Lesson 5: Debating Reconstruction
In this lesson, students will explore primary sources, and analyze the arguments for and against federal government intervention in the South during Reconstruction and the creation of the 15th Amendment which allowed African-American males the right to vote. Students will be assigned a position either for or against issues during Reconstruction.
Goals & Objectives
Goal: Students analyze the character of Reconstruction. Students analyze the Constitution in relation to secession of Southern states. Students discuss the outcome of the Civil War.
Objective: Students participate in a small group debate where they discuss and debate what the rights and privileges of newly freed slaves would be and if the Federal Government should enforce the freedoms. Students will discuss how to handle newly freed slaves.
Objective: Students participate in a small group debate where they discuss and debate what the rights and privileges of newly freed slaves would be and if the Federal Government should enforce the freedoms. Students will discuss how to handle newly freed slaves.
California State Content Standards
8.11 Students analyze the character and lasting consequences of Reconstruction
8.11.3 Understand the effects of the Freedmen’s Bureau and the restrictions placed on the rights and opportunities of freedmen, including racial segregation and “Jim Crow” laws.
8.11.5 Understand the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the Constitution and analyze their connection to Reconstruction.
8.11.3 Understand the effects of the Freedmen’s Bureau and the restrictions placed on the rights and opportunities of freedmen, including racial segregation and “Jim Crow” laws.
8.11.5 Understand the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the Constitution and analyze their connection to Reconstruction.
Driving Historical Question(s):
How should the Confederate States be punished? How should the United States be reconstructed? How do we enforce the freedoms of the newly freed slaves? Should there be executions? How do we prevent another future rebellion?
Lesson Introduction (Anticipatory Set/Hook/Accessing Prior Knowledge) ‖ Time: 5
The Civil War has ended, and Reconstruction is about to begin but how should the Southern states be dealt with? Should the southern states be punished? How about newly freed slaves? What about the Citizens? Students will be asked to consider the role the federal government should play in ensuring the freedom’s of newly freed slaves.
Vocabulary (Content Language Development) ‖ Time: 7 minutes
Teacher will do a morphemic analysis of the following words as well as provide a definition for each:
Confiscate
Homestead
Jurisdiction
Suffrage
Tract
Confiscate
Homestead
Jurisdiction
Suffrage
Tract
Content Delivery (Method of Instruction) ‖ Time: 20
Students will be given a PowerPoint lecture on the end of The Civil War. Teacher will discuss the lives of confederate soldiers in comparison to rich plantation owners who owned slaves and did not fight in battle. The teacher will discuss the passing the Emancipation Proclamation. The teacher will talk about the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln by Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth and how Andrew Johnson, Lincoln’s vice president, became president shortly afterwards. Teacher will discuss the aims of Reconstruction in the United States after 4 years of war. Teacher will discuss the issues surrounding Reconstruction at the time such as punishing the citizens of the confederate states, and how to aid newly freed slaves in the South. The teacher will discuss the passing of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendment and how it relates to emancipated slaves.
The teacher will tell the students that they will participate a Socratic debate with a small group of four people in their group. They will be asked, “Should newly freed slaves have their rights enforced by the federal government?” “Should newly freed slaves be allowed to vote?” and “Should citizens who fought against the Union be punished? In the group of four, two students will be for the arguments, and the other two against the arguments. Students will be given a primary source written by Andrew Johnson and Thaddeus Stevens that discusses the aims of radical Reconstruction and how it’s initial policies affected The United States. Johnsons writing argues that it is not the responsibility of the nation to ensure the rights of newly freed slaves while Stevens’ writing argues the opposite.
Students will read the primary sources, answer the questions with a partner, and then engage in a small-group debate, arguing their points.
Teacher will discuss how to contextualize the source when reading a primary source document to help them with their arguments. Two students will hold the argument that it is not up to the government to enforce black rights, while the other two students will
The teacher will tell the students that they will participate a Socratic debate with a small group of four people in their group. They will be asked, “Should newly freed slaves have their rights enforced by the federal government?” “Should newly freed slaves be allowed to vote?” and “Should citizens who fought against the Union be punished? In the group of four, two students will be for the arguments, and the other two against the arguments. Students will be given a primary source written by Andrew Johnson and Thaddeus Stevens that discusses the aims of radical Reconstruction and how it’s initial policies affected The United States. Johnsons writing argues that it is not the responsibility of the nation to ensure the rights of newly freed slaves while Stevens’ writing argues the opposite.
Students will read the primary sources, answer the questions with a partner, and then engage in a small-group debate, arguing their points.
Teacher will discuss how to contextualize the source when reading a primary source document to help them with their arguments. Two students will hold the argument that it is not up to the government to enforce black rights, while the other two students will
Student Engagement (Critical Thinking & Student Activities) ‖ Time: 25
Students will be taking Cornell notes while the teacher is giving the lecture presentation to promote engagement and to activate prior knowledge in the student.
Student’s will be reading primary source material and answering questions about the reading. They will use the information in the sources, plus their textbooks, to help create their arguments.
Students will engage in small group debate in a group of four. Two students will take the position for the arguments, and two students will take positions against the arguments. Students will make 5 bullet points each about the strength and weaknesses in each other’s arguments. The questions students will consider:
Should the federal government enforce newly freed slaves rights in the South?
Should newly freed slaves be allowed to vote?
How should we punish rebel soldiers?
Should the citizens of the South be punished as well?
How do we prevent a possible secession in the future?
Teacher will be walking around the room making sure the students are on task, discussing and debating the topic. Teacher will go around and make sure the students have completed their guided questions so that they engage in the activity of the day.
Student’s will be reading primary source material and answering questions about the reading. They will use the information in the sources, plus their textbooks, to help create their arguments.
Students will engage in small group debate in a group of four. Two students will take the position for the arguments, and two students will take positions against the arguments. Students will make 5 bullet points each about the strength and weaknesses in each other’s arguments. The questions students will consider:
Should the federal government enforce newly freed slaves rights in the South?
Should newly freed slaves be allowed to vote?
How should we punish rebel soldiers?
Should the citizens of the South be punished as well?
How do we prevent a possible secession in the future?
Teacher will be walking around the room making sure the students are on task, discussing and debating the topic. Teacher will go around and make sure the students have completed their guided questions so that they engage in the activity of the day.
Lesson Closure ‖ Time: 5
The class will engage in a discussion about what the groups talked about. The teacher will ask the class how they felt participating in the debate and taking a side they disagree with? What did they learn about debating and how it difficult it might have been to figure out how to reconstruct the Southern states while also making sure newly freed slave’s had their rights protected?
Assessments (Formative & Summative)
Formative: Students will be taking Cornell notes while the teacher is giving a PowerPoint presentation
Formative: Student’s will be reading primary sources and completing a guided questions worksheet.
Summative: Students will engage in small group debate. While students are debating, teacher will make notes about what the students are discussing and to make sure they remain on task.
Formative: Student’s will be reading primary sources and completing a guided questions worksheet.
Summative: Students will engage in small group debate. While students are debating, teacher will make notes about what the students are discussing and to make sure they remain on task.
Accommodations for English Learners, Striving Readers and Students with Special Needs
The power PowerPoint lecture will be full of images to help set the stage for learning for EL’s, Striving readers and students with special needs.
The groups will be placed heterogeneously by academic and language level to ensure that there is equitability among groups. EL’s will be placed with students who have a firm grasp of the content language.
Students will be given annotated readings of the sources. This will assist EL’s and striving readers with any decoding difficulties they may have.
The groups will be placed heterogeneously by academic and language level to ensure that there is equitability among groups. EL’s will be placed with students who have a firm grasp of the content language.
Students will be given annotated readings of the sources. This will assist EL’s and striving readers with any decoding difficulties they may have.