Reconstruction and the African American Legacy

Through Reconstruction, the federal government reorganizes the rebellious Southern states in preparation for readmitting them to the Union after the Civil War. Reconstruction brought significant changes to the lives of both blacks and whites in the Southern states. In this lesson, students will analyze the character and lasting consequences of Reconstruction.

Standards & Objectives

Academic standards
8.82
Explain the significance of 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
8.85
Explain the effects of the Freedmen's Bureau and the restrictions placed on the rights and opportunities of freedmen, including racial segregation and Jim Crow laws.
8.86
Trace the rise of the Ku Klux Klan and vigilante justice, including its role in Tennessee.
8.87
Explain the movement of both white and black Northern entrepreneurs (carpetbaggers) from the North to the South.
8.90
Describe the major developments in Tennessee during the Reconstruction Era, including the Constitutional Convention of 1870, the yellow fever epidemic of 1878 and the...
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.8.4
Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen...
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.8.6
Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grade 8 Language...
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.1
Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event...
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific...
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.5
With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a...
GLE 0801.1.1
Demonstrate control of Standard English through grammar usage, and mechanics (punctuation, capitalization, and spelling).
GLE 0801.3.3
Organize ideas into an essay with an introduction, developing paragraphs, conclusion, and appropriate transitions.
GLE 0801.3.4
Refine strategies for editing and revising written work.
GLE 0801.4.2
Gather relevant information from a variety of print and electronic sources, as well as from direct observation, interviews, and surveys.
GLE 0801.4.3
Make distinctions about the credibility, reliability, consistency, strengths, and limitations of resources, including information gathered from websites.
SPI 0801.1.2
Identify the correct use of verbs (i.e., action/linking, regular/irregular, agreement, perfect tenses, verb phrases) within context.
SPI 0801.2.4
Determine the most effective methods of engaging an audience during an oral presentation (e.g., making eye contact, adjusting speaking rate).
SPI 0801.3.11
Identify individual written selections as technical, narrative, persuasive, and/or descriptive in mode.
SPI 0801.3.5
Select appropriate time-order or transitional words/phrases to enhance the flow of a writing sample.
SPI 0801.3.8
Select vivid words to strengthen a description (adjective or adverb) within a writing sample or passage.
SPI 0801.3.9
Select illustrations, explanations, anecdotes, descriptions and/or facts to support key ideas.
SPI 0801.4.2
Identify levels of reliability among resources (e.g., eyewitness account, newspaper account, supermarket tabloid account, Internet source).
TSS.ELA.6.W.PDW.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
TSS.ELA.7.W.PDW.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
TSS.ELA.8.L.CSE.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage.
TSS.ELA.8.SL.PKI.4
Present claims and findings in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence; sound, valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye...
TSS.ELA.8.SL.PKI.6
Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
TSS.ELA.8.W.PDW.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
TSS.ELA.8.W.PDW.5
With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new...
TSS.ELA.8.W.TTP.1
Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
TSS.ELA.8.W.TTP.3
Write narratives (fiction and nonfiction) to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective techniques, relevant descriptive details, and...
 
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: 

In the course of the lesson, students will:

  • Analyze and interpret primary sources
  • Analyze the character and lasting consequences ofReconstruction
  • Cite textual evidence and draw inferences in order to support claims inwriting
  • Compare and contrast constitutional rights from 1870 and present day
  • Write an argument essay citing evidence to support whether Reconstruction changed life for the better or for the worse for African Americans living in Tennessee
Essential and guiding questions: 

Did life change for the better or for worse for African Americans living in Tennessee during the Reconstruction Era?

Lesson Variations

Blooms taxonomy level: 
Applying

Helpful Hints

Materials Needed:

  • TSLA website
  • Student textbook for reference ifneeded
  • Computers for students
  • DBQ