Sharecropping, Booker T. Washington, WEB DuBois, Reconstruction

How did formerly enslaved people strive to achieve social equality? This lesson examines the realities of Reconstruction including sharecropping, the violence of the KKK, and differing viewpoints on education. Students will evaluate documents to conclude how sharecropping played a complex role in shaping the lives of formerly enslaved peoples. They will critically think to conclude if or how the experiences of the formerly enslaved, including their challenges and aspirations, shaped the path toward a more equitable future in the United States.

Included in this resource:

Do Now - “The First Vote” by Harper’s Weekly political cartoon analysis questions
Reconstruction Realities: Sharecropping, the KKK, Hiram Revels, and Education Perspectives reading passage with scaffolding questions
Exploring Sharecropping reading passage and definitions
Exploring Sharecropping: An Agreement activity which includes:
an agreement/contract
Sharecropping outcomes dice roll game/simulation
Ku Klux Klan reading passage and scaffolding questions
Booker T. Washington perspective with scaffolding questions
W.E.B DuBois perspective with scaffolding questions
Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Assessment: How did the experiences of the formerly enslaved, including their challenges and aspirations during Reconstruction, shape the path toward a more equitable future in the United States?
Answer key for teachers
***cut out the colored cards in the document (landowner/sharecropper cards) to distribute to your students in their groups

★ Please Note: I execute this lesson with my 8th grade honors students and my 11th grade gen-ed students. Please make an executive decision whether or not this lesson can be executed with your students based upon the preview file. Thank you!

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