Reconstruction

Lesson 4 (2 days)

Students will focus during this lesson on how life changed for southerners, especially African Americans, during Reconstruction. Students will consider the political, social, and economic changes that came about, especially reforms that were enacted by the state legislatures during the period.  The effects of the 14th and 15th Amendments will also be identified. Students will also describe white southerners’ reactions to these changes.

• Hook: “Corners”. In this activity, students have to make a choice, give a reason to support their choice, and listen to other points of view. Label the four corners of the room with the following titles: “African Americans were no longer slaves”, “African Americans gained the right to vote”, “African Americans attended schools”, and “African Americans were elected to government offices.” Have students write down which of these reforms was the most important, and why. Then have them go to that corner. In the corners, students share with each other their reasons for making their choices. A spokesperson from each corner shares that group’s reasons with the class. After listening to each groups’ reasons, students may switch corners if they have changed their minds.
• Jigsaw: Each group investigates one aspect of change in the South after the Civil War. Then, new groups are formed with one person from each group. The “experts” on each topic share what they’ve discovered.
• Group 1: Reforms enacted by Republican Governments. As students read this account, have them make a list of new laws or responsibilities for the government.
  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/reconstruction/
  activism/ps_lynch.html
• Group 2:  Sharecropping. Have students go through the photo gallery. They should define “sharecropping” and look for other examples of work done by free African Americans.
  http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/reconstruction/
  section3/section3_01.html
  For a first-person account of sharecropping, use excerpts from this document:
  http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6377
• Group 3: Community, Family, and Church. Select a few images from the photo gallery. Have students study the images and read the information. Students should identify how these institutions became stronger after the end of slavery. http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/reconstruction/
  section2/section2_01.html
• Group 4: White Southern Responses. Have students read this account of an African American legislator’s experience of threats and violence. Have students consider the source of and reason for the violence, as well as African American responses to it. 
  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/reconstruction/kkk/ps_colby.html      
  Excerpts from this Louisiana account could also be used: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/reconstruction/kkk/ps_colby.html
• Video: Mini-documentary of John Roy Lynch, a former slave from Mississippi who was elected to the House of Representatives.
  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/reconstruction/activism/index.html
• Processing questions for during or after the video clip:
• Why did Lynch think it was important to pass a new Civil Rights bill?
• As a Congressman, what issues facing African Americans in the South did Lynch try to solve?
• What did Lynch think were the positive aspects of Reconstruction?
• If you could meet John Roy Lynch, what questions would you ask him?
• Wrap Up: 3-2-1. Write down 3 ways that life improved for African Americans during Reconstruction, 2 problems that African Americans still faced, and 1 reason that white southerners were upset.

Materials for Lesson 4

• Labels for Corners during hook activity
• Copies of primary sources listed for each group in the jigsaw
• Copies of questions for each group to answer
• PBS video or mini-documentary clip from PBS website

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Differentiation

One way differentiation of instruction is achieved through this unit is through the wide variety of learning strategies and presentation modes used to reach students with different learning styles. Information is presented through visual images, audiovisual clips, and written materials. Students will work independently, with partners, and in small groups. Students will process information and create products using numerous methods: writing from historical perspectives, completing graphic organizers, illustrating their knowledge through drawings, and discussing issues orally. The needs of kinesthetic learners are also addressed through activities such as Carousel Brainstorming, Corners, and a Walking Tour.

In addition to learning styles, this unit is also differentiated for ability levels, interest, and readiness. In Lesson 4, students work cooperatively in expert groups and then in jigsaw groups. While in expert groups, students will work together to make sure that all students are comfortable with the information before they teach it to another group. Differentiated roles could be assigned within these groups: reader, recorder, fact-checker, etc.

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