Deconstructing Reconstruction: American Reconstruction from 1865-1877 (8th-11th grade)

This unit focuses on the time period 1865 – 1877, the era of American Reconstruction. The primary focus is on understanding the conflicts in American government that shape the progress of Reconstruction, and on understanding the social and political changes that accompany that era. Particularly there is a focus on the social and political changes to African-Americans and the South. Along with this the unit encompasses a significant amount of work on analyzing primary source documents in the form of political cartoons. The unit utilizes the HIPPO document analysis style to aid students in understanding and analyzing a variety of sources. To conclude the unit students will create their own document based on their knowledge of Reconstruction, and analyze peer work to demonstrate their understanding of the HIPPO system