Talkin' About the Revolution in Myrtle Beach, March 2005
Teachers from across the state gathered in Myrtle Beach to attend the annual conference for the South Carolina Middle School Association. Tim Hicks and Don Stewart led a session on behalf of Teaching American History in South Carolina. Tim was a participant of the 2003 and 2004 Summer Institutes. In this picture here, Tim is doing primary source research at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History. As an experienced teacher in The Learning Collaborative at Dent Middle School, Tim will serve as Master Teacher for the 2005 Midlands Summer Institute.
Tim told the group in Myrtle Beach about the lessons he created using primary sources. Tim has become an expert on Christopher Gadsden and his role as a leading patriot for the American Revolution. The document pictured here is an excerpt from an inventory of possessions taken after Gadsden's death in 1805. This inventory holds many clues that can help us understand more about the life of this revolutionary firebrand. The group could tell right away that Gadsden was a wealthy and educated man. They noticed that Gadsden owned a fair amount of books in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. Tim transcribed these documents and provided a glossary. Tim encouraged the group to use more primary sources in their classrooms.
Don Stewart gave a quick presentation about Teaching American History in South Carolina, stating that other participants of the summer institutes have created exciting new lessons for their classrooms. These lessons will be on the TAH website soon.
Tim wrapped up the session by sharing additional documents relating to his lesson on Gadsden. Teachers also received an array of resources, which included a CD of lesson plans, a South Carolina Historical Markers Guide, and a bibliography of South Carolina sources relating to the American Revolution.