Growth of a Nation: Reforms (6 instructional days)
Unit Objective: Students will:
• research and analyze the major reform movements of the 19th century to develop a Public Service
Announcement presentation demonstrating how these reforms will affect American society. The
presentation will be assessed according to the standards of a rubric with a score of 85% or better.
Unit Question:
• How have reformers impacted the problems of American society?
LEARNING EXPERIENCE: Reform Movements – An Overview (1 day)
As a class read text and complete the graphic organizer about the Second Great Awakening.
Answer and discuss the question: Why might a belief in free will (the ability to choose how to act; the
ability to make choices that are not controlled by fate or God) inspire a spirit of reform (to improve
someone or something by removing or correcting faults, problems, etc.)?
In pairs, create and complete a column chart about the reform movements using the text. Each group
should rank the reform movements in the order of their importance to society. Share and discuss charts
and rankings.
Exit ticket: In your opinion, which reform movement had the greatest impact on society? Use evidence
to justify your answer.
LEARNING EXPERIENCE: The Role of Women in Reforms (1 day)
Place students in pairs. As they view the images from the PPT, they will answer the following questions
as they compare and contrast the images. Share and discuss student responses.
The Drunkard’s Home and the Temperance Home
1. How is alcohol depicted in each cartoon?
2. Based on the images, is alcohol the cause or the effect of unfortunate financial and familial
circumstances?
3. Who is doing the drinking, and who are the victims of the drinking?
4. What is the message that the author is trying to convey to the audience?
The Temperance Tree and the Intemperance Tree
1. Identify and list the symbolic aspects in each of the "Tree" cartoons.
2. How does each cartoon depict society?
3. What does the snake represent?
4. What story do the limbs of each tree tell the audience?
Each set of images was created by the same artist (the Home images by S. F. Cary and the Tree images
by Archibald Macbrair). Why would each artist want to illustrate both sides of society (with and without
alcohol)?
Writing reflection: What would Temperance reformers have to do to achieve their goal of banning
alcohol? In your opinion, what role would women play in this movement?
Class discussion question: In your opinion, what was the role of women in the 1840s and 1850s?
Key points could include:
• Wife, mother, managed the family
• Could work outside the home (factories)
• Demonstrated pioneer spirit (moving to the west)
• Involved in reforming society (Dorethea Dix, Temperance)
• Relatively no political rights (could not vote)
What would women have to do in order to receive political rights such as voting? In order to answer this
question, read text about the Seneca Falls Convention.
Then, place student in small groups. Using a graphic organizer and a highlighter, students will compare
and contrast excerpts from the Declaration of Sentiments (1848) Declaration of Independence (1776).
Students should highlight similarities and differences in language and ideas. Student observations should
include similarities in use of words and format and differences in the explanation of grievances. Be sure
that students understand the differences between the grievances in the DOI, which were against the
King, and the grievances in the DOS, which were against men and their treatment of women.
Think-Pair-Share: Why did these women feel it was necessary to write the Declaration of Sentiments,
and why did they choose to model their document after the Declaration of Independence?
LEARNING EXPERIENCE: The Abolition of Slavery (2 days)
Discuss the following:
Who would have been against slavery if you suddenly found yourself living in those times? Every student
will probably raise their hand. Then ask, so what exactly would you have done to end slavery? Share and
discuss student responses.
Create student groups of 3-4 and provide each group member with a set of abolition documents. As a
class, model the process of analysis with document 1, the excerpts from the Hampshire Gazette about
the Boston Riots. Provide students with copies of the analysis graphic organizer.
Questions to discuss:
•
Who is the newspaper article supporting, abolitionists like Garrison or the respectable citizens
who were preventing the anti-slavery meeting?
•
Why would some Northerners not support the abolition of slavery? (Think economic reasons.)
•
What rights of Garrison’s and the other abolitionists were being violated?
•
What is the relationship between the 1st Amendment and the Abolitionist movement?
Groups will discuss the documents 2-5 and complete the questions related to each document. Groups
will share their observations whole class.
Last, analyze document 6, Fredrick Douglass's speech, The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro.
Discussion questions:
•
What does Douglass mean when he states it is the birthday of your National Independence, and
of your political freedom?
•
According to Douglass, how does a slave feel about the Fourth of July?
•
In your opinion, how did the audience react to his speech?
As a class, read and discuss PowerPoint slides 1-2.
•
What does the title mean?
•
In paragraph 1, why does the author compare factory girls to slaves?
•
According to paragraph 2, who is purchasing cotton, rice, sugar, molasses and tobacco from the
South?
•
In paragraph 3, what is the supply, and what is the demand?
•
How does the consumer affect slavery as described in paragraph 4?
•
What is the author’s overall message to abolitionists?
Writing reflection: Based on the excerpt, what is the relationship between cotton production, factories,
and slavery?
Groups will design a public service announcement or poster about one of the reform movements.
Discuss the elements of a public service announcement (view examples of public service
announcements). The PSA/poster should demonstrate why the issue was important to society, how the
reform will affect society, and how Americans can be part of the solution. Groups will present
PSAs/posters to class.
Sectionalism graphic organizer notes: Students should complete the boxes about American Art, the
Women's Movement, and abolitionism. The information from various learning experiences will help
them complete the boxes. As a class, discuss student descriptions to check for accuracy and
understanding.
Teacher Notes for completing the Sectionalism graphic organizer - With a partner, students need to
“plot” the path for each dog, highlighting the persons, places, and events that would have impacted or
took place in each dogs’ section. Use red for North, blue for South, and green for West. Have students
justify their selections. Students can choose other paths from the ones in the example but must provide
an accurate justification for their choice. See examples here.
Writing reflection: In your opinion, what 3 people, places, or events (from the graphic organizer) had
the greatest sectional impact on the United States? What is going to happen if sectionalism continues in
the 1850s?