Reconstruction Project American History Melissa Olinger & Jason Passero

Transcription

1 1 Reconstruction Project American History Melissa Olinger & Jason Passero Lesson Description: Students will reread a classic Disney tale, Cinderella, from two different points of view. In the new version of the book, each character describes their own story of the events that led to the ball at the palace. Then, students will need to interrupt the information from both points of view based on the character s thought, feelings, actions, and background.. After analyzing the evidence, students will explain why one single event can have different points of view. Later, they will apply this knowledge to a historical event, the emancipation proclamation. Students will read about what life was like for both plantation owners and slaves before, during, and after slavery. Lastly, the students must explain why the same event (freeing of the salves) has many different accounts depending on who s point of view you listen to. Therefore, you may be present at the same event as your friend, but depending on who you are, you could both retell the experience in two totally different ways. Grade: 5 th grade students Time Required: This lesson will take approximately 4-5 days. Benchmark Addressed: This lesson is addressing History Standard 3 (interpretation). Students need to be able to explain why historical accounts of the same event sometimes differ and relate this explanation to the evidence presented or the point of view of the author. Essential Question Addressed: How could there be different explanation of the some event in history? Enduring Understanding: What is written by a historian, depends upon that historian s personal background and methods, the questions asked about the sources, and the sources used to find the answers. Procedures: Day 1 This first lesson should take place in one day, however, we know that social studies is only allotted a 45 minute period your day, however if possible complete part of this during language arts. 1. Ask the students if they know the story of Cinderella. Have them retell the story in their own words. Have students write down what they recall about the story and use specific examples. (Handout #1) 1

2 2 2. Then, have students split into pairs and THINK, PAIR, SHARE these questions: Who do you think told the story? Do you think that Cinderella or the stepmother could have written it? Why or why not? 3. Explain that it was a 3 rd person point of view story. The events were written and retold through the eyes of a narrator/story teller who was not in the story. Can you tell me how Cinderella felt? Can you explain what she was thinking? What about the stepmother, could you explain her thoughts and feelings? 4. Today we are going to read the same story of Cinderella, but from the character s point of view, not a third person who is NOT in the story. Now, we get to hear the thoughts and feelings of the character as they tell the story as it happened to them. 5. This story is about the same event, attending the Ball, but it is told from two different people who were in the story. Therefore, we will find out about their thoughts and feelings throughout their story. When we are done, we are going to compare and contrast the two different stories. Predicting these answers will help students with their interpretation of the characters. 6. Read the Cinderella story. Be sure that everyone has a copy of the story to highlight any examples about the characters feelings or thoughts. This will better assist them when discussing the different points of view of both characters. 7. After reading, students use the T-chart to make a list of that character s thoughts and feelings. (Handout #1) 8. Think about the cause and effect relationship from Cinderella s point of view. Why does she feel this way? Why does she think like that? What about the stepmother? (Handout #3) Day 2 1. Discuss why the two stories were different. Well first off, they are two completely different people because they both have different backgrounds and different ways of viewing events. For example, let s think about how Cinderella felt? How did her stepmother feel? Why did they feel that way? (Cause and effect) *Remind the class that this story was based on one event: attending the Ball. The reason the two stories are so different is because the two people are very different. Cinderella was treated as a princess before her father died. Then, she was forced by her stepmother to do all the chores in the house without help from her stepsisters. What would happen if Cinderella didn t follow her stepmother s rule? Was it fair the way she was being treated? 2. Imagine if you were Cinderella, how would your feelings or thoughts be like? Discuss this issue. Students will Think, Pair, and Share about these questions. (Handout # 4) 3. Imagine you were the stepmother? Okay, now we have all heard this story and the stepmother is always the bad (antagonist) character in the story. However, from her point of view was Cinderella treating her daughters nicely? Wouldn t you want to protect your stepdaughter from embarrassment for wearing a tattered old dress? What would you have done? Wouldn t you want your daughter to marry a prince and live happily ever after? 4. Have students complete a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting the two different points of view. (Handout #5) 2

3 3 DAY 3 1. Divide the class into slaves and plantation owners. 2. Student s read/listen to two songs. One is about slavery and the other is about Southern pride. (Handout #2) While you listen/read this song, think about each groups thoughts and feelings. Read about slavery (Now Let Me Fly) and plantation life handouts # in the two groups. As we read think about their thoughts and feelings. 3. With one group, discuss slavery. Remember back to the story of Cinderella? She once was treated like a princess and then was forced to cook and clean for her stepmother. Slaves had a similar experience. They were living in their homeland of Africa when suddenly they were captured by their own people and sold into slavery. They left their homes and traveled across the ocean to a new and unfamiliar land and forced to work. They were treated harshly and received little in return for their hard work. 4. With the second group, discuss plantation owners. Now think back to Cinderella s stepmother. She is similar to the southern plantation owners who bought men, women, and children from Africa to work in their fields. The Southerners needed workers. The Southerners plantation owners needed to compete against the Northern industrial companies with their quick paced machinery therefore, they bought workers to work their plantations. 5. Discuss the slaves versus plantation owners. How are they alike and different? Thoughts and feelings? Causes and effects? DAY 4 Background information and documents to use Emanicpation Proclamation: Fugitive slaves: 3

4 4 After the proclamation: Audio: Former slave Charlie Smith discusses work and living situation after the Emancipation Proclamation: ARC database (NWDNM(s) B) Pass out Slavery Has Ended! newspaper headlines. (Handout # ) 2. Students split into their 2 groups (slaves and Plantation owners) to discuss and create a T chart about their thoughts or feelings about the end to slavery. How would the slaves/plantation owners feel? What would their thoughts and feelings be? Teacher information for discuss: Slaves point of view: No longer had to live by someone else s rules. They would not be treated harshly by the person that owned them. They could live where they wanted to. Most slaves could not read because it was illegal to teach a black man, woman, or child to read and write. Now, many had the opportunity to earn an education and better their status in life. It was difficult to know where to go for shelter and food. They didn t have any money or a job to earn money so what were they to do? Plantation Owners point of view: Loss of money when the slaves were freed due to crops being spoiled because they were not there to clear they field, many had to sell their plantations, their homes, and move away from the only place they knew as home. Many were now poor because they could no longer tend their crops in order to make money. 1. After they have shared their thoughts and feelings about the end of slavery, mix the groups up so they can share these ideas with the plantation owner. During this group time, each student takes notes. Discuss what the end of slavery means to you. **Remember to refer to the essential question: How could there be different accounts of the same event? Ask the class why the two groups don t feel the same about the ending of slavery even though the event is the same. 2. Students will create 5-day journal about their life as a plantation owner or newly freed slave. In their journal, they will need to explain the following items: What the end of slavery means to me: 4

5 5 a. Describe your life before slavery ended including thoughts and feelings. b. Express your feelings/thoughts about the ending of slavery. c. Describe your life after slavery ended including your thoughts and feelings. d. What does the ending of slavery mean to you? e. What does your future look like? Day 5 Write journals. Day 6 Finalize the journals. Debrief: Remember to refer to the essential question: How could there be different accounts of the same event. Give some examples such as two students playing at recess. All of a sudden a fight breaks out. When you ask the two boys what happened, they each have a different story. Why? Have a student or teacher from another class enter your room while you are teaching and take something from you and then leave. Ask the children to describe the man and what he did. Each story will vary a little. Discuss why this is so. When one person is telling their thoughts and feelings of an event, they express it from their knowledge of the situation. Not everyone thinks the same. Or feels the same about a certain topic. For example, I love chocolate ice cream. However, my best friend only likes vanilla. I don t understand how she can not like chocolate. It s the best! Well, that s my opinion. We are not identical people. We are individual people with different interests and tastes. This affects our story telling of the same event. It is virtually impossible to have an unbiased opinion about a certain topic. Everyone puts in their thoughts and feelings into their answers whether they mean to or not. You have personal experiences that are unique to you. From that, you make choices and decisions that change or create your life. Therefore, when you are recalling an event, all that prior knowledge is being accessed and put into your story. Assessment: 5

6 6 * Students will be assessed on the completion of their 5 day journal and/or their letters to the newspaper describing their lives before and after slavery ended. * Students need to use the resources (literature books) they read in class and incorporate the new information into journal and/or letter. * Students need to write their assessments from the point of view of either the plantation owner or the slave. * Students must describe their thoughts and feelings they had about slavery. Student s writings must include ideas from before and after the end of slavery. 6

7 Name: Handout #1 Retell the story of Cinderella in your own words. List the thoughts and feelings about each character. Cinderella Stepmother 7

8 Name: Handout #2 point of view THINK! PAIR! SHARE! Cinderella: What would happen if Cinderella didn t follow her stepmother s rule? Was it fair the way she was being treated? Imagine if you were her, what would your feelings or thoughts be like? Stepmother: Was Cinderella treating her daughters nicely? Wouldn t you want to protect your stepdaughter from embarrassment for wearing a tattered old dress? What would you have done? Wouldn t you want your daughter to marry a prince and live happily ever after? 8

9 Name: Handout # 4 After you read about slavery or plantation life, complete one side of the T-Chart with your group. Think about your thoughts and feelings about the end of slavery. They could be negative or positive ideas. Slaves Plantation owners 9

10 Name: Handout #5 My 5-day Journal What the end of slavery means to me: 1. Describe your life before slavery ended including thoughts and feelings. 2. Express your feelings/thoughts about the ending of slavery. 3. Describe your life after slavery ended including your thoughts and feelings. 4. What does the ending of slavery mean to you? 5. What does your future look like? Name: Handout #5 My 5-day Journal What the end of slavery means to me: 1. Describe your life before slavery ended including thoughts and feelings. 2. Express your feelings/thoughts about the ending of slavery. 3. Describe your life after slavery ended including your thoughts and feelings. 4. What does the ending of slavery mean to you? 5. What does your future look like? 10

11 Handout #3 The Southern Inquire January 1 st, 1863 Freedom for ALL men! Last night, Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Lincoln gathered his cabinet and close friends together for the signing ceremony. This historic proclamation states that all persons held as slaves are and henceforward shall be free. Several slave owners are in an uproar over the new proclamation. Who s going to pay my expenses for the cost of these two slaves here that I just bought at the auction last Saturday? I can t afford to just let them go? Where is my compinsation? Plantation owners are worried about their crops being harvested without any labor to assist them. My crops are ready for pickin. How am I suppose to get all this work done? After the news of the proclamation, some slaves wept for joy yet others seemed to think nothing really changed. I m planning on working right here on Master Jones farm. He needs help with the field work and I need a place to live and work. One young lady lept to her feet with songs of prasie. Now I can go up to Virginia and find my mother and sister. I miss them so much. 11