Lesson 1: What is the Age of Reconstruction?
Duration of Days: 1
Lesson Objective
Students will be able to define the Age of Reconstruction, identify its major goals and challenges, and analyze primary source images to understand how this period shaped political, social, and economic changes in the United States after the Civil War.
What was the Age of Reconstruction, and what were its main goals for rebuilding the United States after the Civil War?
How did political, social, and economic changes during Reconstruction impact the lives of formerly enslaved people and the Southern states?
Reconstruction
Freedmen
Reconstruction Amendments
Black Codes
Radical Republicans
Sharecropping
Carpetbagger
8.His.17.a – Analyze the political, economic, and social changes during Reconstruction, including the Reconstruction Amendments and their effects on formerly enslaved people.
Students will be introduced to the Age of Reconstruction, the period following the Civil War focused on rebuilding the nation and integrating formerly enslaved people into American society. Using a teacher-directed slideshow with primary source images, students will explore the political, social, and economic changes of the era. Class discussions will help students understand the goals, challenges, and impact of Reconstruction on both the Southern states and the nation as a whole.
Provide primary source images with guiding questions or captions for students who need support interpreting historical documents.
Advanced learners can analyze the full context and bias of each source independently.
Students can demonstrate understanding through oral discussion, written notes, or a graphic organizer summarizing key Reconstruction concepts.
More creative options include drawing a visual timeline or mapping social, political, and economic changes.
Introductory Slideshow - The Age of Reconstruction