Brandon Ritter

SEED 300

Ropes Lesson Plan

Course: American History

Unit 3: The Nation Grows, Divides and Unites

Lesson: Chapter 15 – Reconstruction

Review –

The students will review the basic elements of the Reconstruction period following the Civil War and its effect on the government.Other aspects and terms applying to Reconstruction will also be reviewed.

Overview –

At the end of this lesson the students will:

  1. Understand the affects of the Civil War on the growth of congressional power.
  2. Recognize the impact of Radical Reconstruction on the Southern States.
  3. Realize and form opinions on the successes and failures of Reconstruction.
Presentation 1 –

During my presentation I will:

1.First discuss briefly with the class how the President and Congress each have

their own authority and share power.

  1. Then make them aware of how the President and Congress were battling for power during Reconstruction.

Exercise 1 –

1. First I will have the students skim the section looking for examples of power of both the President and Congress. I will list the examples they found on the board.

2.Then will we discuss the examples they found and list how the conflict between the President and Congress affected Reconstruction.
-I will them ask them to list what was bad about this conflict and if any good came out of it.

Presentation 2 –

  1. I will write on the board the word “Radical” and ask the students to define the word and give examples of what a radical might be.
  2. I will then write down certain terms and their definitions contained in the section on the board. Then I will instruct the students to put this into their notes.
Exercise 2 –

1.I will ask the students to read the section, looking for examples of radical ideas by individuals and by Congress.

2.Then I have the students report back to me their findings, which will be written on the board for discussion.

3.Finally, I will have the students read the last section in the chapter and write a short essay on the success and failure or Reconstruction.This will also be discussed in class.

Summary

At the end of lesson the students should be able to explain some things that were previously unknown to them.They will be able to see how Congress and its Radicals worked against the President during the era of Reconstruction.They should also be able to recall some of the main figures, group and events of the period.