3-1.3

It Is Essential For Students To Know

• Students should know and identify on a map the six geographical regions (landform regions) of South Carolina: Blue Ridge, Piedmont, Sandhills, Inner Coastal Plain, Outer Coastal Plain and Coastal Zone.
  
• Students will learn about the human characteristics of the different regions in later standards and indicators as they learn about the development of the human settlements and systems throughout South Carolina history. Teachers should consistently refer to the characteristics of the geographic regions as they teach later indicators
• The Blue Ridge Region is mountainous and has many hardwood forests, streams, and waterfalls.
• The Piedmont Region is the foothills of the mountains and includes rolling hills and many valleys. The region was once a productive farming area but poor farming practices led to the erosion of the topsoil. The red clay that was left is not good for farming. Waterfalls and swift flowing rivers provided the water power for early mills and the textile industry
• The Sand Hills Region is the region that in ancient times was the seacoast and therefore includes relatively flat lands with sandy soil that is not good for growing crops. The Sandhills region follows the fall zone of the state’s rivers where a drop in elevation results in rapids.
• The Coastal Plain includes the Inner Coastal Plain and the Outer Coastal Plain and makes up two-thirds of South Carolina. Large stands of trees promoted the development of timbering in the region. Well-drained soil, sufficient annual rainfall and a long growing season promoted agriculture.
• The Coastal Zone is a ten mile wide stretch of land from the Atlantic coast inland. It includes barrier islands that protect the coast from erosion due to tides and storms. The coastal zone includes a number of natural harbors. It also includes marshes that were used for growing rice during the 1700s. Today, the region relies heavily on the tourism industry which includes historic sites, golf, and the beach itself.

It Is Not Essential For Students To Know

• Students do not need to know specific details about each geographic region, such as size in square miles or the specific size of the population in that area.
• It is not necessary for students to know that the Blue Ridge Mountains are part of the Appalachian mountain chain or that they are lower than the Rockies of the west because they are an older chain that has experienced more erosion.