Aiken County Public Schools
Division of Instruction and Accountability
3rd Grade South Carolina Studies Writing Task
Content standards
(What students will
write.)
3-2.5 Explain the role of Africans in developing the culture and economy of
South Carolina, including the growth of the slave trade; slave contributions to
the plantation economy; the daily lives of the enslaved people; the development
of the Gullah culture; and their resistance to slavery.
Corresponding CCSS
Writing Standards
(How students will
write.)
W.3.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with
reasons.
Learning Objective
Write a short opinion paper on why you think the daily lives experienced by
slaves led them to rebel against their masters.
Essential Question
Why did the Africans in South Carolina resist slavery?
Source 1: historical document - The Negro Act of 1740
Stimuli
Source 2: graphic organizer - Life of a slave
Source 3: history packets - Life of a slave
Source 4: video - Stono Rebellion
Task
You are a young slave in South Carolina. A local newspaper reporter has come to
your plantation to interview you about the Stono Rebellion. Your master gives
you permission to talk to the reporter about why you think some of the local
slaves took part in the rebellion.
Differentiation Options
Consideration: This writing task is the culmination of
a model lesson that makes a connection between the
life of Southern slaves, the Stono Rebellion, and the
Negro Act of 1740.
Teacher Directions
Whole Group
1. Engage the class in a shared reading of the Negro
Act of 1740. During the shared reading,
periodically stop and have students turn and talk
about why they think the people of South Carolina
created the Negro Act of 1740. (1)
2. Students will come back to the document at the
end of the lesson.
Document students’
thinking on an anchor
chart for students to
use as a reference
throughout the task.
(1)
Small Group
3. Set the purpose for small group work by
explaining to students they will be moving around
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Aiken County Public Schools
4.
5.
Division of Instruction and Accountability
the room to history packet stations gathering
information to fill out a graphic organizer about
the life of a slave. (2)
Allow students to work collaboratively, using the
graphic organizer, to read, discuss, and identify
three facts that they gathered from each history
packet.
As student groups move from station to station,
monitor and assist discussions taking place in the
groups and move them forward in their
discussions. (3)
Whole Group
6. Engage the class in a group discussion of the
facts that the students found interesting in each of
the history packet stations. (4)
7. Show the video on the Stono Rebellion.
8. Engage the class in a group discussion of why
they thought the slaves rebelled against their
masters. Have students refer to their graphic
organizers to look for connections between the
life of a slave and the Stono Rebellion.
9. Conclusion: Have students re-read the Negro
Act of 1740 and once again ask the question as
to why they think the people of South Carolina
passed the Negro Slave Act of 1740.
Divide students into
mixed-ability groups to
foster collaboration
among students.
(2)
(3) Set
a visual timer for
students to use to help
with time management
at each station.
(4)Add
information to
the original class
anchor chart as the
discussion warrants.
Individual
10. Individual students will complete the writing
task.
Write a short opinion paper that answers the
reporter’s question as to why some of the local slaves
took part in the Stono Rebellion.
Writing Prompt
Be sure to address at least (3) three of the following: (5)
1. work
2. food
3. clothing
4. shelter
5. family
6. laws
(5) Increase
the rigor
for students by
encouraging them to
select additional
components to address
in their opinion paper.
Special note: To meet the expectations of Common Core
State Standards and Smarter Balanced, allow students
to respond independently using technology (i.e.,
computers, netbooks, iPads, iPods, etc.).
Gold-Universal Design for Learning
Pink-ACPS Literacy Model Component
Blue-Effective Teaching Strategy
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