This unit includes information on events at the close of the United States Civil War until federal troops left the South in 1879. Also included in the background information are the amendments to the United States Constitution which accorded rights to those who had formerly been legally enslaved. Primary sources of information where people involved describe their thoughts and feelings during this period of transition are used in the development of lessons that require students to respond through their own journal writing as seen through the eyes of those who were present during these events.
The objective for students is to describe the circumstances which existed at the close of the Civil War; how these circumstances drove the policies of Reconstruction; and the effectiveness of Reconstruction. Daily assessment of students’ grasp of the concepts and events presented will be through assigned journal entries written as if each student were a particular person living during Reconstruction. Students will also research individuals who played a major role in Reconstruction. The culminating project assigned will be a timeline from 1864 to 1879.
(Developed for U. S. History, grade 8; recommended for U. S. History, grade 8)
