Founding A Colony Post-site Activities

Founding a Colony - Post-site Acitivty/Teacher Led

Grade Level: 8
Content Area: History
Time to Complete: 45 minutes
Title of Lesson: Founding a Colony

South Carolina State Standards Addressed:

8.3.1	Discuss the antecedents to the Constitution.
8.6.2	Identify and explain historical, geographic, social and economic factors that have helped shape American democracy.
8.2.3	Compare and contrast early European settlements in South Carolina and the American colonies, including political, economic, and social institutions.
8.8.4	Describe the geographic patterns and types of migrations as they affect ecosystems and natural resources, settlement, economic development, and population change in South Carolina and the United States.

Process Standards
Historical Comprehension
•Reconstruct the literal meaning of a historical passage.
Power, Authority and Governance
•Compare and contrast.
Communicating in Writing
•Communicate their interpretation of research data by formulating a thesis statement.
•Address the question asked by using relevant evidence.

Lesson Description:

The Lords Proprietors gave detailed instructions about many aspects of colonial life in Carolina. The society they envisioned was in many ways a feudal one. Lord Anthony Ashley Cooper, with the help of his secretary, John Locke, created the Fundamental Constitution; a document which stated that it would “[avoid] erecting a numerous democracy.” Nonetheless, some principles that are important to American government appear in this first constitution of Carolina. Students will compare and contrast the Fundamental Constitutions with the United States Constitution.

The experimental crop garden in Charles Towne was planted in order to find profitable crops and their ideal growing conditions. In this optional activity, students will test indigo seeds in three different types of soil and will write a letter to Charles Towne Landing explaining their results.

Focus Question for Students:

1.	Was the United States Constitution an original?

Culminating Assessment:

1.	Name laws or ideas in the Fundamental Constitutions that were repeated in the United States Constitution.
2.	Identify some differences between the two constitutions.
3.	Measure and record the growth of indigo in three different soils and send a letter to Charles Towne Landing explaining the results.

Materials/Resources:
Indigo seeds
Pots
Bags of soil
Growth chart
Matches and Opposites answer key
Law cards
Excerpts from the two constitutions

Teacher Preparation:

1.	Review the post-site information and prepare to teach the lesson shortly after the day of your field trip at Charles Towne Landing.
2.	Pick up post-site materials from Charles Towne Landing on the day of your field trip.

Procedures:

1.	Read the opening words of the Fundamental Constitution. This was the constitution of Carolina (Charles Towne) during the time of the Lords Proprietors. From this brief section, emphasize the fact that we can see that the government would try to be just but obviously would not be democratic.
2.	Read the preamble to the U.S. Constitution. What are some of the values that are important according to this document? Do you think that the two governments here can have anything in common? They do have similarities, and also have one person common to both: John Locke. Locke helped to write the Fundamental Constitutions and is more widely known for influencing the writing of the U.S. Constitution. When we read the two documents, we can see a lot of differences, but also some similarities.
3.	There are two sets of cards, laws of the Fundamental Constitution and of the United States Constitution. Some laws have a match and others have an opposite. Those with an opposite have a red mark in the corner.
4.	Choose students to find matches. Pass out cards and let the students with laws from the Fundamental Constitution find those with U.S. Constitution laws most similar to theirs. Under the headings, Carolina and the United States, (or Fundamental Constitutions and United States Constitution), write “similarities” and attach the cards to the board as students identify their match.
5.	Next to “differences,” place the “opposites” randomly on the board (in the correct columns, but not matched). As a class, arrange the opposites on the board.

Optional indigo experiment

1.	The proprietors wanted the colony to experiment at different times of year and in different types of soil, hoping to find the best growing conditions for their cash crops. Some crops in the experimental crop garden did succeed in the climate of Carolina. Indigo was one of these. The colonists thought they would have success with it until a drought destroyed the crop. But later, indigo became one of the most important crops in South Carolina.
2.	Prepare three pots with different materials (clay, soil and sand, for example). In each pot, plant one to three seeds about one inch deep. Cover and water lightly. Place pots in full sun. Water every day until growth appears. After the first set of true leaves has developed, remove the weaker plants. Once the plants have germinated, water only when dry. Measure the plant heights in inches and/or centimeters every day. Record the information on the chart provided. Draw a line through any day on which no measurements are taken.
3.	The colonists had to send reports about the crop garden to the Lords Proprietors. At the end of 30 days, prepare a report to send to Charles Towne Landing. In it, relate your observations and collected data. Based on your experiment, which type of soil would you recommend for indigo?