S.C. Sea Grant Consortium

Coastal Heritage Curriculum Connection

Explore Curriculum Connection guides, which are written to accompany each issue of Coastal Heritage, a quarterly publication of the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium.

Coastal Heritage, Fall 2009 issue: The Lowcountry’s Jazz Age: Gift of Story and Song

Focus Questions

  • Describe the 1920s in the south. What challenges did both white and black society face during the “Roaring ‘20s”?
  • How did Gullah people preserve their heritage and culture after the Civil War?
  • How did the upbringing and personal experiences of DuBose Heyward and Julia Peterkin inspire their literary portrayal of Gullah culture? Name two pieces of literature that were written by Heyward and Peterkin. Who wrote the novel that would later turn into a play and opera?
  • Who coined the phrase “Jazz Age”? How and when did jazz arise, specifically in South Carolina?
  • How does jazz reflect the lifestyle and culture of the South? Why did it spread to other areas of the nation and world? Who were the important leaders of the movement?

Use the Curriculum Connection to address these South Carolina Standards

Social Studies

5-1.1: Compare the economic and social effects of Reconstruction on different populations, including the move from farms to factories and the change from the plantation system to sharecropping. (E, P)

5-1.2: Summarize changes in daily life in the boom period of the 1920s, including the improved standard of living; the popularity of new technologies such as automobiles, airplanes, radio, and movies; the Harlem Renaissance and the Great Migration; Prohibition; and racial and ethnic conflict. (P, E, H)

8-1.4: Explain the growth of the African-American population during the colonial period and the significance of African Americans in the developing culture (e.g., Gullah) and economy of South Carolina, including the origins of African-American slaves, the growth of the slave trade, the impact of population imbalance between African and European Americans, and the Stono Rebellion and subsequent laws to control the slave population.

8-4.2: Summarize Reconstruction in South Carolina and its effects on daily life in South Carolina, including the experiences of plantation owners, small farmers, freedmen, women, and northern immigrants. (H, P, E)

English and Language Arts: An effective English language arts curriculum uses literature from a variety of cultures and eras.

81.6: Create responses to literary texts through a variety of methods (for   example, written works, oral and auditory presentations, discussions, media productions, and the visual and performing arts).

81.7: Compare/contrast literary texts from various genres (for example, poetry, drama, novels, and short stories).

E11.6: Create responses to literary texts through a variety of methods (for example, written works, oral and auditory presentations, discussions, media productions, and the visual and performing arts).

E11.7: Compare/contrast literary texts from various genres (for example, poetry, drama, novels, and short stories).

Modern and Classic Languages

2.1-2.2: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and the perspectives of the cultures studied.

Lesson Links

Gullah Culture and Story Telling
Storytelling in the Gullah culture is instrumental in passing oral histories from generation to generation. Gullah Net is a creative website designed to showcase stories, songs and other cultural icons. Check it out at: www.knowitall.org/gullahnet/gullah/storytelling/index.html (5th – 12th)

Charleston Jazz
Learn more about the history of Charleston jazz by visiting www.charlestonjazz.net . This site hosts oral histories, photos and current events preserving the jazz culture which originated in Charleston. (5th – 12th)

Learn more about the Jenkins Orphanage by visiting the official site: www.jenkinsinstitute.org . You can also access a video clip of their 1928 performance by clicking on the South Carolina State Parks video clip: www.sc.edu/csam/archive_video.html .

Field Trips

Experience history throughout South Carolina by visiting the Gullah/Geechee Heritage Corridor that runs from Wilmington, North Carolina, to Jacksonville, Florida. Learn more about the project and sites to visit at: www.nps.gov/guge/index.htm . (5th – 12th)

Middleton Place Plantation is a National Historic Landmark located in the Charleston area, providing educational programs and displays capturing Gullah history and culture. Learn more about the plantation and available programs and tours by visiting: www.middletonplace.org .  (5th – 12th)

Drayton Hall is a National Trust Historic Landmark located in the Charleston area and provides several educational, standards-based programs including African-American history, History and Science, and Archaeology. Plan your trip by visiting: www.draytonhall.org . (5th – 12th)

Visit the home of South Carolina jazz pioneer, Dizzy Gillespie, located in Cheraw, South Carolina: www.cheraw.com/dizzy_gillespie_cheraw.html . (9th – 12th)

The Avery Research Center, once a schoolhouse in downtown Charleston, provides exhibits and programs featuring Gullah and African-American culture. Visit avery.cofc.edu to see which events are coming up! (9th – 12th)