Lesson 2: The Age of Reconstruction Source Analysis
Duration of Days: 3
Lesson Objective
Students will be able to analyze primary and secondary sources from the Age of Reconstruction, identify key political, social, and economic changes, and synthesize their findings in a digital notebook to demonstrate understanding of this period in U.S. history.
What do primary and secondary sources reveal about the political, social, and economic challenges of the Age of Reconstruction?
How did the experiences of different groups, such as freedmen, Southern leaders, and Northern reformers, shape the outcomes of Reconstruction policies?
Reconstruction
Freedmen’s Bureau
13th Amendment
14th Amendment
15th Amendment
Black Codes
Radical Republicans
8.His.17.c – Use primary and secondary sources to explain how Reconstruction shaped political, social, and economic life in the United States.
Students will explore the Age of Reconstruction through the analysis of primary and secondary sources. Using a combination of direct instruction, independent work, and small-group activities, students will examine political, social, and economic changes that occurred after the Civil War. Through a digital notebook activity, students will synthesize information from the sources to understand the experiences of freedmen, Southern leaders, and Northern reformers, and evaluate the successes and challenges of Reconstruction policies.
Provide guided questions, graphic organizers, or annotated sources for students who need support in interpreting primary and secondary sources.
Advanced learners can analyze multiple sources independently, identifying bias, perspective, and historical context.
The Age of Reconstruction Digital Notebook