Antebellum South Carolina
(Grades 3-4, 8) How did rice and “King Cotton” affect the politics, economy and society of antebellum South Carolina? Students will learn about the role of white yeomen and free Blacks, the spread of slavery, how many West-African traditions were maintained and the rise of the planter class.
Standards: 3-4.1; 3-4.2; 4-2.5; 8-1.4; 8-1.6; 8-3.1
Colonial Life
(Grades 4, 8) Explore life in the Colonies — South Carolina style! What was it like to be a colonist and how did that lead to revolution? Explore these issues and more in this exciting lesson.
Standards: 4-3.1; 4-3.6; 8-1.4; 8-1.5; 8-1.6
Cultural History Tour
(Grades K-12) Students will explore exhibits that describe the rich cultural contributions of Native Americans, African-Americans and European-Americans who once lived in our state.
Getting Around: Transportation in the Palmetto State(Grades 2-5, 7-8) From a replica of the “Best Friend of Charleston” to a Lowcountry canoe to a 1904 Oldsmobile and a 1915 Model-T Ford, Students will learn about “getting around”.
Standards: 2-2.4; 3-5.1; 3-5.4; 4-1.1; 5-3.1; 5-3.3; 5-4.1; 7-1.2; 8-1.1; 8-5.3Hollywood Comes to South Carolina: A Century of Filmmaking in the Palmetto State (Grades 1-12) Don’t miss our new blockbuster!! Photographs, posters, movie clips, filmmaking equipment, costumes, props, and other artifacts in this exhibit help trace the history of films made in South Carolina. Get an up-close look at memorabilia from Days of Thunder, The Abyss, Forrest Gump, The Big Chill, The Nutty Professor II, The Patriot, The Legend of Bagger Vance, and many others.
Introduction to the State Museum(Grades 1-12) Designed for the first-time visitor. Students will view and learn about exhibits in each of the museum’s subject areas.
Native Americans: First South Carolinians
Native American culture dominated what is now South Carolina for thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans. Hands-on activities will help students appreciate the similarities and differences between the Paleo, Archaic, Woodland and Mississippian Indians.
Standards: K-1.1; K-5.4; 1-1.2; 1-2.2; 1-6.1; 2-1.1; 2-1.3; 2-2.4; 3-2.4; 3-2.5
Readin’, ‘Ritin’ and Responsibilities!(Grades K-2) What was it like to attend a one-room country school? Students will attend “class” at the Berry School and learn about daily household chores.
Standards: K-1.1; K-1.2; 1-6.1; 2-2.4South Carolina’s Symbols
(Grade 3) What do “The Philip Simmons Gate” and the state flag have in common? How is the Upcountry different from the Lowcountry? What clues tell us that mastodons once roamed the land? Learn the answers to these questions and others during this lesson.
Standards: 3-1.1; 3-1.3; 3-1.4TET: The Turning Point of the Vietnam War (Grades 9-12) The Vietnam War’s biggest single battle will be recalled on Jan. 31, the 40th anniversary of the TET Offense. Visitors will see enemy weapons, ammunition, uniforms, equipment, booby traps, maps, as well as numerous photographic images.
The Palmetto State at War
(Grades 3-4, 8) Life changed dramatically for most people during the Civil War. Thousands of men went off to war leaving women in charge of running businesses, farms and plantations. Students will examine how citizens coped with shortages on the home front. They will equip a “soldier” for war and find out about the burning of Columbia.
Standards: 3-4.1; 3-4.3; 3-4.4; 3-4.5; 3-4.6; 4-6.1; 4-6.2; 4-6.3; 4-6.6; 8-3.4; 8-3.5; 8-3.6Available for Outreach
Unearthing History(Grades 3-4, 8) With this lesson, students will learn about Native American, European and African cultures that were brought together to make the South Carolina we know today. Archaeology helps us learn about our past by studying the material remains that people leave behind.
Standards: 3-2.1; 3-2.3; 3-2.4; 3-2.5; 3-2.6; 4-2.1; 4-2.2; 4-2.3; 4-2.4; 4-2.5; 4-2.6; 8-1.1; 8-1.3; 8-1.4; 8-1.6Available for Outreach