Curricular Unit

The unit covers Reconstruction to 1897 and is designed for a 9th grade History class. The unit will be presented in 11 sessions over a period of three weeks and is adjusted for block scheduling.

The unit is meaningful to me because some of the cultural, political, technological, and social elements of the period can be easily related to students (i.e. the invention of the phone, labor rights, voting rights for all male citizens) and some the developments of that period helped lay the groundwork for contemporary ideas towards culture, society, politics, and technology.

Some of the big ideas students should develop an enduring understanding of after completing this unit are:
The political impact of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments and their impact on African-Americans
Identify the political, social, and economic impact of Reconstruction
Students will examine the factors of production in order to describe the role of land, labor and capital in the growth of industry
Students will identify the geographic conditions of the Westward Expansions and analyze the societal implications of the Westward Movement on minorities and women
Evaluate the impact of westward expansion on Native Americans and their responses to the destruction of the buffalo, military conflicts, and the Dawes Severalty Act (1887).
Students will examine important inventions of the late 1800’s in order to explain how improvements in technology led to an increase in industry in the late 1800’s
Students will analyze the impacts of the railroads on the economy in order to examine the rise in industry in the late 1800s

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to write essays on the previously mentioned topics and pass a unit test. Throughout the lesson, I will have students write journal entries/reflections in class on the various topics as well as administer quizzes that will reinforce/asses student knowledge on the essential topics. The goal for the unit is to improve the writing ability of students, to illustrate that what occurred over 100 years still has a lasting impact, and to familiarize students with segments of African-American history that are critical to understanding the present.

The essential question of the unit is what were some of the important cultural, political, social, and technological developments during Reconstruction to 1897 and how those developments affect modern day society.

Students will be assessed by having to write essays, complete quizzes, conduct exit tickets, and through oral questioning. Writing essays will demonstrate not only what the students have learned, but will also give notice of the ability of students to write and if they are engaged with the material. Quizzes will assess mastery of content knowledge and how well students are keeping up with the material. Exit tickets and oral questioning done at the end of each period will clue me in as to whether students understand the material and if a review of certain material is required. Finally, a unit test will be administered at the end of the unit.

The knowledge and performance skills need to be sequenced with exit tickets/oral questioning done at the end of each period to check for understanding. Quizzes and writing assignments will be conducted once a week to check for content mastery, writing ability, and whether students can apply knowledge. Spacing quizzes out to about once a week will make certain students are exposed to the material more often, creating less time between the introduction of material and the unit test. Also, having students write once a week will help them refine and practice what they learn. Finally, my unit on Reconstruction will expose students to content they will encounter in the Government class their sophomore year.

Instruction can be differentiated when students discuss inventors such as Thomas Edison, Samuel Morse, Alexander Graham Bell, etc. Students can break up into groups and create a poster that contains a picture of what the inventor made, a description of what it is, how it improved American industry/society, and how we see the invention applied today.

I would incorporate cultural resources into the unit by identifying someone in the community who is part of a trade union. During the unit on Reconstruction to 1897, students will discuss trade unions and their importance. I would bring someone from the local community who is part of a trade union to discuss the benefits of a trade union, how one becomes part of a trade union, and the overall importance of a trade union. Also, to bring someone in from the local community who is a member of a trade union will set a sound example for students with regards to furthering education beyond high school as members of trade unions are often skilled workers who received specialized education/training.

The materials needed will be a textbook, notebook, a journal, poster board, markers/crayons, and ancillary resources such as videos and primary sources.