Rosenwald School

This lesson plan is an adaptation of Katie Sutton Randall’shigh school lesson, “Education Reform During the Progressive Era and the Rosenwald Schools of the American South,” and is tailored to 5th grade Tennessee History. Students will learn about the Julius Rosenwald Fund and study images and drawings of the Cadentown Rosenwald chool in Lexington, Kentucky. The school was constructed in 1922-23, and the images were created after 1933 as part of the Library of Congress’ Historic American Building Survey. Students will analyze these sources to identify defining physical features of Rosenwald schools, develop historical research questions, and learn about the private-public partnerships that funded many Progressive Era reform efforts. An extension activity about Tennessee’s oldest Rosenwald School, West Bemis, is included.

Standards & Objectives

Academic standards
5.23
Analyze why the Radical Republicans turned to military Reconstruction and the backlash resulting in the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, black codes, and vigilante justice.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.5.4
Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.3
Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text...
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.5
Compare and contrast the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information...
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.6
Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and differences in the point of view they represent.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.7
Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem...
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.9
Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.3
Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters...
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.9
Compare and contrast stories in the same genre (e.g., mysteries and adventure stories) on their approaches to similar themes and topics.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.1
Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.10
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two)...
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific...
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.7
Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.8
Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase information in...
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.9
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
GLE 0501.1.2
Demonstrate knowledge of strategies and resources to determine the definition, pronunciation, and usage of words and phrases.
GLE 0501.3.1
Write for a variety of purposes and to different audiences.
GLE 0501.3.2
Write in various modes and genres, including narration, literary response, personal expression, description, and imaginative.
GLE 0501.3.3
Know and apply the steps of the writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, evaluating, and publishing.
GLE 0501.4.1
Conduct research to access and present information.
GLE 0501.4.2
Collect, organize, determine reliability, and use information researched.
GLE 0501.4.3
Present the research results in a written report, citing the resources used.
GLE 0501.6.3
Explore the organizational structures of informational texts.
GLE 0501.8.1
Use previously learned comprehension strategies before, during, and after reading.
GLE 0501.8.2
Experience various literary genres, including fiction and nonfiction, poetry, drama, chapter books, biography/autobiography, short stories, folk tales, myths,...
SPI 0501.1.15
Recognize and use grade appropriate vocabulary within context.
SPI 0501.3.10
Select appropriate time-order or transitional words/phrases to enhance the flow of a writing sample.
SPI 0501.5.2
Identify stated or implied cause and effect relationships in text.
SPI 0501.6.3
Locate information using available text features (e.g., maps, charts, graphics).
TSS.ELA.5.FL.F.5
Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
TSS.ELA.5.RI.CS.6
Analyze the similarities and differences in points of view of multiple accounts of the same event or topic.
TSS.ELA.5.RI.IKI.7
Locate an answer to a question or solve a problem, drawing on information from multiple print or digital sources.
TSS.ELA.5.RI.IKI.9
Integrate information from two or more texts on the same topic in order to build content knowledge.
TSS.ELA.5.RI.KID.3
Explain the relationships and interactions among two or more individuals, events, and/or ideas in a text.
TSS.ELA.5.RL.CS.6
Describe how a narrator's or speaker's point of view influences how events are described.
TSS.ELA.5.RL.IKI.7
Explain how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or mood of a text, such as in a graphic novel, multimedia presentation, or...
TSS.ELA.5.RL.IKI.9
Compare and contrast stories in the same genre on their approaches to similar themes and topics.
TSS.ELA.5.RL.KID.3
Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in a text.
TSS.ELA.5.W.PDW.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
TSS.ELA.5.W.RBPK.7
Conduct short research projects that use multiple sources to build knowledge through investigations of different aspects of a topic.
TSS.ELA.5.W.RBPK.8
Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase information in notes...
TSS.ELA.5.W.RBPK.9
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research, applying grade 5 standards for reading.
TSS.ELA.5.W.RW.10
Write routinely over extended time frames for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences; promote writing fluency.
TSS.ELA.5.W.TTP.1
Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.
TSS.ELA.5.W.TTP.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information.
TSS.ELA.5.W.TTP.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using an effective technique, such as descriptive details and clear event sequences.
 
Alignment of this item to academic standards is based on recommendations from content creators, resource curators, and visitors to this website. It is the responsibility of each educator to verify that the materials are appropriate for your content area, aligned to current academic standards, and will be beneficial to your specific students.
 
Learning objectives: 

Students will learn to evaluate primary source materials as artifacts, develop an understanding of the importance of historical inquiry based on primary sources, gain a better understanding that political, economic, and social history are connected, and recognize that private-public partnerships often funded reform efforts during the Progressive Era. 

Essential and guiding questions: 

How can buildings be used as primary sources? What kind of relationship model did the Rosenwald initiative create for Progressive reform efforts? 

Lesson Variations

Blooms taxonomy level: 
Applying
Extension suggestions: 
  • Play Verizon’s “Innovative Learning” TV Commercial, which references schools in Polk County, Tennessee, who received funds for new technology from Verizon. Why did Verizon choose to donate to these schools?
  • What did the company gain in doing so? How was education at these schools impacted? How does this relate to Rosenwald Schools?
  • Have students learn more about historic preservation efforts to save and restore Rosenwald schools by visiting the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s website. Ask students to search for Tennessee’s Rosenwald Schools and share what they find with the class.

Helpful Hints

Materials:

  • Primary Source Analysis Tool
  • Analyzing Photgraphs and Prints Teachers Guide
  • Paper/pencil