END OF RECONSTRUCTION
SASS — Social Studies Lesson Plan
Unit: Reconstruction/End of Reconstruction
Text(s): Reconstruction Newsletter and/or any additional
texts
Standards
SASS Connection(s)
Common Core State Standards/Maryland State Curriculum
R.1 – Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and
secondary sources.
R.3 – Analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and
interact over the course of a text.
□ SASS 1 □ SASS 2 □ SASS 3
□ SASS 4 □ SASS 5
W.1 - Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content
a. Introduce claim(s) about a topic or issue, acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s)
from alternate/opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.
b. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant, accurate data and evidence
that demonstrate an understanding of the topic or text, using credible sources.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships
among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence
W.2 - Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex
ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective
selection, organization, and analysis of content.
W.4 - Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
W.5 - Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising,
editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
W.7 - Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a selfgenerated question) drawing on several sources and generating additional
related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
W.8 - Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources,
assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the
information while avoiding plagiarism.
SASS Vocabulary
Claim, Text Supported Warrant, Counter
Argument (optional extension), Complex
Argument
Timing Notes
This lesson is designed to be taught in
two 90 minute class periods, please
adjust accordingly
Agenda
• Do Now
• Peer Question/Answer
• Text-supported Four Corners
• Evidence Scavenger Hunt
• Top Ten Reconstruction Era Timeline
(optional extension)
• Reflection: Was Reconstruction a
Success?
• Closing: Temperature Check
Objectives
Students will be able to:
• Identify, discuss and answer outstanding questions about the basic facts of Reconstruction by using classmates as
resources during a peer to peer Q&A session
• Use previous research materials to develop text supported arguments
• Analyze and breakdown the elements of the Compromise of 1877 and it’s possible effects on the Country
• Compare and Contrast the successes and failures of Reconstruction in order to evaluate the overall role and legacy
of the period
• Synthesize new information in order to construct an argument essay.
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Materials
Assessment
• Reconstruction Newsletter
• Post it notes for the Peer to Peer Q&A
• Annotated Four Corners Process Sheet
• Evidence Scavenger Hunt Process Sheet
• SASS 5 flow chart and essay question
• Four Corners Signs
• Text-Supported Four Corner claims and research
• Completion of and teacher receipt of all lesson
activities
Note: These activities should be evaluated according
to your own grading policies and procedures.
materials
• Temperature Check
Do Now
Modification & Differentiation
Day One:
Have students write down three questions they have about the
Reconstruction period.
Day Two:
Have students use materials from the previous class to inform the creation
a text-supported warrant for the following claim;
“The most important issue facing the nation at the end of Reconstruction
was_______________________because__________.”
Motivation
Modification & Differentiation
Day One:
1. Bring the class together and start class by introducing the essential
claims as the goal and the culminating assessment of the two days in
order to establish a purpose for the learning that will take place.
• Possible Essential Claim: The success of the Reconstruction period
is questionable because of the complex and disparate challenges
facing the country.
• Possible Assessments: Annotated Timeline & Argument Essay
Depending on the class size this
activity can also be done as a
seated activity
2. Introduce the Peer to Peer Q&A activity; “Before we begin evaluating
the Reconstruction Period let’s answer any outstanding questions we still
have about the important events that occurred during Reconstruction”
3. Using the questions the students generated during the Do Now, begin
a Peer to Peer Q&A activity:
• Have students move around the classroom, sharing their questions
with other students.
• Using the information gathered during the Reconstruction Unit, students
will answer the questions of their classmates in argument form.
• Students will use post it notes to first record their questions on the
front side and then for the student who will answer their questions
on the back side.
• Have students post the post its in a “thought gallery” on the board
• Each student is responsible for answering at least one question for
two classmates.
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4. Bring the class back together and facilitate a whole class share out,
asking students to share their questions and the answers provided by
their classmates. The teacher will correct any misunderstanding or lack
of clarity. Note: It is at the teacher’s discretion whether or not to have
students identify who answered their questions
Day Two:
1. Bring the class together and start class. “Yesterday, we spent our time
analyzing the factors that led to the end of the reconstruction period.
During your do now, you had some time review the information we went
over and now we are going to share our arguments and find which of
these factors did you guys think was the most important.”
2. Take 3-5 arguments (depending on the timing of your class, feel free to
take more student responses), making sure to have each student clearly
share why they selected this factor.
Mini-Lesson/Direct Instruction
Modification & Differentiation
Day One:
1. Introduce the Text-supported four corners activity “Now that we have
answered our outstanding questions, we are going to take some time to
put out new knowledge into practice and review our understanding of
Reconstruction by participating a Text-supported four corners activity.”
Possible Extension Activity: At the
conclusion students will have to pick
three arguments they constructed
and write a counterargument for
each.
2. Text supported Four Corners: Read 4-5 claims about the
Reconstruction period to the students. Students will respond to several
claims given by the teacher by moving to the Agree, Disagree, Strongly
Agree or Strongly Disagree corner.
Suggested Claims:
• The political policies of
Reconstruction protected
the newly freed slaves from
violence and unfair treatment
• Reconstruction had no effect
on the racial climate of the
Southern States
• Reconstruction did not make it
easier for America to reunite
as one country
• The Civil Rights Acts and
Constitutional Amendments
that were passed during this
period did not improve the lives
of African Americans
3. Once they have moved to their corresponding corners, the students
will use resources provided to them by the teacher (Textbook, the
Reconstruction Newsletter and/or any additional resources) to identify
supporting information for their claim. The students will then work with
the other students in their corner to create a text supported warrant that
either supports of disproves the claim.
4. Have each student record their group argument on their process sheet.
5. At the end of each round, the corner groups will share out their
arguments and the teacher will correct any misunderstanding.
6. Repeat for each round.
Note: During the share out of this activity, the teacher should play the
devil’s advocate for the underrepresented opinion, driving home the point
that the success or failure of Reconstruction depended largely on one’s
perspective and place in society at the time.
Day Two:
1. Preview the Compromise of 1877; “As we can see, just from sharing
our arguments, there were many concerns that had to be addressed
at the end of the Reconstruction Era. Depending on who you were,
some factors were more important than others. So what do we do in a
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Once students complete the
text-supported four corners the
teacher will have the students take
their seats and begin the End of
Reconstruction and The Compromise
of 1877 Evidence Scavenger Hunt.
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situation when two groups want different things but the outcome has to
please everyone?”
2. Take 2-3 student responses, leading the class to “Compromise”
“So in order to compromise each group or person has to give up
something to get what they want and that is exactly what happened
during Reconstruction. We are going to take the next few minutes to find
how this process could have worked.”
3. Introduce the Compromise of 1877 Argument Breakdown.
Guided and Independent Practice
Modification & Differentiation
Day One:
1. Introduce the End of Reconstruction Evidence Scavenger Hunt;
“Reconstruction lasted for a very brief period of time, from 1865-1877.
There were many factors that led to the end of Reconstruction and we
are going to spend the next part of class taking a look at those factors
and how they effected the Reconstruction period.”
2. Evidence Scavenger Hunt: The End of Reconstruction
(It is at the teacher’s discretion whether or not to make this activity a
game and/or use time limitations for students.)
Using “The Beginning of the End of Reconstruction” (Pg.7) section
of the Reconstruction Newsletter, the students will construct a text
base warrant for each of the following claims, using the Evidence
Scavenger Hunt process sheet. Once each student/student group has
had a chance to construct an argument, the teacher will take 2-3
class responses per round. Correct any misunderstanding and draw
connections between student responses.
Claims:
• Southern Whites did not like how the Reconstruction Governments
were changing the South
• The new rights that had been extended to African Americans, the
right to vote, hold elected office, work for money etc., put the newly
freed slaves in extreme danger.
• The Reconstruction Governments were not able to protect African
Americans from violence.
• Northern Whites did not care about Reconstruction anymore.
Note: During the share-out of this activity, the teacher should make
sure the highlight the direct relationship between the rise of white
supremacy and the new rights given to African Americans by the 13th,
14th and 15th amendments.
Day Two:
1. Introduce the Compromise of 1877 Argument Breakdown. “We
are going to take a deeper look at the Compromise that ended
Reconstruction and how it affected the country.”
2. The students will stay in their pairs. Using the “The Centennial
Election” (Pg. 8) of the Reconstruction Newsletter and/or any other
text or resources, the student pairs will use the Argument Breakdown
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process sheet to identify what republicans and democrats received from
the compromise.
3. Bring the class back together for a brief review of the activity. Take 3-4
student responses about how the Compromise of 1877 broke down,
making sure that students have categorized their information correctly.
4. After a brief share out, student pairs will review their new knowledge
by creating warrants for the following claims;
• The______________________ got the most of what they wanted
from the Compromise of 1877 because____________.
• The group that was most negatively affected by the Compromise
of 1877 was _____________________ because
________________________.
5. The Students will then make a prediction by completing the following
argument;
• The Compromise of 1877 was good/bad for the country
because_______________________.
Modification & Differentiation
Extension Activity - Annotated
Timeline:
Students will individually construct
an annotated timeline, highlighting
their Top Ten Events of Reconstruction.
Each event must be accompanied by
a text supported argument that states
why it is one of the most important
events of the Reconstruction era.
Note: The annotated timeline can also
be used as an assessment activity at
the teacher’s discretion.
6. Have the student groups share out their arguments, facilitating class
conversation, correcting any misunderstanding and making connections
between student ideas.
Reflection
Modification & Differentiation
Day One:
Students will use a SASS 5 flow chart to construct a complex argument
essay that speaks to the following claim:
Reconstruction was a success/failure because_____________.
Once the student has decided whether to support of disprove the claim,
they will use source material collected throughout the unit to construct their
SASS 5 flow chart.
Day Two:
Students will construct an essay, using their flow chart as an outline.
Note: Teachers may opt to collect rough drafts and provide feedback
or provide students with the opportunity to peer edit each other before
transitioning to the final draft phase
Closing
Modification & Differentiation
Day Two: Temperature Check
Homework
Modification & Differentiation
Was Reconstruction a Success or Failure Essay (due date at the teacher’s
discretion)
IT’S DEBATABLE!
•
END OF RECONSTRUCTION
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