TAH UNIT
Lesson Plan
Subject: The Reconstruction Amendments
5th Grade Social Studies
GPS:
SS5H2 The student will analyze the effects of Reconstruction on American life.
a.
Describe the purpose of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments.
b.
Explain the work of the Freedmen’s Bureau.
c.
Explain how slavery was replaced by sharecropping and how African-Americans
were prevented from exercising their newly won rights; include a discussion of Jim Crow
laws and customs.
Learning Goal(s):
Students will be able to evaluate and defend the importance of each of the Reconstruction
amendments while examining the life of the newly freed enslaved people.
Essential Question:
How did the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments influence the beliefs and ideals of the country?
How did life change for freed slaves due to these Amendments?
Activate Learning:
As a pre-assessment for this unit, the teacher should ask small groups to brainstorm lists of
the effects of the Civil War on the North and South. This list may include the physical
destruction of Southern farms, freed slaves who were in need of housing, clothing,
education, and harsh feelings between Northerners and Southerners. Once students have had
time to develop their lists, they should discuss their ideas as a class. The teacher should
record the ideas on one column of a T-chart labeled “Problems in the U.S. after the Civil
War” and “Solutions.” The class will fill in the “Solutions” column as they learn more about
Reconstruction.
Teaching Strategies:
Teacher will incorporate a student-led web quest along with close notes, discussion , and power
point review to help students gain the knowledge of the content
Summarizing:
Students will keep a Reconstruction journal to summarize and have dialogue with the teacher.
Before class ends each day, students will write 2-3 sentences answering the sample questions of the
day assigned by the teacher, or the teacher may allow days where students reflect on the status of
the Digital Presentation. These journal entries will allow the teacher to communicate with the
students, clear up misconceptions, and assess for future learning.
Alternative – these questions could be answered using a ticket out the door or a graffiti wall.
Sample questions:
What problems faced the North and South after the war?
What problems faced the newly freed slaves?
What did the 13th, 14th, or 15th Amendment accomplish? What problems still existed?
How did the Freedman’s Bureau help the South?
How did Jim Crow laws deny African Americans of their new rights?
Authentic Culminating Assessment
EQ: What would life be like without the 13th, 14th, or 15th Amendment?
Purpose:
Students will create Digital Presentations to show knowledge gained about the 13th, 14th, or 15th
Amendments. The projects will represent what life would be like without one of the listed
amendments ever being put in place.
Differentiation: ELL/Special Ed students may have the option of creating a presentation that simply
states the details of the amendment. The presentations should show knowledge gained and
understood about the amendment.
The Projects: The student will choose one of the amendments and create a project from the list
below. Students will be given time in class to complete the project. Parents and administrators will
be invited to view the projects on presentation day.
Possible Projects:
Prezi Video Presentation
Video/Newscast
Photo Story
Power Point Presentation
Trifold Board/Poster Presentation
Grading: The students will be graded using the rubrics provided.
Standards: SS5H2, 5CG1&2, ELA5LSV2
The Task/Activity:
1. Student close notes lead by teacher.
2. Complete Review Powerpoint together.
3. Reconstruction Group WebQuests and information sharing - Students will be divided
into 4 groups to examine what life was like for different people living during
Reconstruction. The groups will use the provided sites to answer the questions
and gather information to provide to the class.
Sources:
Georgia Department of Education, GeorgiaStandards.org. (2008).
Unit 4 – “Reconstruction: The Nation Reunited”. Atlanta, GA:
R e t r i e v e d f r o m h t t p s : / / w w w. g e o r g i a s t a n d a r d s . o r g / F r a m e w o r k s /
GSO%20Frameworks/SS_Gr_5_Unit_4_10 -26-09_PRchgs.pdf
M ars h , C. (2010). Georgi a Exp eri en ce: 5 th gr ad e soci a l st u di es u n i t e d s t a t e s h i s t o r y s i n c e 1 8 6 0 . ( 2 n d e d . ) . P e a c h t r e e C i t y, G A :
Gallopade International.