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Defining Freedom Lesson PlanDefining Freedom Lesson Plan
Publisher
Facing History and Ourselves
Resource Details
Curator Rating
Educator Rating
Not yet Rated
Grade
9th - 12th
Subjects
Social Studies & History
2 more...
Resource Type
Lesson Plans
Audience
For Teacher Use
Duration
3 days
Instructional Strategies
Collaborative Learning
4 more...
Technology
Audio
Internet Access
Video
Accessibility
Closed Captions
Usage Permissions
Fine Print: Educational Use
Lesson Plan

Defining Freedom

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet
This Defining Freedom lesson plan also includes:
  • Defining Freedom
  • Changing Names
  • Savannah Freedpeople Express Their Aspirations for Freedom
  • What the Black Man Wants
  • Letter from Jourdon Anderson: A Freedman Writes His Former Master
  • South Carolina Freedpeople Demand Education
  • Join to access all included materials

The Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in the Confederate states. The Thirteenth Amendment banned slavery in the United States. However, neither document defined freedom. The second lesson in the Reconstruction Era series examines the debate over the definition of freedom and looks at the attempts of the Freedmen's Bureau to provide assistance to former slaves and to establish the protocols for the new social order.

15 Views 4 Downloads

Concepts

causes of the civil war, the united states civil war, slavery, the reconstruction era, the thirteenth amendment, freedom, the emancipation proclamation, south carolina history, primary source analysis, primary sources, primary source images, frederick douglass, slave culture, harriet tubman, the underground railroad, black codes

Additional Tags

social studies

Instructional Ideas

  • For homework, ask class members to read and annotate the entire Emancipation Proclamation
  • Pause the video frequently to permit viewers to respond to prompts on the worksheet, ask questions, and clarify understanding

Classroom Considerations

  • The second in a series of seven video-based web lessons about the Reconstruction Era
  • The lessons are designed to be taught in order
  • The 14-minute video comes with a warning that it contains images that may not be suitable for young audiences; therefore, preview the video to determine if appropriate for your classes

Pros

  • A Think, Pair, Share activity asks learners to make a personal connection to the topic of freedom
  • The packet includes primary source readings

Cons

  • None

See similar resources:

Worksheet

The Emancipation Proclamation

Student Handouts
Start your class on the Emancipation Proclamation. The entire text of the Proclamation is included here along with two questions to answer. Space is provided to allow pupils to write their responses right on the page. Use this as a quick...
8th - 11th English Language Arts
CCSS: Adaptable
Lesson Plan

Philip Reid and the Statue of Freedom

Middle Level Learning
Approach the concept of freedom in United States history from a variety of angles and delve into rich primary source analysis practice. Pupils study the Statue of Freedom, which sits atop the dome of the Capitol building in...
8th - 11th Social Studies & History
CCSS: Adaptable
PPT

Reconstruction (1865-1876)

Curated OER
Easily broken into pieces for several class sessions, this presentation is a great way to transition your class out of a Civil War unit and closer to the 20th century. Engaging photographs, including relevant maps and humorous political...
8th - 12th Social Studies & History
Lesson Plan

Create a Magic Lantern Show; Freed People in the Reconstruction South

Curated OER
Engage your scholars by having them create "magic lantern shows" inspired by the film Dr. Toer's Amazing Magic Lantern Show: A Different View of Emancipation. As they study the South's Reconstruction through primary...
8th - 11th Social Studies & History
Instructional Video

Reconstruction: The 15th Amendment and African American Men in Congress

PBS
To escape to freedom, Robert Smalls had to steal a Confederate ship and sail to Union lines. He continued that fight for freedom as one of the first African American representatives in Congress during the Reconstruction era. Learners...
7 mins 7th - 12th Social Studies & History
CCSS: Adaptable
Lesson Plan

The Legacies of Reconstruction

Facing History and Ourselves
The final lesson in the seven-resource Reconstruction Era collection examines the legacies of Reconstruction. Class members investigate why the period has been called an "unfinished revolution," "a splendid failure," and "the second...
9th - 12th Social Studies & History
Instructional Video

Reconstruction: Ida B. Wells - Pioneer of Civil Rights

PBS
When Ida B. Wells was kicked off the whites-only ladies railway car, it ignited a ferocious warrior for civil rights. Wells and others worked to preserve the hard-won freedoms of Reconstruction, which were tenuous at best during...
3 mins 7th - 12th Social Studies & History
CCSS: Adaptable
Interactive

To What Extent was Reconstruction a Revolution? (Part 1)

DocsTeach
Some scholars consider the Civil War and Reconstruction a second American Revolution. Class members weigh in after examining primary sources, including a Congressional resolution calling for the Fifteenth Amendment and the credentials of...
10th - 12th Social Studies & History
CCSS: Adaptable
Lesson Plan

Regulating Freedom of Speech

Curated OER
Students examine the nature and limits of the Constitutional right to freedom of speech. They read and analyze the First Amendment, discuss various case studies, and research and record their own opinion on discussion questions.
9th - 12th Social Studies & History
Unit Plan

Pbs Learning Media: Writing in u.s. History: The Emancipation Proclamation

PBS
Assess how the Emancipation Proclamation expanded ideas of freedom and liberty, looking at the antislavery debate that led to the proclamation, the influences on Lincoln's decision, and the provisions of the document. In this interactive...
9th - 10th Social Studies & History
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