Final Version The Reconstruction Era Maureen Heimerman and Diana Marshall

Transcription

1 Final Version The Reconstruction Era Maureen Heimerman and Diana Marshall Lesson Description: In this lesson, students will learn about how people felt the nation should be rebuilt during the Reconstruction Era. They will develop knowledge of vocabulary words related to the years of Reconstruction. Through role-play, they will develop different views and beliefs about reconstruction. Students will debate with classmates how the Reconstruction should have occurred. Students will develop an understanding of how historical accounts of the same event might differ depending on the point of view. Grade: 5 th grade Time Required: Total time for instructional activities is two to two and half hours. Instructional activities should be split over a few days. There is one homework assignment. Benchmark(s) Addressed: History Standard 3: Students will interpret data. History Standard three 4-5a: Students will explain why historical accounts of the same event sometimes differ and will relate this explanation to the evidence presented or the point of view of the author. Essential Question Addressed: How can historical accounts of the Reconstruction Era after the Civil War differ depending on the point of view of the author? Enduring Understanding: The student needs prior knowledge on the civil war especially on the end results of the war and on treatment of the slaves. Materials: pencils, overhead projector, word wall, index cards with vocabulary words, center description roles, Popsicle sticks, markers (red, blue, green, orange, black), chalkboard, chalk, bucket/cup, handouts 1-10, and journals. Worksheets: Handouts in Appendix, Transparency of Handout 1, 5 Transparencies of Handout 6 Procedures: Activating Prior Knowledge and Introducing Vocabulary (15-25 minutes) 1. Give each student Handout 1: The Reconstruction Era. Students should complete the left side of the worksheet. They should read the statement and decide if the statement is true or false. 2. Display five index cards with each vocabulary on the cards. The words are reconstruction era, black codes, scalawags, radical republicans, carpetbaggers, the Freedmen s Bureau the freedman, and emancipated slave. 1

2 3. Then, display vocabulary in content worksheet on transparency 2 This sheet is a paragraph using all the vocabulary terms. Students need to read the transparency and try to figure out the meaning of the word based on its context in the paragraph. 4. We will write down the predictions of each vocabulary word on the overhead. 5. Then, students will copy the right definition of the vocabulary from transparency 3 into their journals. 6. While students are copying down the definitions into their journals, I will put the vocabulary words on the word wall. Role Play (45-60 minutes) *Set up: Before the lesson, set up the centers for the role-play. With Handout 3: Center Cards, cut out the five different center role cards. Place each card at a center. The center is now represented by the group name (Radical Republicans, Member of President Johnson s staff, Member of the Freedman s Bureau, Emancipated Slave, and Southerner). At each center, place enough copies for each student of Handout Display Transparency 1 on the overhead. Let students read the scenario to themselves. (Check on struggling readers. Make accommodations depending on their needs.) The Handout-2 as a transparency on the overhead. This presents the scenario for the role play by explaining the Civil War is over and now the nation has many unanswered questions about the road ahead. They are asked how they feel the union should rebuild during the Reconstruction Era. 2. Break students equally into five groups. With their group they will travel to the different centers. 3. Explain the directions of the role-play to students. At each center, students as a group must read their role card. They will become the person on their card. Then, they should discuss and answer the questions on the worksheet at their center. While they are answering the questions, remind students to answer the questions in the point of view of their role. Explain that when the bell rings that means to switch centers. Tell and show them, what direction they will move. They are to continue to collect the worksheet they complete at each center. 4. Students should travel to each of the five centers collecting the worksheets they have completed at each center. After 10 minutes, ring the bell that means for students to rotate centers. 5. When each student has completed all five centers, they should return to their seats. Now, they are to answer two questions in paragraph form on Handout 5: Journal Entry. Whole Class Discussion of Point of Views (15-25 minutes) 1. Explain to the students that they will be doing a role play for a few minutes. Have two students come up to the front of room and hand each student an index card on cheating in class. Each student has a different view and reason of what happened on the index card. Have 2

3 the students tell their views or reasons and then discuss with the class why the two students had different views of the same event. Write down the answers on the overhead before writing the correct definition of point of view on the overhead. Then, as whole class, write down a few examples of different point of view in history. 2. Ask students to discuss and ponder the following question. Did those who wrote the document share a common point of view or did they differ? Why were they similar or different point of views? 3. Give each student a packet made of 5 copies of Handout 6. Put one of your Point of View transparencies on the overhead projector. 4. Complete the transparency together by choosing one of the centers first. Have students explain what to put in each part of the graphic organizers (who is it, what did they want, why they wanted that, what point of view is it). Complete a transparency (handout for the students) for each of five groups recognized at the five centers. 5. Ask students what they notice about point of view? Have students make inferences and draw conclusions about different points of view. Class Debate (20-25 minutes) *Set up: obtain the five markers. Each of the markers represents a different group: ex: red- Southerners, blue- Northerners, green- Radical Republicans, black- Andrew Johnson s staff, orange- Emancipated Slaves. With the Popsicle sticks and the five markers, color only the bottom of the stick. Have an equal amount of Popsicle sticks for each color. 1. Put the Popsicle sticks in a bucket/cup with the color down. 2. Explain to students that each Popsicle stick is marked with a color on the bottom. Each color represents a different group of people you learned about at our centers. 3. Have students pick one Popsicle stick. Tell them the different groups: red- Southerners, blue- Northerners, green- Radical Republicans, black- Andrew Johnson s staff, orange- Emancipated Slaves. 4. Have students get in their five different groups based on their color Popsicle stick. Put a table or a group of desks and chairs in the center of the room. 5. Explain to students that one person from each group will come to the center table. A facilitator will ask a question (elect a student to have this role). The students at the center table will have a debate over their feelings toward the questions. A list of questions for the facilitator to ask is on Handout 7: Questions for Facilitator. Remind them to remember their role and how they felt the reconstruction should occur as that person. 6. After about 4-5 minutes, have students switch with another member in their group. The facilitator should ask a different question. Continue so that each person in the group has a chance to participate in the debate. Different Points of View of the Reconstruction (At home assignment/assessment) 3

4 1. Explain to students that they now have an understanding of some of the major groups during the Reconstruction Era. Explain the following steps of the homework assignment to students. Students will read a reading assignment, analyze the point of view of the article, and make educated predictions about what a similar reading assignment would be like from a different point of view. Explain the following steps of the homework assignment to students. 2. First, have students choose a reading assignment off of the list on Handout 8: Point of View Assignment. 3. Students read the primary document. 4. After reading the primary document, they are to complete the questions on Handout They will turn this assignment in as an assessment. They will have two nights to complete the entire assignment. Revisiting Points of View (20-30 minutes) 1. Students should turn in their reading/writing assignment. 2. Write the essential question on the chalkboard. The essential question: How can historical accounts of the Reconstruction Era after the civil War differ depending on the point of view of the speaker or author? Students should take about 10 minutes to answer this question. 3. Explain to students that this is an assessment to see what they learned about different points of view in history. They should use findings from last night s homework assignment. 4. Collect writing assignment. Debrief: Ask the students to share what they have learned about different points of view, especially relating to the historical event of the Reconstruction. Did everyone feel the same way about the Reconstruction? How did people view Reconstruction differently? Why did people s background and experiences have an influence on how they view something (Reconstruction) occurred? End the lesson by having students return to their Handout 1: The Reconstruction Era. Students should complete the right side of this handout. Ask them if their answers have changed from before they learned about the Reconstruction. Assessment: There will be both informal and formal assessment for this lesson. Informally, the learning centers, class discussions and the class debate will be used to check student s comprehension of the lesson. Formally, the handout one and eight, the journal entries, and the final essay on point of view will be collected for a grade. 4

5 Handout 1: The Reconstruction Era/Pre Test Directions: Read each statement. Decide if the statement is true or false. Circle the letter T if the statement is true, or the letter F if the statement if false. BEFORE AFTER T F 1. After the end of the Civil War, all people in T F the North and in the South agreed on one plan for Reconstruction. T F 2. The rebuilding of the nation during the T F Reconstruction was quick to occur. T F 3. The Radical Republicans and President T F Andrew Johnson s staff has the same views to rebuild the nation. T F 4. There is only one way to describe the T F Reconstruction after the Civil War. T F 5. Many emancipated slaves were grateful T F to the Freeman s Bureau. T F 6. People s background and experiences have T F an effect on how they view the same event. 5

6 Transparency 1 Imagine you are in America and the year is General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant. The Civil War is over. There are so many unanswered questions. What is your point of view on what is going on to our union? What is your point of view about Reconstructing the Union? What is your point of view on dealing with the lives of the newly emancipated slaves? 6

7 Transparency 3 Vocabulary on Reconstruction 1. Reconstruction-the plan to help and rebuild the south. 2. Emancipated slave-the freed slave 3. Black codes-laws that limited the rights of former slaves. 4. Radical Republicans-Confederate leaders that were elected to Congress by Johnson. 5. Freedmen s Bureau-A Bureau that was set up by the United States Congress to aid all the needy people in the South during Reconstruction. 6. Freedman- Men, women, and children who had been slaves. 7. Carpetbaggers-People from the North who moved to the South to take part in Reconstruction government. 8. Scalawag-Someone who supports a cause for their own good. 7

8 Transparency 2 Vocabulary in Context After the civil war, the south needed to be rebuilt which led to the reconstruction era. One of the main issues addressed during this time was the rights of the emancipated slave. The south decided to pass black codes even though the Radical Republicans did not agree with the codes. However, the Freedmen s Bureau was set up to help needy people especially the freedman. Another area of concern during reconstruction was that several areas in the south needed to be rebuilt. To help with this, the carpetbaggers came down from the North and the scalawags embraced them for their own reasons. 8

9 Handout 3: Center Cards Cut up and place at centers. You are a northerner who is part of the Freedmen s Bureau. Event: Reconstruction As a northerner, you have been against slavery. You feel African Americans should be treated equal to the whites. Due to your feelings, you joined the Freedman s Bureau. The Freedman s Bureau wanted to help needy black citizens and white citizen in the South. Congress created this bureau to help the freedman, or the former slaves. Some of the things the bureau provides are food, medical care, and legal advice for the freedman. Schools and hospitals have been set up for the freedman. You are a Radical Republican. Event: Reconstruction Before President Lincoln s assassination, you supported his beliefs for rebuilding the nation. You agree that the southern states should be under military rule. The Confederate leaders should be punished by not allowing them to vote or hold public office. You do believe blacks should have the right to vote. You believe they will vote for the Republican party. So by blacks voting, they will strengthen the republican party s ability to win. Lastly, you want African Americans to be citizens and have equal protection of the laws. 9

10 Event: Reconstruction You are an emancipated slave. Hooray! You are a free man. You are confused on what to do. Some slaves have left to find relatives. Others left their plantation to find work elsewhere. Some are staying on their plantation to work the fields. You do not want to stay and work for the plantation since there were so many bad memories and hardship. However, you don t know how to read or write. Plus, the Southerners do not want you to be part of the government or to have equal rights. You have heard of the some people in the North who help the emancipated slaves. Your family and church give you support and encouragement to keep going. You are a southerner, also known as a rebel. Event: Reconstruction You do not want slaves to be a part of the government. African Americans should not get equal rights. You believe African Americans are not equal to whites. Also, you are against black children going to school. You feel they should not learn to read or write. The southern men should not lose the right to vote or hold public office. 10

11 You are a member of President Johnson s staff. Event: Reconstruction President Johnson has presented a plan called the Presidential Plan. You, the President, and the rest of his staff strongly believe this plan will help rebuild the nation. Ten percent of the voters in the south must take an oath of loyalty to the union. Each state must ratify, or approve, the Thirteenth Amendment outlawing slavery. Although there should be no slavery, you do not believe that African Americans should have a right to vote. Lastly, there should be no black civil rights. 11

12 Handout 4: What should life be like for the newly emancipated slaves? You are a. Fill in the line above with the title of the center. Answer the following questions as if you are the above person. 1. How do you feel about the aftermath of the Civil War? 2. Where should the freed slaves live? 3. What should the Federal government do to aid the freed slaves? 4. What kind of work should the freed slaves do? Should they be limited? 5. Should they be given free land? 6. What laws should be passed to protect the newly emancipated slaves? 7. What should happen to the Southern states? 12

13 Handout 5: Journal Entry Respond to the following questions in complete sentences. Use details and reasons support your answers. How did people want to rebuild during the Reconstruction after the Civil War? Is there one view of how the reconstruction era occurred? 13

14 Handout 7: Questions for Facilitator The facilitator of the debate should choose a question from the list for the groups to discuss and debate. How do you feel the rebuilding of our nation should occur? How do you feel about the aftermath of the Civil War? Where should the freed slaves live? What should the Federal government do to aid the freed slaves? What kind of work should freed slaves do? Should freed slaves be given free land? Should blacks have civil rights? What laws should be passed to protect the newly emancipated slaves? Should blacks and/or Confederate leaders be allowed to vote? 14

15 Handout 8: Point of View Assignment Part A: Choose a primary document from the book below to read. Primary Sources/Reconstruction: Editors: Bridgett/Grunet/Baker Part B: Read the primary document. While reading, think about the point of view of that reading. Part C: Answer the following questions in complete sentences on a separate piece of paper. 1. Who is the author? What is the point of view? 2. Why do you believe that is the point of view of this reading? Give specific details or reasons from the reading. 3. Describe how this primary document would be different if it was written in a different point of view. (Think of different points of view we discussed in our role-play centers.) Give specific details of what would be different with that point of view. 4. Why might different people have different beliefs about what might have happened or should have happened? 5. How can historical accounts of the same event differ depending on the point of view of the author? 15