Lesson Plans

1:1 lesson

Lesson overview: Freedpeople built and expanded existing institutions during Reconstruction, many of which had their roots in practices begun by enslaved people. They included religion, education, benevolent organizations, the press, and the family. Today’s lesson titled, “Teaching Ourselves,” focuses on education. The power of education was incalculable. Even before the Civil War, the South had the highest rate of illiteracy for both Black and white populations. Although benevolent organizations such as Northern missionary societies, the Freedmen’s Bureau, and other supporters raised money to support teachers and build schools for freedpeople, it was the formerly enslaved who worked the hardest to educate themselves. The Reconstruction governments elected after the enfranchisement of Black men founded more than 3,000 schools. Freedpeople, even the poorest, held fundraisers to pay teachers, and donated land and labor to build schools.

Essential Question: How did freedpeople use institutions to create social change during Reconstruction?

Driving Questions: Why did freedpeople consider education an integral institution during Reconstruction?

Lesson Progression

The teacher will introduce Reconstruction 360 and determine prior knowledge about the Reconstruction period through classroom discussion. If the class has completed the module “A Seat at the Table,” prior knowledge could include five things students learned from completing that lesson.
The teacher will direct students in watching the immersive 360 video/module, “Teaching Ourselves.”
After showing the module, the teacher will give students a prompt and lead students in a discussion:

Prompt: Places have personalities. The personality of a place often reflects its purpose and those who inhabit it. Before doing any research, it is helpful to record first impressions. In watching the “Teaching Ourselves” scene, what can you learn about the place where the scene was shot and the people in the scene?

What are your initial observations about the place and the people shown in the video “Teaching Ourselves”?
After the classroom discussion, the teacher will place students in ten different groups. These groups will correspond with the following hotspots that lead to the embedded videos in the “Teaching Ourselves” scene:
- Portrait of Lincoln
- Group of Children
- Spelling Book
- Neighbor – Older Woman
- Teacher – Younger Woman
- Church Pew – Church as School
- Stack of Books – Freedmen’s Bureau
- Pulpit – Missionary Societies
- Chalkboards
- Map of the World
Groups should use their device/devices to rewatch the video and explore the various immersive aspects of the 360 technology, especially focusing on the embedded videos. The teacher should encourage groups to explore all the videos, not just the one assigned to their group.
After groups have had time to explore the features of “Teaching Ourselves,” the teacher will give each group a central question that requires groups to define the primary aspects of their hot spot. Each group must write one group-agreed-upon response to their question.
The teacher will place a masking tape line on the wall of the classroom. The line will represent the spectrum of responses that groups and individuals may have. One end of the line will indicate a “100%/Absolute Yes” response. The other end of the tape will represent a “0%/Absolute No” response with tags for 75%, 50%, and 25% as well.
The teacher will ask each group to Walk the Line, one group at a time. The groups will choose a percentage of certainty they feel about their response.
Using a worksheet, each group will record their percentage choice along the spectrum, as well as their written justification of their choice. The group will in turn place themselves on the tape beside the percentage they have chosen.
The group will read their response to the teacher prompt to the entire class.
Students in other groups will make a judgement based on their personal interpretation of the prompt, which was read by the presenting group. Individual students will place themselves along the continuum wall line, choosing a percentage that represents their view of the prompt.
The teacher should advise individual students that they may be questioned about their choice of percentage. Students should be prepared to justify their choice if questioned.
This process will continue until all 10 groups have presented. When all the presentations are completed, the continuum wall line should have markers indicating the percentage chosen by each group as well as their written responses which are taped under the percentage they chose.

Hot Spot Prompts

Portrait of Lincoln

Think about time and how perception changes as time passes. Given the time between Lincoln’s assassination and the opening of schools for children of former slaves, how would your group respond to the following prompt?

Teacher prompt: Former slaves were justified in idolizing Lincoln and giving him the title of the Great Emancipator.

Our group feels the response to the prompt falls at this percentage along the spectrum:

Percentage