Curated OER
After Reconstruction: Problems of African Americans
Students describe issues or problems facing African Americans following Reconstruction. They explain possible solutions to these problems suggested in the sources you find, and cite arguments for and against these solutions.
Curated OER
The Battle Over Reconstruction: The Aftermath of Reconstruction
Learners examine the Reconstruction Era. In this American history lesson, students explore the condition of the United States following the Civil War as they read statistical data. Learners analyze the Reconstruction policies to...
Curated OER
What price Freedom! Civil War and Reconstruction
Fifth graders become familiar with the events of Reconstruction and the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments. In this reconstruction lesson, 5th graders work in pairs where each student creates a building with blocks and draws it. Their...
Curated OER
Sing Out Loud: The Slave Spirituals Historical and Cultural Implications during Reconstruction
Students identify, summarize and present facts about cultural, educational and political inequalities of Reconstruction, explain hidden codes of slave spirituals and their importance in slaves' communication, and create poetry based on...
Curated OER
Radical Reconstruction
Learners explore the Republican plan for Radical Reconstruction. In this reading comprehension lesson, students use a PowerPoint presentation given by the teacher and multiple texts to answer questions that help them understand why the...
EngageNY
Analyzing Experiences: Carlotta Walls
What was life like in the American South following the Civil War? Scholars watch a video that discusses the aftermath of the Civil War and the events during the Reconstruction Period. Additionally, they continue reading Carlotta Walls...
Curated OER
Facing the Ghosts of Our Past
A reading of a New York Times review of the movie Beloved launches research into how the Civil War affected the lives of people living during this period. Creative thinkers select a person from an included list of historical figures and...
Huntington Library
The Poetry and Prose of Langston Hughes
Eleventh graders discover the poetry of Langston Hughes. In this social issues lesson plan, 11th graders experience the views of Langston Hughes. Students read Hughes' poetry and discuss the basic theme. Students evaluate the political,...
Curated OER
The poetry of the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
After a study of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the impact his death had on the country and on Reconstruction policy, class groups analyze primary sources that recount the writer’s response to Lincoln’s death. As guided...
Curated OER
ESL/ELD: Learning about Ash Wednesday
An overview of the history and tradition of Ash Wednesday in 2 paragraphs is accompanied by an array of language activities: cloze exercise, phrase matching, word jumble, multiple choice, sequencing, interview, group presentation,...
Curated OER
Bridges for All
Students describe how the brave word of one female Quaker served as a lifeline for fugitives before the Civil War. In this research instructional activity, students research several examples of the philanthropic work of individuals and...
Curated OER
Jim Crow Lesson Plan
Jackie Robinson's attempt to earn a spot on the 1946 Brooklyn Dodgers provides learners with an opportunity to examine the Jim Crow laws and revisit issues of segregation and integration. "The Unconquerable Doing the Impossible: Jackie...
Curated OER
Sgt. Humiston, Where are You?
Students become familiar with the events of the Civil War. For this identification lesson, students use deductive reasoning to understand how the deceased soldier was identified. Students view primary documents for information about...
Curated OER
Body and Media Reconstruction
Students use discussion and activities to create a message about body image. They discover their voice in the media and discover how the production process affects the final message from the media.
Curated OER
Tall Tales: Reconstructing A Personal Tell
Sixth graders discover the ways archaeologists examine artifacts and where they are found. After being introduced to new vocabulary, they use artifacts from their own lives and discover what could be told about their life from them. ...
Curated OER
What Happens Next?
Fifth graders complete activities to help them sequence events in a story. For this sequencing lesson, 5th graders read a story and work in groups to retell the story by creating a flowchart of events to reconstruct. Students create...
Curated OER
How Do They Know That
Young scholars explore methods for reconstructing the past. In this forest succession lesson, students examine forest succession and how to read the land in order to predict patterns of change. Young scholars will visit a historical...
Curated OER
Recreating Storyline
Seventh graders engage in a lesson plan that focuses on the sequence of a story and they discover its importance in the context of improving reading comprehension. Students analyze the plot of a story and reconstruct it into the right...
Curated OER
Super Seniors
Students research senior citizens who were heroes during the Reconstruction Era. They interview senior citizens who they believe to be heroes and write a biography about them. They explain how small acts can contribute to the common good.
Curated OER
Scatterbrained Soliloquies
Students reconstruct a famous soliloquy from Romeo and Juliet which the teacher has cut apart and scattered. They piece the soliloquy back together making sense of the passage.
Curated OER
Reporting from the Front Lines
Students examine the battle of Gettysburg as they write news articles. For this Battle of Gettysburg lesson, students become familiar with the job of the news reporter as they report on the events of the Battle of Gettysburg as they...
Shakespeare Uncovered
All the Globe’s a Stage: Shakespeare’s Theatre
“All the world’s a stage,” exclaims Jaques in As You Like It, but it is the structure of the Globe stage and how that structure influenced Shakespeare’s plays that is the focus of an on-line research project. Class members visit a series...
Defining US
Integration of Education and American Society
How did the struggle for Civil Rights during the 1950s transform American society and politics? Why are American schools integrated today? Class members explore these essential questions by examining a series of primary and secondary...
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum
Ask Not What Your Country Can Do for You
Ask not what the instructional activity here can do for you, but what you can do with the instructional activity. The answer is quite a lot! Young scholars revisit JFK's famous inaugural address with a focus on his plea for civic...