The United States: Pulled Apart—Put Back Together

 

 

Introduction

The Civil War is considered a turning point in United States history.  It signifies a change in the way Americans thought of themselves.  Prior to the Civil War, Americans considered themselves a citizen of their state and region first, then as a citizen of their country.  They were Virginians or Southerners, and Ohioans or Yankees.  After the Civil War, Americans’ perspectives slowly shifted and they began to view themselves as Americans.  We now tend to view the United States as a whole made up of its parts, rather than the parts- States- making up the whole- the United States.

We are a strong and unified nation today as a direct result of the rebuilding efforts that our nation undertook immediately following the Civil War.  This period of time is referred to as Reconstruction, or the rebuilding of our country.  This rebuilding encompassed more than new roads, rails, and towns.  It meant building a new sense of identity as a nation, writing new laws that helped shift our political and economic systems.

 

Task

         Students will research the Civil War and Reconstruction to understand how this time period tears down an old system and builds a new foundation for the future growth of the United States.  You will research in teams of two, or possibly three.  Each team will be assigned to a specific aspect of the Civil War or Reconstruction.  Each team will teach the class about their topic using PowerPoint slides.

 

Your task is three-fold:

1.      Learn the basic facts about your assigned topic.

2.    Create part of a class PowerPoint that gives an overview of your topic.

3.    Be an active audience member and take notes as other groups teach.

 

Two class periods will be allotted for team work time.  The first class period is your research time.  The second class period is the time to create your three PowerPoint slides.  Every team’s slides will be saved in a shared folder and be presented on the third or fourth day.  Every student will take notes on the chart provided on this third class day.  This chart will go into your Daily Journal.

 

Process

Day One:

 

1.                Choose a group or three students.

2.               Sign out a topic.

3.               Sign out one laptop.

4.               You may use two sources for your information- your textbook and these websites: PBS or Library of Congress.  You may use any information available on these sites.  You may NOT go to any other website.

5.               Research your assigned topic.  Read and understand your information carefully.

6.               Open a Word document to take notes and save any images or pictures you may want to use in your slides.

 

Day Two:

 

7.               Create 3 PPT slides on your topic.

a.       Topic slide- Give a basic overview of your topic.

b.      Content slide- Show the most important ideas of your topic.  Be ready to verbally explain specifics to the class.

c.       “So what?” slide- Why or how is your topic significant to U.S. history?

8.               Save your 3 slides in your class period in the shared folder.

9.               If you have extra time, scroll down to see your extra credit option.

 

Day Three and Four:

 

10.            Each group will present their three PPT slides and teach the class about their topic.

11.             Audience members will take notes on the chart provided.  This chart will be saved in your Daily Journal.


Evaluation

See attached rubric.

 

Conclusion

         The United States has become a strong and unified nation, thanks in part to the rebuilding efforts after the Civil War.  This class PowerPoint highlights the efforts of our country to act as one nation rather than a coalition of states.  A review of the war that broke apart our nation and the effort to build a strong, unified nation will help us understand how the United States moves from unification to becoming a great world power in a short thirty years.

 

PowerPoint Slide Guidelines:

1.       Keep the slides simple.  No more than seven lines per slide and seven words per line.

2.      Use large, readable letters.

3.      Watch your colors- light letters show better on dark backgrounds.

4.      Slides are TOOLS for presentation.  Your slides are simple; basic facts and phrases only.  You will explain the ideas when you present.

 

 

Extra Credit

 

If you have extra time, go to PBS Causes of the Civil War and read about the causes of the Civil War.  On a separate piece of paper, answer the question:

 

“We often think the Civil War was caused by a dispute over slavery.  This is not really true.  What did lead to the war?”

 

In a complete paragraph, answer the question and give examples to support your answer.


 


 

The United States: Pulled Apart—Put Back Together
Student Names: _________________________________

 

 

 

CATEGORY

16 Total- A

14 B

12 C

10 D

Content-

  -Accurate

  -Visual

 

Max: 8 pts

-All content throughout the presentation is accurate and thorough. There are no factual errors.

-Visual image enhances understanding of topic.

-Most of the content is accurate but minimal or may contain an inaccuracy.

-Visual image directly relates to topic.

-The content is generally accurate, but one piece of information is clearly flawed or inaccurate.

-Visual image present, but does not reflect topic.

-Content is typically confusing or contains more than one factual error.

-Visual image not in slides.

Slide Sequence- Max: 2 pts

Information is organized in a clear, logical way. Topic Slide, Content Slide, and “So What?” Slide

Most information is organized in a clear, logical way. One slide of information is out of place.

Slides are out of order or do not follow the format instructions.

Slides take away from the content for the following reason:

_____________

Readable text-

Max: 2 pts

Font formats (e.g., color, bold, italic) have been carefully planned to enhance readability and content.

Font formats enhance readability.

Font formatting distracts from the content.

Font formatting makes it very difficult to read the material.

Cooperation- Max: 4 pts

 

 

 

Group uses class time effectively and shares responsibility all of the time.

Group delegates tasks and shares responsibility effectively most of the time.

Group wastes class time and does not work as a team.

Group is not productive and does not share responsibility.

 


 

The United States: Pulled Apart—Put Back Together

 

Audience Notes- This goes into your Daily Journal!

 

Student Names:

Topic

What is it?

So What?

 

Manifest Destiny

 

What is it?

 

 

 

How does it lead to conflicts with Mexico and eventually to the Civil War?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Union: 

Which states? What were advantages and disadvantages of the Union at the start of the war?

 

 

 

 

Confederates:

Which states? What were advantages and disadvantages of the Confederates at the start of the war?

 

 

 

 

Geography:

Fort Sumter, Gettysburg, Vicksburg, and Appomattox- Show us where and explain why are these places are important.

 

 

 

Generals U.S.S. Grant and Robert E. Lee:

Who are these men?  How did they change history?

 

 

 

 

President Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis:

Who are these men?  How did they change history?

 

 

 

 

Emancipation Proclamation:

What was it?  Who said it?  Explain the moral impact of it.

 

 

 

 

13, 14, 15 Amendments:

What rights are given to whom, and why?

 

 

 

 

Jim Crow Laws:

What are these laws about?  How do they affect a person’s daily life in the South?

 

 

 

 

Compromise of 1877:

What is it?  How did this end the period known as Reconstruction?