Debra Weber
Reconstruction
Reading Tasks:
· Students will closely read what the text is saying and make inferences when necessary. Students will determine the central ideas and analyze how they are developed. Students will analyze the how and why this document was written, and how the ideas are developed in the writing. Students will analyze the structure of the text, and assess the point of the view of the writer. Students will evaluate the arguments and claims of the text.
Vocabulary Tasks:
· While meaning of the words will initially be derived with help from the teacher, the meaning within the context of the passage will be discerned by the students as they read the various components of the text.
Discussion Tasks:
· Students will evaluate the arguments and claims within the text. Students will analyze how and why the document was written, and how the ideas are developed in writing.
Writing Tasks:
· Students will write an argument with claims supported by using valid reasoning and textual evidence. Students will produce clear writing which s developed with an essential question in mind. Student will gather evidence from their reading to write in response to the anchor questions. Students will clarify their writing over the course of the lesson. Students will draw evidence from the primary source document in all their writings within the unit.
Essential Question(s):
Describe the early responses to the end of the Civil War by describing the
· policies of the Freedmen’s Bureau
· restrictions placed on the rights and opportunities of freedmen, including racial segregation and Black Codes.
· How opposition to the new rights and opportunities for Freedmen was viewed by people the country at the time and through various methods.
Text Selection (Background):
· Ch 19—Reconstruction chapter of the book
o Will be used as textual background
· Propoganda poster about Freedman’s Bureau policies
o States what White Southerners believed would happen with the new policies
o Through word choice used on the posters, how a negative connotation comes forth and so does the author or group’s point of view.
Target Span: 8th grade
Reading Standards hit:
Writing Standards hit:
Directions/Introduction
As written, this lesson will guide students through multiple days of looking at a historical document. It is meant to be a teachable model, but is freely available to be changed based on your students own unique needs.
What should be understood however, is that with the Common Core State Standards covering literacy in Social Studies, we need to give our students rich, complex texts in order to deepen their understanding of our important content, as well as give them opportunities to practice literacy across the content areas. If this is their first time, it may be rough, but students will get better at it the more practice they have.
We chose to follow the advice of Mike Schmoker, who, in his book Focus: Elevating the Essentials to Radically Improve Student Learning, recommends that any vocabulary which could hinder a student’s understanding be taught in advance (Schmoker, 2011). The Core standards call for students to be able to identify the meaning of words by the context in which they are used (National Governors Association, 2011), and by pre-teaching the vocabulary here, students still have to do this important step, even though the vocabulary was taught in advance.
In trying to provide a research based model, for vocabulary we’re following Marzano. Marzano identifies six steps to teaching vocabulary. We will be combining two steps (provide and restate) and eliminating step 6 which is practicing with games (Marzano & Pickering, 2005). You may adapt the lesson to include this step if you choose.
The recommended model for teaching each day is as follows:
Day 1: Provide Student Handout to students. Their document is complete and should be referred to every day of the lesson. You would then do vocabulary instruction as a group (just the words for the day from the teacher handout) and then follow the teacher directions within the document itself.
Day 2: Begin with vocabulary instructions, then follow the directions in the teacher Stage 2 handouts.
Day 3: Begin with vocabulary instruction, then follow the directions in the teacher Stage 3 handouts.
How you choose to assess this beyond what is provided here is up to you, but a discussion and activity based around the focus question is included in Day 3.
Debra Weber
Section/Stage 1 Teacher Page
Text Under Discussion / Vocabulary / Directions for TeachersLaw Creating the Freedmen's Bureau
CHAP. XC.–An Act to establish a Bureau for the Relief of Freedmen and Refugees.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That there is hereby established in the War Department, to continue during the present war of rebellion, and for one year thereafter, a bureau of refugees, freedmen, and abandoned lands, to which shall be committed, as hereinafter provided, the supervision and management of all abandoned lands, and the control of all subjects relating to refugees and freedmen from rebel states, or from any district of country within the territory embraced in the operations of the army, under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the head of the bureau and approved by the President.
The said bureau shall be under the management and control of a commissioner to be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, whose compensation shall be three thousand dollars per annum, and such number of clerks as may be assigned to him by the Secretary of War, not exceeding one chief clerk, two of the fourth class, two of the third class, and five of the first class. And the commissioner and all persons appointed under this act, shall, before entering upon their duties, take the oath of office prescribed in an act entitled “An act to prescribe an oath of office, and for other purposes,” approved July second, eighteen hundred and sixty-two, and the commissioner and the chief clerk shall, before entering upon their duties, give bonds to the treasurer of the United States, the former in the sum of fifty thousand dollars, and the latter in the sum of ten thousand dollars, conditioned for the faithful discharge of their duties respectively, with securities to be approved as sufficient by the Attorney-General, which bonds shall be filed in the office of the first comptroller of the treasury, to be by him put in suit for the benefit of any injured party upon any breach of the conditions thereof.
SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of War may direct such issues of provisions, clothing, and fuel, as he may deem needful for the immediate and temporary shelter and supply of destitute and suffering refugees and freedmen and their wives and children, under such rules and regulations as he may direct.
SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That the President may, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoint an assistant commissioner for each of the states declared to be in insurrection, not exceeding ten in number, who shall, under the direction of the commissioner, aid in the execution of the provisions of this act; and he shall give a bond to the Treasurer of the United States, in the sum of twenty thousand dollars, in the form and manner prescribed in the first section of this act. Each of said commissioners shall receive an annual salary of two thousand five hundred dollars in full compensation for all his services. And any military officer may be detailed and assigned to duty under this act without increase of pay or allowances. The commissioner shall, before the commencement of each regular session of congress, make full report of his proceedings with exhibits of the state of his accounts to the President, who shall communicate the same to congress, and shall also make special reports whenever required to do so by the President or either house of congress; and the assistant commissioners shall make quarterly reports of their proceedings to the commissioner, and also such other special reports as from time to time may be required.
SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That the commissioner, under the direction of the President, shall have authority to set apart, for the use of loyal refugees and freedmen, such tracts of land within the insurrectionary states as shall have been abandoned, or to which the United States shall have acquired title by confiscation or sale, or otherwise, and to every male citizen, whether refugee or freedman, as aforesaid, there shall be assigned not more than forty acres of such land, and the person to whom it was so assigned shall be protected in the use and enjoyment of the land for the term of three years at an annual rent not exceeding six per centum upon the value of such land, as it was appraised by the state authorities in the year eighteen hundred and sixty, for the purpose of taxation, and in case no such appraisal can be found, then the rental shall be based upon the estimated value of the land in said year, to be ascertained in such manner as the commissioner may by regulation prescribe. At the end of said term, or at any time during said term, the occupants of any parcels so assigned may purchase the land and receive such title thereto as the United States can convey, upon paying therefor the value of the land, as ascertained and fixed for the purpose of determining the annual rent aforesaid.
SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That all acts and parts of acts inconsistent with the provisions of this act, are hereby repealed.
APPROVED, March 3, 1865.
U.S., Statutes at Large, Treaties, and Proclamations of the United States of America, vol. 13 (Boston, 1866), pp. 507–9. / Freedman
Enacted
Assembled
Refugees
Abandoned
Prescribed
Relating
Management
Appointed
Discharge
Provisions
Destitute
Salary
Compensation
Execution
Tracts
Insurrectionary
Appraisal
Estimated
Occupants
Parcels / Ask students:
What can you infer about this reading just from the opening,
“the supervision and management of all abandoned lands, and the control of all subjects relating to refugees and freedman from rebel states, or from any district of the country within the territory embraced by the operations of the army. . . “
· What is this going to be about?
· What is the purpose of the Freedman’s Bureau?
Ask the students:
· What is the purpose of this part of the passage?
· What is it trying to say?
Have students read and translate this passage before reading it together as a class.
Quote of Interest:
“And be it further enacted, That the Secretary of War may direct such issues of provisions, clothing, and fuel, as he may deem needful for the immediate and temporary shelter and supply of destitute and suffering refugees and freedmen and their wives and children, under such rules and regulations as he may direct. “
· What does this mean?
· What is going to happen according to this quote that was mentioned in this act?
· As this act continues, what other specifics are mentioned that are part of this bill?
· What does the Act say will happen to make sure that the law is followed? What are the steps?
· What is another part of the Freedman’s Bureau act that is is promised later in the reading?
Why would the President and Congress have gone through so many steps to ensure that the law was followed? Why do you think it would require so many steps to make sure that the law was followed?
Closing Writing/Discussion Piece:
At the beginning of the reading, we looked at first sentence and discussed what it might be about given the title of the piece; how has this act lived up to its terms of “supervising and managing freedman and refugees.” Exit ticket.
Stage 1 – Additional Information/Instructions/Performance Tasks
Section/Stage 2 Teacher Page
Text Under Discussion / Vocabulary / Directions for TeachersFreedmen's Bureau Records: Frederick S. Tukey to Orlando Brown, February 28, 1867
Summary:
Tukey's report discusses wage levels for freedmen, labor disputes, and efforts to aid the sick and destitute among the population through clothing donations and the possible employment of a physician.
Bureau of R. F. & A. Lands
Sub-Dist. Augusta & Highland Brt. Brig. Gen'l O. Brown
A.A.A.G. B. R. F. & A. L.
Dept. Potomac Richmond Va.
Through Hd. Qrs.
Feb. 28th 1867
Staunton Va.
Gen'l
I have the honor to submit in compliance with Circular No. 6 C.S. 1866 the following Report of Bureau Affairs in this Sub. Dist. for the Month of Feb. 1867.
The Freedmen are generally at work, at an average rate of wages of ($10) ten dollars per month and board for males and ($5) five dollars and board for Females. There are but comparatively a few cases of extreme destitution among them. them, and these are generally confined to the Aged, Sick and Crippled, and those who have very large families of small children. About fifty person have been assisted, by the gratuituous distribution of Clothing, during the month sent here by the Pa. F. Union Com.
[page 2]
There is a general complaint among them that they cannot collect their wages when due which of course is a great disadvantage to them, and the only assistance which can be rendered them by the Bureau Agt. is to draw off their Bills, and put them in the hands of an Officer for collection. And this often results in judgement being defered from one Court to another until their patience becomes exhausted, and perhaps their families suffer for bread.
There is considerable suffering among the Sick, for want of proper medical attendance, and I would earnestly recommend the employment (by the Bureau) of one of the local Physicians, to attend to such as are unable, on account of extreme destitution, to pay a Physician. Am of the opinion that one could be employed at a salary of ($25) twenty-five dollars per month, who would attend to all such cases, and to this point I would respectfully invite your special attention.
I am Gen'l with much Respect
Your Obt. Servt.
F. S. Tukey, A. Supt. / Idleness
Expense
Vetoed
Sustain
Destitute
Labor
Compliance
Comparatively
Crippled
Gratuitous
Distribution
Deferred
Earnestly / Instructions:
To start off the class, we are going to be recapping our information we brought up yesterday in our discussion in the form of a warm-up of question on vocab or concepts brought up on the previous day and topic
Present this poster
Ask your students:
· What can you infer about this poster from the opening statement/heading at the top that says, “The Freedman’s Bureau! An agency to keep the negroe in idleness at the expense of the white man.” What is this going to be about and how do the people feel that created this poster?
Ask students:
· What is the purpose of this poster?
· What is it trying to do?
· What is the voice of this poster? Does it present a negative or positive connotation towards the freedman’s bureau?
· From what point of view is this poster being written by; a Southerner or Northerner?
· Why would Southerners be against this?
· How is this writing about?
· How is the Freedman doing in this writing?
· Does this letter that is done from Frederick Tukey written in a positive or negative connotation or voice?
· How does Frederick Tukey observe the Freedman especially in terms of their work ethic and their wages?
· How is this compared to the poster represented above? Which one would appear to be more factual in its information?
· Which one seems to have more of a bias and how do they depict African Americans in the poster to put them in a negative light?
· Would the poster be seen as a primary source document or a piece of propaganda?
· What type of document is the writing from Frederick Tukey about what he observed in his jurisdiction area?
Performance Task:
· Create a propaganda poster that is in contrast to the poster presented above about by using the evidence provided in the letter from Frederick Tukey.
Stage 2 – Additional Information/Instructions/Performance Tasks