Year 2: Unit 2 – “A Brief Moment in the Sun” – Reconstruction (1865 – 1877): Lessons

Central Question: Why did American responses to the assassination of President Lincoln differ?

Historical Background

Five days after Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House, President Lincoln was assassinated at Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C., while attending a play. The assassin, John Wilkes Booth, was a famous actor and Confederate sympathizer. After shooting Lincoln, he shouted “Sic Semper Tyrannis!” (“Thus ever to tyrants,” the Virginia state motto) to the stunned crowd. The shock of the murder was felt all around the country, yet whereas many in the North mourned their fallen leader, many in the South celebrated his assassination as a victory.

For more background, read “Lincoln’s Funeral Train” on the National Geographic website, “Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination” on the History Channel website, and “What the Newspapers Said When Lincoln was Killed” in the Smithsonian magazine.

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 2 Key Term:

• The assassination of Abraham Lincoln

Scholars understand different responses to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination and can explain how these responses illustrate the persistent sectional tensions at the end of the Civil War.

Preparation

• Display the Unit 2 Essential Question on the wall in your classroom for scholars to reference throughout the unit.
• Create a word wall in your classroom with the Unit 2 Key Terms for scholars to reference during class discussion. Hold scholars accountable for using these Key Terms throughout the unit.
• Post a digital timeline or a hard copy in your classroom to track key events from this unit and previous units.
• Prior to teaching Lesson 1, assign the article “Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination” on the History Channel website and have students examine the image on page 3 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook so scholars are prepared to discuss in the Context portion of the lesson.
• In addition, to complete this gallery walk, before class you must:
  • Print all texts and images on cardstock and distribute at each respective station.
  • Determine how you will present video or audio content, if necessary.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars complete the Unit 2 Lesson 1 Do Now in the Unit 2 Workbook.

Context — 10 minutes

Launch (2 minutes)

• Introduce the Essential Question for Unit 2: To what extent was Reconstruction a success?
• Explain that, each day, scholars will gather more evidence to answer this question.
• Remind scholars that this unit builds upon past content and that they must constantly make connections to previous periods of history to help them answer this Essential Question.
• Then pose today’s Central Question, and invest scholars in launching their study of the impact of the Civil War.

Watch (3 minutes)

• Watch the video “Lincoln’s Last Day: The Plot to Kidnap Lincoln,” available on the Smithsonian magazine website.
• Tell scholars to think about the following question as they watch the video:
  • How did John Wilkes Booth assassinate President Lincoln?

Discuss (5 minutes)

• Have pairs of scholars discuss the question posed at the beginning of the video as well as the question below. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from their homework and the video.
  • Why did Booth assassinate Lincoln?
  • Make a connection to previous content. Ask: Why did Booth yell “Sic Semper Tyrannis” after he assassinated Lincoln?

Investigate — 20 minutes

• Divide scholars into four groups. Assign each group one of four stations to begin the gallery walk: “The Murder of Abraham Lincoln” (page 4 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook), Frederick Douglass on Lincoln (page 5 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook), Southern Reaction 1 (page 6 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook), and Southern Reaction 2 (page 7 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook). Explain that each group will examine the images, watch the videos, or read the text at their assigned station for 5 minutes before switching to the next station.
• After examining the sources, scholars should record their observations and inferences.
• While scholars work, circulate to determine the major trends in scholars’ work, and confer with the groups as they rotate between stations.

Discuss — 5 minutes

• Scholars discuss the following questions as a whole class. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from the documents. Ensure that the discussion leads scholars to answer the Central Question.
  • Who mourned Lincoln’s death? Who celebrated his death? Why?
  • Why did some Southerners oppose the assassination of Abraham Lincoln?
  • Make a connection to previous content. Ask: What do these reactions suggest about the relationship between the North and the South at the end of the Civil War?

Exit Ticket — 10 minutes

• Write a paragraph of no more than 200 words:
  • Why did American responses to the assassination of President Lincoln differ? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from two different sources.

Homework

• Scholars read the article “Lincoln’s Contested Legacy” by Philip B. Kunhardt III on the Smithsonian Magazine website in preparation for the next lesson.

Central Question: How should Americans remember President Lincoln?

Historical Background

Immediately following Lincoln’s assassination, many Americans called for a memorial to honor the fallen president. It took nearly 50 years, however, for a plan to be finalized and another ten years for the project to be completed. Americans debated how the president could and should be remembered and what role memorials served in public space.

For more background, read “The Lincoln Memorial” on the National Park Service website.

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand the complex memory of Abraham Lincoln and can illustrate how they believe President Lincoln should be remembered in a historically accurate and compelling way.

Preparation

• To complete this project, before the lesson you must:
  • Ensure you have printed the Lincoln Memorial Template from the Unit 2 Workbook for each scholar.
  • Create a teacher model of the memorial and planning guide.
  • Gather colored pencils for illustrating, and organize these materials in a place accessible to scholars for easy use during project work.
  • Ensure each scholar has the Lincoln Memorial Planning Guide in the Unit 2 Workbook accessible.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars revise their Exit Tickets from the previous lesson based on the grade and feedback you gave them.

Study Mentor Images — 15 minutes

Launch (2 minutes)

• Review the Big Ideas from the previous lesson by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the lesson.
• Pose today’s Central Question, and invest scholars in their study of the impact of the Civil War.

Examine (5 minutes)

• Show Documents B and D on pages 11 and 13 in the Unit 2 Sourcebook to the class. Highlight features in these authentic examples to provide a model for scholar projects.
• Tell scholars to think about the following question as they examine the images:
  • How do these images characterize Lincoln’s legacy?
• After examining each source, scholars should write a main idea next to the title of the source.

Discuss (3 minutes)

• Scholars discuss the following questions in pairs. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from the documents.
  • What are the main ideas in these images?
  • Why were these images created?

Give scholars 2 minutes to revise their main idea annotations for the images based on the discussion.

Discuss (3 minutes)

• Pairs of scholars discuss the following questions. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from their homework and the Sourcebook examples.
  • How do these images honor the memory of President Lincoln?
  • What aspects of Abraham Lincoln’s presidency do these examples choose to highlight? Why?
  • Make a connection to previous content. Ask: To what extent are these examples historically accurate?

Planning — 10 minutes

• Explain that scholars will illustrate their own memorial for President Lincoln, based on their knowledge of President Lincoln and his actions as president.
• Tell scholars that their memorials must portray a powerful and compelling idea supported by strong visual evidence, similar to the sample documents.
  • Remind scholars that visual projects, just like written pieces, make arguments, and all arguments require a strong idea with supporting details.
• Scholars may reference Documents A through D on pages 10–13 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook as they work.
• Scholars use the Lincoln Memorial Planning Guide in the Unit 2 Workbook to plan their memorials, writing their ideas and planning the details they will use to support them.

Project Work — 15 minutes

• Scholars create their own memorials referring to Documents A through D as they work.
• While scholars work, actively circulate to reinforce your expectations for strong ideas and persuasive visual evidence in project work and to determine the major trends in scholars’ work.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have each scholar tell you the idea conveyed by his or her memorial. Can the idea be made stronger? How can the memorial illustrate the idea more effectively? Is the memorial interesting and visually compelling?
  • Hold scholars accountable for implementing the feedback you’ve given them.
  • Hold scholars accountable for staying focused on honoring the memory of President Lincoln.

Wrap-up — 5 minutes

• Show an exemplary illustration to the class. Look for work that precisely and compellingly commemorates the memory of President Lincoln.

Homework

• Scholars read the article “Reflecting on the War’s Impact” from Lesson 4: The Devastation of War on the Facing History and Ourselves website in preparation for the next lesson.

Central Question: How did the impact of the Civil War differ in the North and the South?

Historical Background

When the Civil War ended, Northern and Southern societies were both devastated by the hardships of war. By the end of the war, the North and South suffered approximately 1.5 million casualties. Although both sides suffered, the weight of the destruction was felt more heavily in the South than in the North; the majority of battles occurred in the South, not the North. As a result, the Northern economy continued to grow and flourish, whereas the South suffered, their fields destroyed, and their dominant economic system, slavery, gone.

For more background, browse the interactive maps of the “South before Reconstruction” on the Teaching American History website and “Civil War Casualties” on the Civil War Trust website.

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 2 Key Terms:

• Black Codes
• Sharecropping

Scholars compare the social and economic problems in the North and the South and can explain the impact of the Civil War on both regions.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars complete the Unit 2 Lesson 3 Do Now in the Unit 2 Workbook.

Context — 20 minutes

Launch (2 minutes)

• Review the Big Ideas from the previous lesson by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the lesson.
• Pose today’s Central Question, and invest scholars in continuing their study of the impact of the Civil War.

Watch (12 minutes)

• Watch the video “The World the War Made,” available on the Facing History website.
• Tell scholars to think about the following question as they watch the video:
  • How did the Civil War change American society?

Discuss (6 minutes)

• Pairs of scholars discuss the question posed at the beginning of the video. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from their homework and the video.

Investigate — 15 minutes

• Scholars read and annotate Documents A through E on pages 15–17 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook. After reading each source, scholars should write a main idea next to the title of the source.
• While scholars work, circulate to determine the major trends in their work.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have each scholar tell you the main idea of the document he or she is reading. What is the main idea of this document? How do you know? How does this document help answer the Central Question?
  • Hold scholars accountable for staying focused on the main idea of the document.

Discuss — 5 minutes

• Scholars discuss the following questions as a whole class. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from the documents. Ensure the discussion leads scholars to answer the Central Question.
  • How did the Civil War affect Northern and Southern society differently? Why?
  • To what extent did freedoms increase for African Americans in the South immediately following the war?
  • Make a connection to the Essential Question. Ask: What were the major issues the United States faced in order to rebuild the nation? How might these issues be resolved?

Exit Ticket — 5 minutes

• Write a paragraph of no more than 200 words:
  • How did the impact of the Civil War differ in the North and the South? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from two different sources.

Homework

• Scholars the introduction to “America’s Reconstruction: People and Politics After the Civil War” on the University of Houston Digital History website and the article “Reconstruction” on the History Channel website in preparation for the next lesson.

Central Question: What was the purpose of Reconstruction?

Historical Background

To rebuild and reunite the nation following the Civil War, the United States embarked on a difficult and complex path: Reconstruction. Before his assassination, Lincoln began planning a moderate Reconstruction plan that would have welcomed back the South to the Union if they agreed to take an oath to the Union and adopted an antislavery government. After Lincoln’s assassination, however, this plan was never adopted. Instead, Vice President Andrew Johnson became president, and Johnson, a Democrat and Southern sympathizer, wanted Reconstruction to be quick and did not believe in providing aid to the newly freed African Americans. Congressional Republicans, however, believed that Reconstruction should not only help the newly freed men and women of the South but also that the South needed to be punished and to adopt Republican governments.

For more background, read the History Channel’s “Reconstruction” and “Reconstruction” on the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History website (free login required).

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 2 Key Terms:

• Reconstruction
• President Andrew Johnson
• Presidential Reconstruction
• Congressional Reconstruction
• The Civil Rights Act of 1866

Scholars understand the different Reconstruction plans and can explain the competing visions for reuniting and rebuilding the nation.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars revise their Exit Tickets from the previous lesson based on the grade and feedback you gave them.

Context — 20 minutes

Launch (2 minutes)

• Review the Big Ideas from the previous lesson by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the lesson.
• Pose today’s Central Question, and invest scholars in continuing their study of the impact of the Civil War.

Watch (13 minutes)

• Watch the video “Reconstruction: The Political Struggle,” available on the Facing History website.
• While scholars watch, have them follow along with “Key Players of Reconstruction” on page 19 in the Unit 2 Sourcebook.
• Tell scholars to think about the following question as they watch the video:
  • How did the ideals of “healing” and “justice” clash during Reconstruction?
• Pause the video at 12:50 to begin discussion.

Discuss (5 minutes)

• Pairs of scholars discuss the question posed at the beginning of the video as well as the question below. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from their homework and the video.
  • How did Presidential and Congressional Reconstruction differ?
  • Make a connection to the Essential Question. Ask: Why did people argue over the purpose of Reconstruction?

Investigate — 15 minutes

• Scholars read and annotate Documents A through C on pages 19–20 of the Unit 2 of the Sourcebook. After reading each source, scholars should write a main idea next to the title of the source.
• Circulate to determine the major trends in scholars’ work.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have each scholar tell you the main idea of the document he or she is reading. What is the main idea of this document? How do you know? How does this document help answer the Central Question?
  • Hold scholars accountable for staying focused on the main ideas of the document.

Discuss — 5 minutes

• Scholars discuss the following questions as a whole class. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from the documents. Ensure the discussion leads scholars to answer the Central Question.
  • How did proposals for Reconstruction differ?
  • To what extent did these Reconstruction proposals aim to rebuild, reunite, and restore justice in the nation?
  • Make a connection to the Essential Question. Ask: What would it mean for Reconstruction to be “successful”?

Exit Ticket — 5 minutes

• Write a paragraph of no more than 200 words:
  • What was the purpose of Reconstruction? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from two different sources.

Homework

• Scholars read the article “Congressional Reconstruction” on the University of Houston Digital History website in preparation for the next lesson.

Central Question: Why was the Republican Congressional Reconstruction plan considered “radical”?

Historical Background

Under the administration of President Andrew Johnson in 1865 and 1866, new Southern state legislatures passed restrictive Black Codes to control the labor and behavior of former slaves and other African Americans. Outrage in the North over these codes eroded support for the approach known as Presidential Reconstruction and led to the triumph of the more radical wing of the Republican Party. During Radical Reconstruction, which began in 1867, newly enfranchised blacks gained a voice in government for the first time in American history, winning election to Southern state legislatures and even to the United States Congress. During this period, Congress passed and the nation ratified the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments, guaranteeing citizenship and the right to vote, respectively, to the freed African Americans. President Johnson remained a bulwark to Congressional plans, however, leading to his near impeachment in 1868.

For more background, read “The Reconstruction Amendments” on the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History website (free login required) and “Impeachment” on the PBS website.

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 2 Key Terms:

• Thaddeus Stevens
• Radical Republicans
• The Reconstruction Amendments
• The Reconstruction Acts
• Impeachment

Scholars can apply their knowledge of United States history to interpret original sources and use these sources to write clear, concise, and compelling claims about “radical” Congressional Reconstruction.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars revise their Exit Tickets from the previous lesson based on the grade and feedback you gave them.

Launch — 5 minutes

• Review the big ideas from the previous lesson by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the lesson.
• Build excitement for today’s DBQ, and invest scholars in beginning their study of Reconstruction policies and their consequences. Tell scholars they will apply all their knowledge as historians to answer a question using new sources that they have not seen before.
• Scholars read the Lessons 5–7 DBQ Historical Context and Task in the Unit 2 Workbook to frame their thinking.
• Ask: What is the DBQ Task asking us to do?
• Scholars interpret the Task in pairs. Call on pairs to share out.
  • As a class, be sure to define the meaning of the word “radical.”
  • Ask: Why might something be considered radical in the 1860s?

Guided Document Study — 20 minutes

• Set the expectation that scholars must tackle Documents A through D today by writing a main idea next to the title and using the text and their main idea annotations to concisely answer each short-answer question with a clear claim.

Read and Write (8 minutes)

• Read Document B* on page 22 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook with scholars. After reading, scholars should write a main idea next to the title and use their understanding of the text to write a claim for the accompanying short-answer question in the Unit 2 Workbook.
  • *Note: Document B may lend itself to an overly literal interpretation; scholars may struggle to distinguish historical facts from the president’s opinions. If you anticipate that scholars will struggle more with Document A, C, or D, use one of those documents instead.

Discuss (10 minutes)

• Have a scholar with a strong main idea annotation and/or claim share out. Have scholars discuss 1) how the main idea annotation reflects full understanding of the document and/or 2) why the claim effectively answers this short answer question.
• Share non-exemplar work. Have the class discuss why the main idea annotation does not reflect full understanding of the document and/or why the claim does not answer the short answer question.
• Ensure scholars understand how this feedback is transferable to their own work and know what they must do to improve.

Give scholars 2 minutes to revise their main ideas or claims based on the discussion.

Read and Write — 20 minutes

• Scholars read and annotate the remaining documents on pages 22–24 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook and write a clear and concise answer to each short-answer question in the Unit 2 Workbook. Hold scholars accountable for the clarity and strength of their claims!
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have scholars explain their thinking. Can their main idea annotations be made stronger? Are their claims simple and clear? Are they revising their writing?
  • Hold scholars accountable for implementing the feedback you’ve given them.

Teacher Feedback Guidance

• Before the next lesson, review scholars’ short answers and provide feedback on the quality of their work. Prioritize the most important change scholars must make both to improve the strength of their claims as well as of their future writing. Use your study of scholar work to determine a common trend in scholars’ writing.

Central Question: Why was the Republican Congressional Reconstruction plan considered “radical”?

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars can plan and draft clear and compelling written arguments that answer a historical question with strong theses and evidence that supports or proves their theses.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars revise their short answers from the previous lesson based on the feedback you gave them.

Plan — 15 minutes

• With partners or in small groups, scholars discuss possible answers to the DBQ Task. Ensure that scholars explain why the plan was considered radical in the context of the post-Civil War era.
• Lead a whole-class discussion on ways to answer this question. Remind scholars that there is not a single right answer to this task, but they must have evidence to defend their answers!
  • Call on pairs to share out their answers and defend them with evidence from Documents A through D.
  • Have scholars evaluate one another’s answers. Scholars should consider whether each answer is compelling and based on accurate evidence from the text.
  • Give scholars feedback on the clarity and quality of their answers.
• During the discussion, chart strong vs. weak answers. Ensure that scholars can explain what makes a particular answer strong or weak.
• Tell scholars that their answers to this question will become their theses in their final DBQ essays. All of the evidence in an essay must prove this thesis.
• After the discussion, give scholars 2 minutes to determine their own theses on the planning page of the DBQ in the Unit 2 Workbook. Ensure that scholars are not just copying an answer that was discussed but are actually formulating their own theses based on the discussion.

Outline and Draft — 30 minutes

Outline (15 minutes)

• Scholars create an outline for their DBQ essays on the planning page of the DBQ by finalizing their theses and the three strongest pieces of evidence from Documents A through D that support their theses, based on their work in the previous lesson and the class discussion.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have each scholar explain his or her thesis. Does the thesis answer the DBQ Task? Is it compelling? Does the evidence selected actually prove this thesis?
  • If scholars are struggling to choose strong evidence, have them write how each document helps answer the DBQ Task on each document or in their outline.

Draft (15 minutes)

• Scholars use their outlines to draft their DBQ essays. As scholars draft, they must focus on proving their theses with strong evidence from at least three different documents.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have scholars explain their writing. Can the writing be made stronger?
  • Ensure that scholars are using relevant evidence to prove their theses in their DBQ essays.
  • Ensure that scholars are revising their writing to make sure it is simple and clear.
  • Hold scholars accountable for rereading their writing and eliminating any typos and errors in basic conventions.
  • Coach scholars on how to implement the feedback you’ve given them.

Teacher Feedback Guidance

• Before the next lesson, review scholars’ drafts and provide feedback on the quality of their work. Prioritize the most important change scholars must make both to improve the strength of their theses and supporting evidence in this essay as well as in their future writing. Use your study of scholar work to determine a common trend in scholars’ writing.

Central Question: Why was the Republican Congressional Reconstruction plan considered “radical”?

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars revise their essays based on individualized teacher feedback to make their essays stronger and clearer and understand how to use their feedback to grow as writers.

Preparation

• To complete this revision, before class you must:
  • Choose an exemplar and non-exemplar draft essay from the previous lesson to use in the Launch and Mini-lesson. If there is no exemplar piece, plan to use your own teacher model piece.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars read your feedback on their initial drafts of their DBQ essays and discuss with a partner how they will apply this feedback in their revisions today.

Launch — 10 minutes

• The launch is your opportunity to provide a whole-class model of excellence and explain the biggest issue that holds scholars back from achieving excellence. The launch should end with scholars describing how this piece of writing exemplifies the Habits of Great Writers.
  • Reread the DBQ Task with scholars: Why was the Republican Congressional Reconstruction plan considered radical?
  • Then share an exemplar draft from the previous lesson. Have scholars discuss 1) what makes the scholar’s thesis compelling and 2) why the evidence selected is effective in proving this thesis.
  • Have scholars articulate to partners how the work study applies to their own writing today.

Mini-lesson — 10 minutes

• Choose an anonymous scholar’s draft essay that demonstrates a whole-class trend from your study of scholar work from the previous lesson, and show this scholar’s line-edited draft to the class.
• Have the class work together to apply your individualized feedback to begin to revise the DBQ essay. Then call on scholars to articulate how this scholar must apply this feedback to all writing moving forward.
• Set your expectations for how scholars will apply their individualized feedback to revise their work today.

Revise 1 — 10 minutes

• Scholars use their individualized feedback to revise their DBQ essays.
• Set the expectation that scholars should use this entire time to revise their work based on the feedback you have given them. Explain that some scholars may need to start from scratch, and that is OK! Note that this time will be productive only if you have given every scholar individualized feedback.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have scholars explain the feedback that they have received, as well as their plan to apply it.
  • Coach scholars on how to apply your feedback.

Mid-Workshop Teach — 5 minutes

• Share an essay that has greatly improved through revision. Have the scholar explain how he or she has applied his or her feedback to effectively revise.
  • If there is a clear whole-class misconception that must be addressed, share an anonymous example of that trend. Have the class discuss how the scholar needs to change his or her approach to revision in order to make more substantial changes.
• Ensure scholars understand how this feedback is transferable to their own work.
• Scholars articulate to their partner how they will revise their work based on the Mid-Workshop Teach.

Revise 2 — 10 minutes

• Scholars use the transferable takeaway from the Mid-Workshop Teach to continue revising their essays.
• Set the expectation that scholars should use the entire time to continue revising their essays.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Help scholars focus on what is most important: a strong thesis and supporting evidence.
  • Coach scholars on how to apply your feedback.

Homework

• Scholars read the article “Black Reconstruction” on Encyclopedia.com in preparation for the next lesson.

Teacher Feedback Guidance

• Before the next lesson, give each scholar a final grade on the revised essay, as well as one transferable next step that the scholar must apply to the next piece.

Central Question: How did Radical Reconstruction empower African Americans in the South?

Historical Background

Republican Reconstruction policies in many ways gave new freedoms and opportunities to African Americans in the South. The Freedmen’s Bureau, established at the end of the Civil War, provided social services, established schools, and helped African Americans transition to life as free men and women. The Freedmen’s Bureau also attempted to keep violent retaliation against African Americans in check. The Republican governments established by Reconstruction, as well as the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments, empowered black voters who elected black legislators to local, state, and national governments. Black universities were established in the South to provide the best education to African Americans.

For more background, read W. E. B. Du Bois’s “The Freedmen’s Bureau” on the Atlantic website.

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 2 Key Term:

• The Freedmen’s Bureau

Scholars understand the Congressional Reconstruction policies and aid organizations in the South and can explain how these organizations and policies empowered Southern African American communities.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars complete the Unit 2 Lesson 8 Do Now in the Unit 2 Workbook.

Context — 15 minutes

Launch (2 minutes)

• Review the Big Ideas from the previous lesson by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the lesson.
• Pose today’s Central Question, and invest scholars in continuing their study of Reconstruction policies and their consequences.

Watch (9 minutes)

• Watch the video “Interracial Democracy” on the Facing History website.
• Tell scholars to think about the following question as they watch the video:
  • How did African American politicians challenge traditional ideas about race and government?
• Pause the film at 9:20 to begin discussion.

Discuss (4 minutes)

• Pairs of scholars discuss the question posed at the beginning of the video as well as the questions below. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from their homework and the video.
  • How did the Freedmen’s Bureau affect the course of Reconstruction in the South?
  • Make a connection to the Big Ideas. Ask: How did government change in the South during Reconstruction?

Investigate — 15 minutes

• Scholars read and annotate Documents A through D on pages 26–29 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook. After reading each source, scholars should write a main idea next to the title of the source.
• While scholars work, circulate to determine the major trends in scholars’ work.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have each scholar tell you the main idea of the document he or she is reading. What is the main idea of this document? How do you know? How does this document help answer the Central Question?
  • Hold scholars accountable for staying focused on the main idea of the document.

Discuss — 5 minutes

• Scholars discuss the following questions as a whole class. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from the documents. Ensure the discussion leads scholars to answer the Central Question.
  • What were the key priorities of Black Reconstruction in the South? Why?
  • How did black legislators affect laws in the South?
  • Make a connection to the Essential Question. Ask: Based on the documents in this lesson, why was Black Reconstruction a success?

Exit Ticket — 10 minutes

• Write a paragraph of no more than 200 words:
  • How did Radical Reconstruction empower African Americans in the South? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from two different sources.

Homework

• Scholars read “Southern Response to Reconstruction” on page 31 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook, as well as the article “Redemption” on the University of Houston Digital History website in preparation for the next lesson.

Central Question: How did white Southerners use violence against African Americans to “redeem” the South?

Historical Background

For many Southerners, Congressional Reconstruction was an assault to their autonomy and livelihood. “Carpetbaggers,” or northern Republicans coming to the South, were seen as enemies trying to take advantage of the vulnerable South and destroy Southern culture. In addition, many white landowners were angry at the loss of their “property” and responded to African American social, economic, and political gains with systems of violence and economic and political disenfranchisement to limit their growing power in the South. White Southerners, who had been forced to accept Republican governments, used these methods of disempowerment to restore power to the Democratic Party, a period known as Southern Redemption.

For more background, read “Part One: The Terror Is Born” on the Southern Poverty Law Center website, and browse the “Violence and Backlash” lesson page on the Facing History website. In preparation for the sensitive material in this lesson, read “Teaching Race in 21st Century Schools” on the Blackpast website.

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 2 Key Terms:

• The Ku Klux Klan
• Redemption
• Disenfranchisement

Scholars understand the rise of violence against African Americans in the South and can explain why this violence was able to successfully disenfranchise African Americans and restore the Democratic Party to power.

Preparation

• The race-based violence in this lesson is challenging to discuss in a classroom, but it is crucially important to scholars’ awareness of the world and its social, moral, and political foundations. Therefore, this lesson demands authentic, purposeful conversation. As such, more time is dedicated to the Discuss portion of this lesson and there is no Exit Ticket. Prepare to effectively facilitate this discussion by reviewing “Teaching Hard History.”

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars revise their Exit Tickets from the previous lesson based on the grade and feedback you gave them.

Context — 20 minutes

Launch (2 minutes)

• Review the Big Ideas from the previous lesson by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the lesson.
• Pose today’s Central Question, and invest scholars in continuing their study of Reconstruction policies and their consequences.

Watch (13 minutes)

• Watch the video “Violence and Backlash,” available on the Facing History website.
• Tell scholars to think about the following question as they watch the video:
  • How did Southerners use violence during Reconstruction?
• Pause the video at 13:15 to begin discussion.

Discuss (5 minutes)

• Scholars, in pairs, discuss the question posed at the beginning of the video as well as the questions below. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from their homework and the video.
  • How did this violence challenge the achievements of Radical Reconstruction?
  • Make a connection to the Essential Question. Ask: To what extent did the federal government effectively deal with this racial violence in the South?

Investigate — 15 minutes

• Scholars read and annotate Documents A through D on 32–35 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook. After reading each source, scholars should write a main idea next to the title of the source.
• Circulate to determine the major trends in scholars’ work.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have each scholar tell you the main idea of the document he or she is reading. What is the main idea of this document? How do you know? How does this document help answer the Central Question?
  • Hold scholars accountable for staying focused on the main idea of the document.

Discuss — 10 minutes

• Tell scholars that there will be no written Exit Ticket for this lesson. Ensure scholars understand your expectations for an authentic, purposeful conversation of this content.
• Scholars discuss the following questions as a whole class. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from the documents. Ensure the discussion leads scholars to answer the Central Question.
  • How did white Southerners use white supremacy to justify the violence committed against African Americans?
  • How do these documents help us understand the emotions and experiences both of the victims and the perpetrators of this violence?
  • Make a connection to the Big Ideas. Ask: Why was this violence possible — and widely accepted — during Reconstruction?

Homework

• Scholars read the article “The End of Reconstruction” on the University of Houston Digital History website in preparation for the next lesson.

Central Question: Who, North or South, was more responsible for “killing” Reconstruction?

Historical Background

While Southerners resisted Reconstruction and established systems to dismantle its progress, by the 1870s, Northern interests in Reconstruction were also beginning to wane. Although the election of Republican war hero Ulysses S. Grant initially suggested progress and support for Republican policies, a presidency full of scandals, as well as economic struggles in the North, distracted Northerners from the plight of the South.

For more background, browse “The End of Reconstruction” on the Digital History website.

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 2 Key Term:

• President Ulysses S. Grant

Scholars can apply their knowledge of United States history to interpret original sources and use these sources to write clear, concise, and compelling claims about the reasons Reconstruction ended.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars complete the Unit 2 Lesson 10 Do Now in the Unit 2 Workbook.

Launch — 5 minutes

• Review the Big Ideas from the previous lesson by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the lesson.
• Build excitement for today’s DBQ, and invest scholars in continuing their study of Reconstruction policies and their consequences. Tell scholars they will apply all their knowledge as historians to answer a question using new sources that they have not seen before.
• Scholars read the Lessons 10–12 DBQ Historical Context and Task in the Unit 2 Workbook to frame their thinking.
• Ask: What is this DBQ Task asking us to do?
• Pairs of scholars interpret the Task. Call on pairs to share out.

Guided Document Study — 20 minutes

• Set the expectation that scholars must tackle Documents A through D today by writing a main idea next to the title and using the text and their main idea annotations to concisely answer each short-answer question with a clear claim.

Read and Write (8 minutes)

• Read Document D* on page 40 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook with scholars. After reading, scholars should write a main idea next to the title and use their understanding of the text to write a claim for the short-answer question that follows.
  • *Note: Document D highlights a more subtle racism that was common in the North by the end of Reconstruction and may not be immediately evident to scholars. If you anticipate that scholars will struggle more with Document A, B, or C, use one of those documents instead.

Discuss (10 minutes)

• Have a scholar with a strong main idea annotation and/or claim share out. Have scholars discuss 1) how the main idea annotation reflects full understanding of the document and/or 2) why the claim effectively answers this short-answer question.
• Share non-exemplar work. Have the class discuss why the main idea annotation does not reflect full understanding of the document and/or why the claim does not answer the short- answer question.
• Ensure scholars understand how this feedback is transferable to their own work and know what they must do to improve.

Give scholars 2 minutes to revise their main ideas or claims based on the discussion.

Read and Write — 20 minutes

• Scholars read and annotate the remaining documents on pages 37–40 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook and write a clear and concise claim that answers each short-answer question. Hold scholars accountable for the clarity and strength of their claims!
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have scholars explain their thinking. Can their main idea annotations be made stronger? Are their claims simple and clear? Are they revising their writing?
  • Hold scholars accountable for implementing the feedback you’ve given them.

Teacher Feedback Guidance

• Before the next lesson, review scholars’ short answers and provide feedback on the quality of their work. Prioritize the most important change scholars must make to improve the strength of their claims as well as of their future writing. Use your study of scholar work to determine a common trend in scholars’ writing.

Central Question: Who, North or South, was more responsible for “killing” Reconstruction?

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars can plan and draft clear and compelling written arguments that answer a historical question with strong theses and evidence that supports or proves their theses.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars revise their short answers from the previous lesson based on the feedback you gave them.

Plan — 15 minutes

• With partners or in small groups, scholars discuss possible answers to the DBQ Task. Ensure that scholars explain why the North or the South was more responsible for the end of Reconstruction.
• Lead a whole-class discussion on possible answers to this task. Remind scholars that there is not a single right answer to this task, but they must have evidence to defend their answers!
  • Call on pairs to share out their answers and defend them with evidence from Documents A through D.
  • Have scholars evaluate one another’s answers. Scholars should consider whether each answer is compelling and based on accurate evidence from the text.
  • Give scholars feedback on the clarity and quality of their answers.
• During the discussion, chart strong vs. weak answers. Ensure that scholars can explain what makes a particular answer strong or weak.
• Tell scholars that their answers to this question will become their theses in their final DBQ essays. All of the evidence in an essay must prove this thesis.
• After the discussion, give scholars 2 minutes to determine their own theses on the planning page of the DBQ in the Unit 2 Workbook. Ensure that scholars are not just copying an answer that was discussed but are actually formulating their own theses based on the discussion.

Outline and Draft — 30 minutes

Outline (15 minutes)

• Scholars create an outline for their DBQ essays on the planning page of the DBQ by finalizing their theses and the three strongest pieces of evidence from Documents A through D that support their theses, based on their work in the previous lesson and the class discussion.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have each scholar explain his or her thesis. Does the thesis answer the DBQ Task? Is it compelling? Does the evidence selected actually prove this thesis?
  • If scholars are struggling to choose strong evidence, have them write how each document helps answer the DBQ Task on each document or in their outline.

Draft (15 minutes)

• Scholars use their outlines to draft their DBQ essays. As scholars draft, they must focus on proving their theses with strong evidence from at least three different documents.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have scholars explain their writing. Can the writing be made stronger?
  • Ensure that scholars are using relevant evidence to prove their theses in their DBQ essays.
  • Ensure that scholars are revising their writing to make sure it is simple and clear.
  • Hold scholars accountable for rereading their writing and eliminating any typos and errors in basic conventions.
  • Coach scholars on how to implement the feedback you’ve given them.

Teacher Feedback Guidance

• Before the next lesson, review scholars’ drafts and provide feedback on the quality of their work. Prioritize the most important change scholars must make to improve the strength of their theses and supporting evidence in this essay as well as in their future writing. Use your study of scholar work to determine a common trend in scholars’ writing

Central Question: Who, North or South, was more responsible for “killing” Reconstruction?

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars revise their essays based on individualized teacher feedback to make their essays stronger and clearer and understand how to use their feedback to grow as writers.

Preparation

• To complete this revision, before class you must:
  • Choose an exemplar and non-exemplar draft essay from the previous lesson to use in the Launch and Mini-lesson. If there is no exemplar piece, plan to use your own teacher model piece.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars read your feedback on their initial drafts of their DBQ essays and discuss with a partner how they will apply this feedback in their revisions today.

Launch — 10 minutes

• The launch is your opportunity to provide a whole-class model of excellence and explain the biggest issue that holds scholars back from achieving excellence. The launch should end with scholars describing how this piece of writing exemplifies the Habits of Great Writers.
  • Reread the DBQ Task with scholars: Who, North or South, was more responsible for “killing” Reconstruction?
  • Then share an exemplar draft from the previous lesson. Have scholars discuss 1) what makes the scholar’s thesis compelling and 2) why the evidence selected is effective in proving this thesis.
  • Have scholars articulate to partners how the work study applies to their own writing today.

Mini-lesson — 10 minutes

• Choose an anonymous scholar’s draft essay that demonstrates a whole-class trend from your study of scholar work from the previous lesson, and show this scholar’s line-edited draft to the class.
• Have the class work together to apply your individualized feedback to begin to revise the DBQ essay. Then call on scholars to articulate how this scholar must apply this feedback to all writing moving forward.
• Set your expectations for how scholars will apply their individualized feedback to revise their work today.

Revise 1 — 10 minutes

• Scholars use their individualized feedback to revise their DBQ essays.
• Set the expectation that scholars should use this entire time to revise their work based on the feedback you have given them. Explain that some scholars may need to start from scratch, and that is OK! Note that this time will be productive only if you have given every scholar individualized feedback.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have scholars explain the feedback that they have received, as well as their plan to apply it.
  • Coach scholars on how to apply your feedback.

Mid-Workshop Teach — 5 minutes

• Share an essay that has greatly improved through revision. Have the scholar explain how he or she has applied his or her feedback to effectively revise.
  • If there is a clear whole-class misconception that must be addressed, share an anonymous example of that trend. Have the class discuss how the scholar needs to change his or her approach to revision in order to make more substantial changes.
• Ensure scholars understand how this feedback is transferable to their own work.
• Scholars articulate to their partners how they will revise their work based on the Mid-Workshop Teach.

Revise 2 — 10 minutes

• Scholars use the transferable takeaway from the Mid-Workshop Teach to continue revising their essays.
• Set the expectation that scholars should use the entire time to continue revising their essays.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Help scholars focus on what is most important: a strong thesis and supporting evidence.
  • Coach scholars on how to apply your feedback.

Homework

• Scholars read “The Election of 1876” on page 42 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook in preparation for their next lesson.

Teacher Feedback Guidance

• Before the next lesson, give scholars a final grade on their revised essays, as well as one transferable next step that they must apply to their next piece.

Central Question: Who were the “winners” and “losers” of the Compromise of 1877?

Historical Background

The election of 1876 was one of the most contested elections in American history. Samuel Tilden, a Democrat from New York, ran against Rutherford Hayes, a Republican from Ohio. Tilden won 184 electoral votes and the popular vote, whereas Hayes won 165 electoral votes. However, 20 electoral votes were in dispute. An informal congressional deal, known as the Compromise of 1877, awarded all 20 votes to Hayes, in exchange for the removal of federal troops from the South and the end of Reconstruction. With Reconstruction over, Democratic governments retook control of the South, whereas

Republican industrial and economic interests dominated the North, the interests of African Americans left out of the bargain.

For more background, read “The Election of 1876” on the PBS website and “The Contentious Election of 1876” on the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History website (free login required).

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 2 Key Terms:

• The Election of 1876/The Compromise of 1877
• President Rutherford B. Hayes

Scholars understand the conditions that led to the Compromise of 1877 and can explain who benefited from the Compromise and who suffered.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars complete the Unit 2 Lesson 13 Do Now in the Unit 2 Workbook.

Context — 5 minutes

Launch (2 minutes)

• Review the Big Ideas from the previous lesson by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the lesson.
• Pose today’s Central Question, and invest scholars in beginning their study of the contested legacy of Reconstruction.

Discuss (3 minutes)

• Pairs of scholars discuss the questions below. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from their homework.
  • Why was the election of 1876 so divisive?
  • What factors led to the Compromise of 1877?
  • Make a connection to previous content. Ask: How did the Compromise of 1877 support the goals of white supremacists in the South?

Investigate — 25 minutes

• Scholars read and annotate Documents A through E on pages 43–45 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook. After reading each source, scholars should write a main idea next to the title of the source.
• Circulate to determine the major trends in scholars’ work.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have each scholar tell you the main idea of the document he or she is reading. Ask: What is the main idea of this document? How do you know? How does this document help answer the Central Question?
  • Hold scholars accountable for staying focused on the main idea of the document.

Discuss — 5 minutes

• Scholars discuss the following questions as a whole class. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from the text. Ensure the discussion leads scholars to answer the Central Question.
  • Whom did the Compromise of 1877 help? Whom did the Compromise of 1877 hurt? Why?
  • Why did people outside of the South support the Compromise of 1877?
  • Make a connection to the Essential Question. Ask: To what extent was the Compromise of 1877 a success, and for whom?

Exit Ticket — 10 minutes

• Write a paragraph of no more than 200 words:
  • Who were the “winners” and “losers” of the Compromise of 1877? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from two different sources.

Homework

• Scholars read pages 3–4 and 31–32 in Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory by historian David Blight (Harvard University Press: 2001) in preparation for the next lesson.

Central Question: How effectively did Reconstruction reunite the North and the South?

Historical Background

In addition to rebuilding the South and empowering the newly freed African Americans, a third goal of Reconstruction was to reunite the nation. Years of sectional conflict had torn the two areas apart during the Civil War, only for tensions to grow more heated as Northern Republicans attempted to control the South. By the end of Reconstruction, both North and South hoped to “forget” the conflict of the Civil War and move forward in reuniting the nation, which in many ways meant leaving behind African Americans. On the other hand, even by the end of Reconstruction, it was hard for many people, both in the North and the South, to let go of the bitter memories of sectionalism.

For further background, read Chapter 4, “Race and Reconciliation,” from Race and Reunion by David Blight and “The Civil War Isn’t Over” on the Atlantic website.

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand Northern and Southern perceptions of one another and of Reconstruction in 1877 and can explain how Reconstruction both succeeded and failed to fully reunite the nation.

Preparation

• To complete this gallery walk, before class you must:
  • Print all texts and images on cardstock and distribute at each respective station.
  • Determine how you will present video or audio content, if necessary.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars revise their Exit Tickets from the previous lesson based on the grade and feedback you gave them.

Context — 5 minutes

Launch (2 minutes)

• Review the big ideas from the previous lesson by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the lesson.
• Pose today’s Central Question, and invest scholars in continuing their study of the contested legacy of Reconstruction.

Discuss (3 minutes)

• Pairs of scholars discuss the question posed at the beginning of the video as well as the questions below. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from their homework.
  • Why was achieving the goal of reunion and reconciliation difficult during Reconstruction?
  • Who benefited from the national spirit of “reunion”? Who suffered? Why?
  • Make a connection to previous content. Ask: The video celebrates the “reunion” of North and South 50 years after the end of the war. How genuine was that sense of reunion?

Investigate — 25 minutes

• Divide scholars into four groups. Assign each group one of these stations to begin the gallery walk: Southern View of Northerners (page 48 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook), Northern View of Southerners (page 49 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook), National Reunion (page 50 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook), and On Civil Rights (page 51 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook).
• Explain that each group will examine the images, watch the videos, or read the text at its assigned station for 6 minutes before switching to the next station.
• After examining the sources, scholars should record their observations and inferences.
• While scholars work, circulate to determine the major trends in scholars’ work, and conference with groups of scholars as they rotate between stations.

Discuss — 5 minutes

• Scholars discuss the following questions as a whole class. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from the documents. Ensure the discussion leads scholars to answer the Central Question.
  • Why did some Americans support “reconciliation” with the South?
  • Why were other Americans hesitant to forgive one another?
  • Make a connection to previous content. Ask: Why did supporters of national reconciliation believe they needed to exclude African Americans in order to reunite the nation?

Exit Ticket — 10 minutes

• Write a paragraph of no more than 200 words:
  • How effectively did Reconstruction reunite the North and the South? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from two different sources.

Homework

• Scholars read the article “Why Reconstruction Matters” by historian Eric Foner on the New York Times website in preparation for the next lesson.

Central Question: How has the legacy of Reconstruction evolved over time?

Historical Background

In the many years since Reconstruction, historians and Americans alike have told different stories of what Reconstruction meant and what its legacy is in the United States. Immediately after the Civil War, Southerners recast the story of Reconstruction as a total failure, an attack on the South, and evidence of the shortcomings of black leadership. Over time, that narrative has changed, and the ultimate successes and shortcomings of Reconstruction are still up for historical debate. Regardless, the issues tackled during Reconstruction — namely, civil rights for African Americans — were very much undone following Southern Redemption and not considered again until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.

For more background, read “Forgetting Why We Remember” on the New York Times website.

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand historical responses to Reconstruction over time and can explain the complex legacy of Reconstruction in American history.

Do Now — 5 minutes

• Scholars revise their Exit Tickets from the previous lesson based on the grade and feedback you gave them.

Context — 10 minutes

Launch (2 minutes)

• Review the Big Ideas from the previous lesson by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the lesson.
• Pose today’s Central Question, and invest scholars in continuing their study of the contested legacy of Reconstruction.

Examine (3 minutes)

• Read as a class W. E. B. Du Bois’s famous quote: “The slave went free; stood a brief moment in the sun; then moved back again toward slavery.”

Discuss (5 minutes)

• Pairs of scholars discuss the question posed at the beginning of the video as well as the questions below. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from their homework and the quote.
  • Why does Du Bois say that African Americans “moved back again toward slavery”?
  • Why have historians interpreted Reconstruction differently over time?
  • Make a connection to the Essential Question. Ask: How did the legacy of Reconstruction remain with African Americans through the Civil Rights Movement nearly 100 years after the end of the Reconstruction?

Investigate — 20 minutes

• Scholars read and annotate Documents A through D on pages 53–55 of the Unit 2 Sourcebook. After reading each source, scholars should write a main idea next to the title of the source.
• Circulate to determine the major trends in scholars’ work.
• Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
  • Have each scholar tell you the main idea of the document he or she is reading. Ask: What is the main idea of this document? How do you know? How does this document help answer the Central Question?
  • Hold scholars accountable for staying focused on the main idea of the document.

Discuss — 5 minutes

• Scholars discuss the following questions as a whole class. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from the documents. Ensure the discussion leads scholars to answer the Central Question.
  • Compare the historical accounts of Reconstruction. How does each author characterize Reconstruction?
  • Why do these historiographies differ?
  • Make a connection to the Essential Question. Ask: Why have historians defined Reconstruction as a “success” or a “failure”? How has the meaning of “success” and “failure” changed over time?

Exit Ticket — 10 minutes

• Write a paragraph of no more than 200 words:
  • How has the legacy of Reconstruction evolved over time? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from two different sources.

• Scholars read the following articles on Newsela*:
  • “Loving v. Virginia, the Court Case That Made Interracial Marriage Legal”
  • “Supreme Court’s Same-sex Marriage Ruling Cheered by Many Nationwide”
  • “Puerto Ricans Continue Their Search for Identity in the United States”
• Scholars write an essay of no more than 400 words based on all three of the articles above in response to the following prompt:
  • How have the citizenship protections outlined in the Fourteenth Amendment continued to affect society throughout American history?

*To access all articles on the Newsela website, you must create a free account.

Prompts: Scholars may choose one of the following prompts about Big Ideas in American history.

• Why did Americans disagree about the purpose of Reconstruction?
• W. E. B. Du Bois famously wrote of Reconstruction: “The slave went free; stood a brief moment in the sun; then moved back again toward slavery.” Do you agree with Du Bois’s characterization of Reconstruction in this way? Why or why not?
• To what extent did Reconstruction change Southern society?

Project Menu: Scholars may then choose to respond to the prompt chosen above with one of the formats outlined below.

• Thematic Essay: Scholars write a thematic essay that answers one of the extra credit prompts, drawing on evidence both from the unit and from their own independent research.
• Podcast: Scholars create an original podcast that answers one of the prompts above. The podcast should be 5–8 minutes long. Podcasts must draw on evidence both from the unit and from scholars’ own independent research.
• “Docudrama”: Scholars create a “docudrama” that answers one of the prompts above. A docudrama is a dramatized video that tells the story of historic events. The docudrama should be 5–8 minutes long. Docudramas must draw on evidence both from the unit and from scholars’ own independent research.
• Interview: Scholars record (video or podcast) an interview with a “historian” or a historical figure in order to answer one of the prompts above. The historian or historical figure must be the scholar. A parent, a classmate, or a teacher should be the interviewer. Interviews should be 5–8 minutes long. Interviews must draw on evidence both from the unit and from scholars’ own independent research.
• Propose your own project: Scholars may propose to do their own project. These projects must still answer one of the extra credit prompts, and any project proposal must draw on evidence both from the unit and from scholars’ own independent research.