Download Megan Kerns Thematic Unit Plan Civil War and the Reconstruction

Megan Kerns
Thematic Unit Plan
Civil War and the Reconstruction
20 Day Unit
Sequence Analysis
Civil War 1860-1861
Day 1- Introduction to Theme
- Bell Ringer, What does freedom mean to you?
- Introduction to theme “Freedom vs. Oppression”. This Prezi Presentation will include
relevant examples of freedom and oppression. The purpose of this presentation is to
encourage students to begin thinking about how oppression and freedom have played
a role in history through out the world. We will discuss different forms of oppression
and freedom; and I will present alternative examples such as music, posters, movies,
and pictures. After the first day, I want my students to understand why it is important to
study this theme and how it connects to American Civil War.
- KWLW Chart for Unit, Focusing on Civil War and Reconstruction themes
Day 2- Introductory Vocabulary Activity Rivet and 3x3 Vocabulary
- Bell Ringer
- Rivet Activity for a list of Civil War key terms; sectionalism, secede, compromise,
abolitionists, emancipation, union, confederate, slavery, blockade.
- 3x3 Vocabulary Activity
Day 3- Setting the Stage for the War: Lincoln Elected president, South Carolina
Secedes form the Union, Pro’s and Con’s Chart about the Union and Confederacy
- Bell Ringer
- Discussion on Lincoln’s Election and South Carolina’s decision to secede from the
union.
- Students will make a chart listing pro’s and con’s chart about the Union and
Confederacy.
- Homework: Students are assigned a short story from Paul Flesichman’s Bull Run
Day 4- Battle of Bull Run, Paul Flesichman’s Bull Run Literature Circles
- Bell Ringer
- Students will be divided into literature circles; 5 students per group. Each group will be
responsible for discussing the short story they read in Paul Flesichman’s Bull Run.
Each group will be assigned a different story. Students will be guided with “Peck’s 10
Questions” to discuss. Each group member will have a specific role and responsibility.
- Revised Lesson: As a class we will read one short story together using the
“popcorn reading method”. Students will then break up into literature circles and
respond to “Peck’s 10 Questions”. Literature circles will resume with roles and
responsibilities.
- Homework: Students will reflect on their experience working within a literature circle.
Day 5- Battle Stations; each stations will focus on a different battle- Battle Chart
- Bell Ringer- As a class, we will fill in the Bull Run battle information on the Battle
Chart. Students should be familiar with this information, based on the previous day
and research within their literature circles. This will serve as an example and preview
for the main activity for the day.
- I will construct five major battle stations; Battle at Fort Sumter, Battle at Merrimack,
Antietam/ Sharpsburg, Chancellors, Vicksburg. Students will be responsible for filling
in their Battle Chart matrix for each battle. On the matrix, students will be responsible
for the “dates of the battle”, “location”, “commanding officer of the confederacy”,
“commanding officer of the union”, “results”, and “interesting facts”. I will provide the
information at each station that will guide students to the answers, including textbook
pages, webpages, and other external resources. Students will be given seven
minutes at each station. Time for stations will be kept on a “timekeeper” on the smartboard. Over the course of the unit, students will complete a Battle Chart matrix that
includes 9 major battles in the Civil War.
Day 6- Slave Spirituals Music Activity- Let’s Connect Music
- Bell Ringer- What’s your favorite type of music, and what does music do for you?
- I will then play a few songs that I believe evoke positive and hopeful emotions and
reflect the theme of “getting through the tough times”. I will play (clean and edited)
clips from Katie Perry’s Firework, Bruno Mars’s Just the Way You Are, and Don’t Stop
Believing by Journey. As we are listening to these songs, I will ask students to free
write about how each song makes them feel. While listening to the songs I will
challenge students to think about what this music does for an individual and how it
creates a positive reaction.
- On a Prezi, I will create a presentation about slave spirituals. The Prezi will include a
formal description and definition of slave spirituals. The presentation will also discuss
common underlying themes in slave spirituals. During this presentation, I will provide
students with guided notes. At the end of the presentation, I will play two slave
spirituals; “Go Down Moses” and “The Gospel Train”. While students are listening to
the spirituals, I will ask them to free write again about how the songs make them feel.
While listening to the songs I will challenge students to think about what this music
does for an individual and how it creates a positive or negative reaction.
- Students will then divide into groups of four. In groups, students will be asked to create
a poster-board of a Vinn-Diagram that compares slave spirituals and 21st century
music.
Day 7- Emancipation Proclamation, Proclamation Taxegdo in the shape of Lincoln.
Class Analysis of Maya Anelgo Poem “Why the Caged Bird Sings”.
- Bell Ringer- What does the word Emancipation mean?
- Analyze Taxegdo of Emancipation Proclamation, ask students what you can infer
from the shape, color, bold words, how does this affect the way you think about the
proclamation.
- Discuss the importance of the Emancipation Proclamation
- Poetry Activity on Maya Anelgo Poem “Why the Caged Bird Sings”.
Day 8- Abolitionists Facebook Pages, Slave Reward Sign Analysis
- Bell Ringer- Show a picture of a Slave Reward Sign, students will be asked to answer
a few questions about what is portrayed within the frame.
- Students will create a Facebook Page for a Abolitionists.
- Homework: Students will finish their Facebook page.
Day 9- Battle of Gettysburg, Remember the Titans Clip, and the Gettysburg AddressGettysburg Address Rendition
- Bell Ringer- Watch “Remember the Titans Clip” addressing Gettysburg Address.
- For “Our Class’ Gettysburg Address Rendition” students will be divided into groups.
Each group will be responsible for evaluating a few sentences. In their evaluation,
they will create a summary of what Lincoln was trying to say. For example, group one
would be responsible for the first three sentences. In their group, they would create a
summary of the first three sentences. At the end of the group work, each group will
be recorded using a flip cam. By doing this, as a class we will create a rendition of
the Gettysburg Address that makes sense in the language students will be able to
understand. The clips from each group will be edited into one flowing clip, creating a
new speech of the Gettysburg Address.
Day 10- Finalize and Film Gettysburg Address Rendition
Day 11- Sherman March; Making Cartoon Strip of Sherman’s March, Analyze Dr. Lodge
Music about Jefferson Davis
- Bell Ringer- As a class we will fill in the Gettysburg column in the Battle Matrix Chart.
- Listen to and read Dr. Lodge’s song about Jefferson Davis
- Powerpoint presentation on Sherman’s March.
- Students are to create a cartoon representing Sherman’s March.
- Homework: Students will finish their Cartoon.
Day 12- Asses North Carolina’s role in the Civil War and analyze the social and
economic impact of the war on the state.
- Megan and Amanda’s Lesson Plan- ECI 435
Day 13- Appomattox Court House and the outcomes of the Civil War, revisit KWLW.
- Bell Ringer- Students will complete Battle Chart Matrix by filling in the information
about Appomattox.
- Discuss outcomes of the Civil War
- Revisit KWLW
Day 14- Lincoln’s Assassination, Paul Harvey Digital Video, Introduce Tar Heel
Historian Journal Project.
- Bell Ringer
- Share Paul Harvey Digital Video
- Discuss Lincoln’s Assassination
- Introduce Tar Heel Historian, and begin working on project.
Reconstruction 1865- 1870
Day 15- Reconstruction Vocabulary Activity; Flow-vocabulary activity. Analyze
Reconstruction Political Cartoons
- Bell Ringer- Show a reconstruction political cartoon, ask students to infer what the
cartoon means.
- Rivet Vocabulary Activity for Reconstruction
- Flow-vocabulary including key terms. Students can create a poem, drawing, song, or
rap including terms.
- Homework: Finish Flow-Vocabulary, and research material for debate. (Teacher will
provide students with recourses to research information, handouts and websites).
Day 16- Host a scaffolded debate about the three Reconstruction plan’s; Lincoln’s Plan,
Radical Republican Plan, and Andrew Johnson’s Plan.
- Bell Ringer- Now that the Civil War has ended, if you were the president, how would
you go about reuniting the country?
- Host a scaffolded debate about the three Reconstruction plan’s; Lincoln’s Plan,
Radical Republican Plan, and Andrew Johnson’s plan. For this debate, I would
assign students a plan to represent. The day before the debate, I would given
students handouts that explain the three different plans. Students would have one
night to research their represented plans. During the debate, students would create
arguments that favor their assigned plans. At the end of class, we will host a class
vote on the new reconstruction plan. At the end of class, I would disclose that the
Radical Republican plan was chosen to reconstruct the South, The Reconstruction
Act of 1867.
Day 17- Prezi Presentation accompanied by Scaffolded noted about the 13th, 14th,
15th amendments to the Constitution.
- Bell Ringer
- Prezi presentation on accompanied by Scaffolded noted about the 13th, 14th, 15th
amendments to the Constitution.
Day 18- North Carolina Constitution of 1868
- Bell Ringer
- Undecided on Main Activity
Day 19- Resistant to Change- Black Codes, KKK, Kirk-Holden War; The end of
Reconstruction
- Bell Ringer
- Undecided on Main Activity
Day 20- Cumulative Assessment