evacuation based on facts about the hurricane and the town. Relate this barrier island to barrier islands in South Carolina. (Note: Certain parts of the Web site are password protected. Before having your students work on this activity, visit the Web site and register your class with WeatherEye. These pages may be printed out if your class does not have access to the Internet.

Assessment Opportunity
Have students inspect maps of Hurricane evacuation routes http://www.dot.state.sc.us/getting/evacuation.html. Have each student plan his/her family’s best evacuation route. Where is the nearest storm shelter? How would you protect your favorite belongings if you left them behind?

Acknowledgements
Special thanks to Elaine Freeman, Park Interpreter at Edisto Beach State Park, Rob Young, Coastal Carolina University, and Lundie Spence, North Carolina Sea Grant, for their assistance in compiling this list of resources.

Hurricanes for High School
Lesson Plans

http://school.discovery.com/schoolfeatures/featurestories/eyeofthestorm/index.html
This site contains classroom activities for both middle and high school students (activities do not require Internet access). It also contains links to Web sites containing background information.

http://btc.montana.edu/nten/trc/lesson12/lesson12_text.shtml
This activity requires Internet access. Students will be able to explain the difference between a tornado and a hurricane and explain how tornadoes and hurricanes are classified.

http://www.teachearth.com
Search for lesson plans by grade level (9-12) and subject (hurricanes).

References

http://www.wildwildweather.com/hurrican.htm
This Web site contains a compilation of links to hurricane activities and content information.

http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/hurr/home.rxml
An online meteorology guide to hurricanes containing information on growth processes, development stages, movement, public awareness, public action, damage, names, global activity and El Niño.

http://discovery.com/stories/science/hurricanes/see.html
Students can use this Web site to “create” a hurricane by manipulating ocean temperature, pressure gradient, shearing winds, and humidity (requires Internet access). The site also contains sections entitled “In Search of Ancient Super Storms” and “Deadly Hurricanes in Our Future.”

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/huricane/whursci.htm
This Web site contains links to USA Today articles about hurricanes. Also contains advanced level information.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
On this Web site, teachers and students can get storm information, learn about hurricanes, and explore hurricane history.

http://www.education.noaa.gov/tweather.html
A list of Web sites designed for the teacher to use in the classroom or as background reference material.

Resources
Hurricane Fran Videos and Educational Packet
Contains two 26-minute videos produced by UNC-TV “Hurricane Fran: The Science Behind the Storm” and “Hurricane Fran: Lessons Learned,” a hurricane tracking guide, a reprint of the Coastwatch article “After the Storm: How Hurricanes Reshape Beaches and Building Standards,” and a curriculum guide that offers activities, resources, and more. $20. http://www.ncseagrant.orgPublicationList.html#Coast

For further information contact Jennifer Jolly Clair,
COASTeam@cofc.edu or (843) 953-7745

Coastal Heritage Curriculum Connection (Summer 2002)– Middle School

“Floyd Follies: What We've Learned” is the lead article for Summer 2002. Create an inquiry lesson based on the article and following questions:

Have students read the article “Floyd Follies: What We’ve Learned” from the Summer 2002 issue of Coastal Heritage. Lead a class discussion about the Hurricane Floyd evacuation:

Did anyone in the class evacuate during Hurricane Floyd? How long were you stuck in traffic? Where was your destination?
According to the article, why was the Floyd evacuation such a disaster? What would have happened if Floyd had made landfall and there was still a traffic jam on I-26?
According to the article, how was the Floyd evacuation effective (page 6)? What improvements have been made to evacuation plans since the Hurricane Floyd evacuation?

http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/wwatch/hurricanes/extreme/ift4_8.htm
This is a virtual field trip (requires Internet access) that links students to various Web sites containing information about hurricanes.

http://www.teachearth.com
Search for lesson plans by grade level (5-8) and subject (hurricanes).

References
http://www.wildwildweather.com/hurrican.htm
This Web site contains a compilation of links to hurricane activities and content information.

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/huricane/whursci.htm
This Web site contains links to USA Today articles about hurricanes. Also contains advanced level information.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
On this Web site, teachers and students can get storm information, learn about hurricanes, and explore hurricane history.

http://www.education.noaa.gov/tweather.html
A list of Web sites designed for the teacher to use in the classroom or as background reference material.

Resources
Hurricane Strike!
Get your FREE CD-ROM from the Federal Emergency Management Agency that simulates a hurricane forming in the Atlantic and moving toward a family home in Florida. The game is divided into 7 days of a storm. Students complete a task list for each day. Contact your county Emergency Management Agency to receive a copy. Hurricane Strike! is also available on-line at http://www.FEMA.gov/storm/trop.shtm.

Field Trips
6th grade hurricanes field trip available at Edisto Beach State Park. Contact Elaine Freeman, Park Interpreter, at (843) 869-9073

For further information contact
COASTeam@cofc.edu or (843) 953-7745