Reconstruction Spoons
Review the
Reconstruction
Era in a fun
game.
Social Studies Success
Spoons
Directions before activity:
• Print the slides on heavy cardstock – front and back. Cut them out to make the cards.
• If you are taking this activity for a grade, run off a Scorecard for each student.
• Create mixed ability groups of 4 students.
Directions during activity:
• The four players sit in a circle with the three spoons in the middle. Give each group of
students a set of cards.
• One of the players distributes four cards to each player, including him or herself.
• Each player takes turns passing one card that they do not want to the player to their left,
usually at one player’s signal to “Switch”.
• When a player has four cards that are a match, he/she (as quietly as possible) takes a spoon
from the center. The match will consist of the vocabulary term, the definition, a picture and a
sentence using the term.
• As the other players notice this, they (as quietly as possible) take a spoon until there is one
player without a spoon.
• The player without a spoon must say “Prove It!” to the player that has the match.
• The player who picked up the first spoon must prove that their cards match.
• If the original player is able to prove it, the player without the spoon has to add an “S” to his
or her scoreboard. If the original player cannot prove that their cards match, that player gets
an “S”.
• Take up all of the cards and shuffle. Repeat the game.
• If a player spells the word “Spoons”, the game is over.
Social Studies Success
Tips for Spoons
Here are some tips for keeping the game running smoothly:
•
Model the game with students before you allow them all to
play. You will want to set clear expectations for the
behaviors that are allowed (or not allowed) for the game.
•
Do you need a grade? Take up the Scorecard. For each
letter of “Spoons” they receive, you can deduct 5 points
from their score of a 100. You can also have them explain
the matches in each round.
•
If you have five players or ELL students, have two of the
players partner up. This is a great way to provide support
for struggling students.
•
If you only have three players, have them place one of the
cards in the middle for all the players “to have”. Have this
card be placed face up and teach the students that any of
them can use that card for one of their matches. Then,
they will each be given five cards instead of four, but their
goal will remain the same – match the four cards.
Social Studies Success
For each round, either write a letter (SPOONS)if
you lost, “Pass” if you didn’t win or lose, or a
brief explanation of the match if you won.
Round
Round
Round
Round
Round
Round
Round
Round
For each round, either write a letter (SPOONS)if
you lost, “Pass” if you didn’t win or lose, or a
brief explanation of the match if you won.
Round
Round
Round
Round
Round
Round
Round
Round
For each round, either write a letter (SPOONS)if
you lost, “Pass” if you didn’t win or lose, or a
brief explanation of the match if you won.
Round
Round
Round
Round
Round
Round
Round
Round
For each round, either write a letter (SPOONS)if
you lost, “Pass” if you didn’t win or lose, or a
brief explanation of the match if you won.
Round
Round
Round
Round
Round
Round
Round
Round
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1: ______________
2: ______________
3: ______________
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5: ______________
6: ______________
7: ______________
8: ______________
Name: ______________
Name: ______________
1: ______________
2: ______________
3: ______________
4: ______________
5: ______________
6: ______________
7: ______________
8: ______________
Scorecard
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Scorecard
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1: ______________
2: ______________
3: ______________
4: ______________
5: ______________
6: ______________
7: ______________
8: ______________
Name: ______________
Name: ______________
1: ______________
2: ______________
3: ______________
4: ______________
5: ______________
6: ______________
7: ______________
8: ______________
Scorecard
Scorecard
Run off the following slides on
heavy duty cardstock. Cut out
and laminate for the activity 
Social Studies Success
Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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The effort, after the Civil
War, to reorganize the
seceded states and bring
them back into the Union.
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The Reconstruction plans of
Abraham Lincoln and Andrew
Johnson tried to quickly unify
the nation and protect those
freed from slavery.
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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pardon
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An official release from
punishment for a crime.
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Abraham Lincoln offered a
pardon to all Southerners
who were willing to declare
their loyalty to the United
States.
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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provisional
government
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A temporary government.
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The president set up a
provisional government in
the Southern states after
the Civil War ended.
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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nullify
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to cancel
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Each state was required to
nullify its previous act of
secession to re-enter the
United States.
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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Juneteenth
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June 19th, the date celebrated
as the anniversary of
Emancipation Day for
enslaved people in Texas.
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General Granger announced the
freedom of enslaved people on
June 19th, 1865. Since then,
African Americans have
celebrated the date as
Juneteenth.
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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freedmen
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A formerly enslaved person
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A large number of freedmen left
to search for family members
that had been separated during
slavery.
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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Black
Codes
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laws limiting the rights of
African Americans passed
by Southern governments
after the Civil War
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The Texas legislature passed
Black Codes to limit the rights of
freed slaves.
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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Radical
Republicans
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a Republican who believed
that Congress should direct
Reconstruction
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The Radical Republicans wanted
tougher requirements for the
Southern states to rejoin the
Union.
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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Ku Klux Klan
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a secret organization of
white men formed after the
Civil War that used violence
and terror against African
Americans
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The Ku Klux Klan used violence
and terror in order to prevent
African Americans from voting.
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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carpetbagger
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a Northerner in the South
working for a Reconstruction
government
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A carpetbagger was a Northerner
who moved to the South with
little more than they could carry
in their suitcase.
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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scalawag
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a white Southerner who
supported Reconstruction
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A scalawag helped African
Americans by supporting
Reconstruction and the
Republican Party.
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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13th
Amendment
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The amendment to the
Constitution that abolished
slavery
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The 13th Amendment ended
slavery in the United States
during Reconstruction.
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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14th
Amendment
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The amendment to the
Constitution that gave
citizenship and equal
protection in the law to
former slaves
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The 14th Amendment was passed
to give citizenship rights to
freedmen.
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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Reconstruction
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15th
Amendment
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The amendment to the
Constitution that gave
African American men the
right to vote.
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The 15th Amendment allowed
former slaves to participate in
government through voting.
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