Standard 8: Contemporary Florida into the 21st Century

General Information
Number: SS.4.A.8
Title: Contemporary Florida into the 21st Century
Type: Standard
Subject: Social Studies
Grade: 4
Strand: American History

Related Benchmarks

This cluster includes the following benchmarks.

Related Access Points

This cluster includes the following access points.

Access Points

SS.4.A.8.AP.1
Recognize that Florida played a role in the Civil Rights Movement.
SS.4.A.8.AP.2
Identify how immigration impacts Florida today.
SS.4.A.8.AP.3
Recognize an impact the space program has on Florida’s growth.
SS.4.A.8.AP.4
Recognize that tourism brings people and money to Florida.

Related Resources

Vetted resources educators can use to teach the concepts and skills in this topic.

Lesson Plans

The Civil Rights Movement in Florida Part 2:

In this lesson, students will prepare for and participate in a Socratic Seminar to discuss ways citizens can solve problems in their communities as well as identify Florida’s role in the civil rights movement. They will utilize the texts and primary source documents they analyzed in the previous lesson to answer and generate their own questions to be able to discuss their opinions and make claims based on logical reasoning and text/document evidence. This is lesson 2 of 3 in a mini unit integrating civics and social studies.

Type: Lesson Plan

The Civil Rights Movement in Florida Part 1:

In this lesson, students will analyze primary and secondary sources to learn about Florida’s role in the civil rights movement. They will utilize a cause-and-effect graphic organizer to identify ways everyday citizens interact with governments to solve problems. This is lesson 1 of 3 in a mini unit integrating civics and social studies.

Type: Lesson Plan

The Civil Rights Movement in Florida: Part 3:

In this lesson, students will work individually or in pairs to design an infographic on paper or digitally to demonstrate their knowledge of Florida’s role in the civil rights movement. This is lesson 3 of 3 in a mini-unit integrating civics and social studies.

Type: Lesson Plan

NASA and the Space Program Change Florida: The Space Program Changes the Economy and Culture of Florida:

The Soviet Union launched Sputnik I, the first man-made satellite, into space in 1957. Americans watched the Soviet satellite beeping and blinking across the American night sky. Sputnik I weighed only 184 pounds and could do little more than beep, but many people worried that this meant the United States was losing the race to develop space technology.

Pressure exploded from United States politicians and the American public demanding that the country catch up and increase investment in rocket technology and aeronautics. In this lesson students will analyze the film Florida: Moonport USA to describe the effect of the United States space program on Florida's economy, growth and culture.

Type: Lesson Plan

The Civil Rights Movement in Florida: Tallahassee Bus Boycott :

African-Americans in Tallahassee boycotted the bus system for nearly seven months after the arrest of two Florida A&M University (FAMU) students for sitting beside a white woman. During the boycott, African-Americans in Tallahassee used car pools to get to and from work and for other necessary transportation. Twenty-one members of the Inter Civic Council were convicted on charges of operating an illegal transportation system for arranging the car pool without a franchise. In this lesson students analyze primary source images to write journal responses focused on what they learned about the Tallahassee Bus Boycott.

Type: Lesson Plan

Original Student Tutorials

Space and the Florida Frontier: Part 3 Partners in Exploration:

Learn about the impact of the growth and development of space exploration on the culture and economy of Florida and how the inclusion of private partners helped reach new goals with this interactive tutorial.

This is part 3 in a three-part series. Click below to view the other tutorials in the series.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Space and the Florida Frontier: Part 2 The Space Shuttle Era:

Learn how the Space Shuttle program revived the area near Cape Canaveral, Florida, and how the possibility of living in space on the Space Station brought new jobs and excitement with this interactive tutorial.

This is part 2 in a three-part series. Click below to view the other tutorials in the series.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Space and the Florida Frontier: Part 1 To the Moon:

Learn about the early days of NASA, the work at Cape Canaveral during the Moon missions, and how this work affected the people and economy of Florida with this interactive tutorial.

This is part 1 in a three-part series. Click below to view the other tutorials in the series.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Unit/Lesson Sequence

Ruby Bridges: A Simple Act of Courage:

In this unit, students will learn about the Civil Rights Movement through the perspective of Ruby Bridges, a young girl caught in the struggle for equality during this time. Vocabulary strategies, slideshows, graphic organizers, and text-based questions are all included to help students compare/contrast Ruby's world with their own.

Type: Unit/Lesson Sequence

Video/Audio/Animations

Portraits in Patriotism - Ardian Zika: Elementary School:

Ardian Zika grew up in communist Yugoslavia (now Kosovo). He immigrated to the United States, became a U.S. citizen, and was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2018.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

Portraits in Patriotism - Luis Martínez Fernández: Elementary:

Luis Martínez-Fernández was born at the beginning of the Cuban Revolution. Dr. Martínez-Fernández immigrated to the United States with his family when he was 2 years old after the Bay of Pigs Invasion. His family moved to Lima, Peru after his father was offered employment there. Dr. Martínez-Fernández’s family left Peru after the President of Peru was ousted from power. The new government in Peru concerned Dr. Martínez-Fernández’s father and the family moved to Puerto Rico where they become U.S. Citizens. Dr. Martínez-Fernández moved to the U.S. after graduation from The University of Puerto Rico. He is a Professor of History, an author, and is civically engaged through his nationally syndicated column.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

Portraits in Patriotism - Mel Martinez: Elementary School:

Former U.S Senator and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Mel Martínez shares his journey to freedom in the United States. Mr. Martínez was part of Operation Pedro Pan in which unaccompanied Cuban children were sent to the United States to escape the newly formed communist regime of Fidel Castro. Before leaving Cuba, he spent time with his father who shared life lessons with his son. Mr. Martínez distinctly remembers the pilot announcing that they were in America. After moving around the state of Florida in settlement camps, Mr. Martínez was placed in foster care. After four years he and his family were reunited. Mr. Martínez helped his father become a veterinarian in the U.S and as a family they were highly active in the community. His family’s spirit of activism was the foundation of Mr. Martínez’s career as a public servant. He graduated from Florida State University Law School in 1973 and began his political career. He was appointed the U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in 2001 and became a United States Senator in 2005.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

Portraits in Patriotism - Alejandro Brice: Elementary - Middle:

Alejandro Brice and his family immigrated from Cuba at the beginning of the Cuban Revolution. His father was jailed as a counter-revolutionary sympathizer and upon release, the family fled the country. Dr. Brice shares his memories of his “freedom wings”, the culture shock of growing up in Ohio as immigrants, learning English in elementary school, watching his family start over, and becoming a U.S. Citizen. Dr. Brice is a college professor specializing in the education of immigrant children and English language learners.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

Student Resources

Vetted resources students can use to learn the concepts and skills in this topic.

Original Student Tutorials

Space and the Florida Frontier: Part 3 Partners in Exploration:

Learn about the impact of the growth and development of space exploration on the culture and economy of Florida and how the inclusion of private partners helped reach new goals with this interactive tutorial.

This is part 3 in a three-part series. Click below to view the other tutorials in the series.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Space and the Florida Frontier: Part 2 The Space Shuttle Era:

Learn how the Space Shuttle program revived the area near Cape Canaveral, Florida, and how the possibility of living in space on the Space Station brought new jobs and excitement with this interactive tutorial.

This is part 2 in a three-part series. Click below to view the other tutorials in the series.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Space and the Florida Frontier: Part 1 To the Moon:

Learn about the early days of NASA, the work at Cape Canaveral during the Moon missions, and how this work affected the people and economy of Florida with this interactive tutorial.

This is part 1 in a three-part series. Click below to view the other tutorials in the series.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Parent Resources

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