Social Studies Unit One

1. WELCOME TO
THE PALMETTO
STATE
Created by Melissa Sutton
Third Grade
2010-2011

2. Chapter One
THE GEOGRAPHY OF SOUTH
CAROLINA

3. LESSON 1:
EXPLORE SOUTH CAROLINA
 A LANDFORM is a shape or part of Earth’s surface, such as a hill
or a swamp.
 South Carolina’s coastline has salt marshes, sand dunes, and
beaches.
 Where is South Carolina? http://mapsof.net/south_carolina/static-
maps/png/where-is-south-carolina-located
 Hemisphere? Continent? Country? State? What part of the Country? What
states border South Carolina? What bodies of water border South Carolina?
 Columbia is the capital of South Carolina where our state leaders
work.
 Charleston is home to one of the oldest museums in our country.
 The Blue Ridge Mountains are located in the northern and
western corner of South Carolina.

4. UNDERSTAND HEMISPHERES
 The EQUATOR runs
east to west and divides
the earth into Northern
and Southern
Hemispheres.
 The PRIME MERIDIAN
runs north to south and
divides the earth into
Western and Eastern
Hemispheres.

5. LESSON 2:
GEOGRAPHY SHAPES OUR
COMMUNITIES
 An URBAN community is a city where a large number of people
live.
 What might you see in an urban community?
 A SUBURBAN community is located near a big city.
 What might you see in a suburban community?
 A RURAL community is a place in the countryside where towns
are small and farther apart.
 What might you see in a rural community?
 Charleston is located along the Atlantic Ocean where the Ashley
River and Cooper River join together.
 Why are communities built near water?
 CULTURE is the way a group of people live.

6. LESSON 3:
NATURAL SOUTH CAROLINA
 CLIMATE is the kind of weather a place has over time.
 What is the climate of South Carolina?
 An ECOSYSTEM includes the plants and animals that live in a
particular place. I.e.: salt marsh, swamp, cove forest, Carolina
Bays
 What ecosystem is located in the valleys of the Blue Ridge Mountains?
 CONSERVATION is the protection of our forests, rivers, and other
natural resources.
 Why is it important to protect South Carolina’s ecosystems?

7. Chapter Two
REGIONS OF SOUTH
CAROLINA

8. LESSON 1:
THE BLUE RIDGE AND THE PIEDMONT
 A REGION is a large area of land that has special features, such as
landforms, climate, and plants.
 BLUE RIDGE REGION:
 Smallest of the six regions
 Mountain forests, streams, and waterfalls
 Blue Ridge Mountains
 PIEDMONT REGION:
 Piedmont means “foot of the mountains”
 Monadnock – an isolated, or single, hill made of very hard rock
 Rolling hills and wide river valleys
 Spartanburg
 Textiles and peaches are important industries

9. LESSON 2:
THE SANDHILLS AND THE INNER
COASTAL PLAIN
 SANDHILLS REGION:
 SC’s old coastline
 Hilly land
 Aiken, Columbia, Camden, Cheraw
 Fall line – water drops rapidly from higher land to lower land causing rushing
water and rapids; Why are cities built along the fall line?
 INNER COASTAL PLAIN REGION:
 Congaree National Park
 Also has rolling hills
 More than half of region is covered in forests
 SC’s best soil is found here
 Center of the state’s cotton production; wheat and soybeans are also grown
here

10. LESSON 3:
THE OUTER COASTAL PLAIN AND THE
COASTAL ZONE
 OUTER COASTAL PLAIN REGION:
 Flat and broken up by many rivers and streams
 Swamps cover much of the land along the rivers
 Railroads and canals were built; why?
 COASTAL ZONE REGION:
 Tourism has been the focus for more than 75 years
 Fishing is an important industry
 Beaches, marshes, and islands
 “Grand Strand”
 Leading seaports: Charleston, Georgetown, and Port Royal
 A narrow, sandy island between the ocean and the mainland is called
a BARRIER ISLAND; it protects the mainland from the effects of the
ocean.