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Engaging lessons, activities, and resources for the Social Studies classroom!

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Engaging lessons, activities, and resources for the Social Studies classroom!
Red Cloud Spotlight and Point of View
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Red Cloud Spotlight and Point of View

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This activity explores and examines the background and impact of Red Cloud. Students will analyze Red Cloud’s life and point of view and answer corresponding scaffolding questions. Included in this resource: Red Cloud POV with scaffolding questions “Spotlight On”: Red Cloud Answer key for teachers (suggested) ★Please make an executive decision whether or not this lesson can be executed with your students based upon the preview file. Thank you! ©2024 A Social Studies Life For personal use only. Duplication for an entire school, an entire school system, or for commercial purposes is strictly forbidden. Please have other teachers purchase their own copy. If you are a school or district interested in purchasing several licenses, please contact me for a district-wide quote.
Gilded Age Overview
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Gilded Age Overview

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Why did the innovations and technological advancements of the Gilded Age playa crucial role in transforming the United States into a modern industrial nation? This lesson and activity examines the background and impact of the Gilded Age. Students will analyze documents and answer corresponding scaffolding questions. They will answer the final summary question to apply their knowledge. Included in this resource: Do Now - Mark Twain’s The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today, 1873 excerpt analysis with questions The Gilded Age reading passage with scaffolding questions Document analysis with graphic organizer scaffolding questions Document #1 - Industrialization Document #2 - Urbanization Document #3 - Immigration Document #4 - Labor Movements Document #5 - Wealth Inequality and the Social Gospel Document #6 - Political Corruption Document #7 - Innovation and Technology Document #8 - Cultural Developments Document #9 - Environmental Exploitation Document #10 - Rise of Monopolies and Trusts Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Assessment: How did the Gilded Age’s economic transformations and social developments impact the daily lives and future prospects of American workers and immigrants? Answer key for teachers (suggested) ★Please make an executive decision whether or not this lesson can be executed with your students based upon the preview file. Thank you! ©2024 A Social Studies Life For personal use only. Duplication for an entire school, an entire school system, or for commercial purposes is strictly forbidden. Please have other teachers purchase their own copy. If you are a school or district interested in purchasing several licenses, please contact me for a district-wide quote.
Second Industrial Revolution, Railroad Barons
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Second Industrial Revolution, Railroad Barons

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Why did the expansion of the railroad network during the Second Industrial Revolution play a crucial role in transforming the United States into an industrial power? This lesson and activity examines the background and impact of the Second Industrial Revolution and the rise of Railroad Barons such as Vanderbilt, Carnegie, and Morgan. Students will analyze documents and answer corresponding scaffolding questions. They will answer the final summary question to apply their knowledge. Included in this resource: Do Now - Political cartoon primary source analysis with questions Titans of the Tracks: The Railroad Barons and the Second Industrial Revolution reading passage with scaffolding questions Cornelius Vanderbilt POV with scaffolding questions Andrew Carnegie POV with scaffolding questions J.P. Morgan POV with scaffolding questions Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Assessment: How did the technological advancements and the growth of the railroads during the Second Industrial Revolution affect daily life and economic growth in the United States? Answer key for teachers (suggested) ★Please make an executive decision whether or not this lesson can be executed with your students based upon the preview file. Thank you! ©2024 A Social Studies Life For personal use only. Duplication for an entire school, an entire school system, or for commercial purposes is strictly forbidden. Please have other teachers purchase their own copy. If you are a school or district interested in purchasing several licenses, please contact me for a district-wide quote.
Dawes Act
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Dawes Act

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How did the Dawes Act aim to change Native American societies, and why was this approach believed to be beneficial by its supporters? This lesson and activity examines the background and impact of the Dawes Act of 1887. Students will analyze documents and answer corresponding scaffolding questions. They will answer the final summary question to apply their knowledge. Included in this resource: Do Now - 1911 primary source advertisement primary source with scaffolding questions The Dawes Act reading passage with scaffolding graphic organizer questions The Dawes Act primary source excerpt with scaffolding questions Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Assessment: How did the Dawes Act impact the traditional land use and social structures of Native American tribes? Answer key for teachers (suggested) ★Please make an executive decision whether or not this lesson can be executed with your students based upon the preview file. Thank you! ©2024 A Social Studies Life For personal use only. Duplication for an entire school, an entire school system, or for commercial purposes is strictly forbidden. Please have other teachers purchase their own copy. If you are a school or district interested in purchasing several licenses, please contact me for a district-wide quote.
Wounded Knee Massacre, Ghost Dance
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Wounded Knee Massacre, Ghost Dance

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How did the Ghost Dance movement reflect the hope and resilience of Native American communities in the face of adversity? This lesson and activity examines the background and impact of the Ghost Dance movement and the massacre at Wounded Knee. Students will analyze documents and answer corresponding scaffolding questions. They will answer the final summary question to apply their knowledge. Included in this resource: Do Now - Primary source photograph analysis with questions The Massacre at Wounded Knee reading passage with scaffolding graphic organizer questions Sarah Winnemucca POV with scaffolding questions Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Assessment: What effect do you think the massacre at Wounded Knee would have on relations between Plains Indians and the United States in the future? Answer key for teachers (suggested) ★Please make an executive decision whether or not this lesson can be executed with your students based upon the preview file. Thank you! ©2024 A Social Studies Life For personal use only. Duplication for an entire school, an entire school system, or for commercial purposes is strictly forbidden. Please have other teachers purchase their own copy. If you are a school or district interested in purchasing several licenses, please contact me for a district-wide quote.
Geronimo, Chief Joseph
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Geronimo, Chief Joseph

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How did Chief Joseph and Geronimo’s leadership and resistance efforts impact the history and perceptions of Native American struggles in the United States? This lesson and activity examines the background and impact of Geronimo and Chief Joseph. Students will analyze documents and answer corresponding scaffolding questions. They will answer the final summary question to apply their knowledge. Included in this resource: Do Now - Primary source quote analysis with questions Resistance Leaders reading passage with scaffolding graphic organizer questions Geronimo POV with scaffolding questions Chief Joseph POV with scaffolding questions Spotlight On: Geronimo Spotlight On: Chief Joseph Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Assessment: How do the stories of Chief Joseph and Geronimo’s resistance efforts continue to influence our understanding of American history and the treatment of Native American peoples? Answer key for teachers (suggested) ★Please make an executive decision whether or not this lesson can be executed with your students based upon the preview file. Thank you! ©2024 A Social Studies Life For personal use only. Duplication for an entire school, an entire school system, or for commercial purposes is strictly forbidden. Please have other teachers purchase their own copy. If you are a school or district interested in purchasing several licenses, please contact me for a district-wide quote.
Westward Expansion Social, Political, Economic Effects
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Westward Expansion Social, Political, Economic Effects

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Why did Westward Expansion have such significant social, political, and economic effects on the development of the United States during the 1870s and 1880s? This lesson and activity examines the background and impact of the social, political, and economic effects of westward expansion. Students will analyze documents and answer corresponding scaffolding questions. Included in this resource: Do Now - Inferring and dividing social, political and economic effects into categories Economic Effects graphic organizer with scaffolding questions Social Effects graphic organizer with scaffolding questions Political Effects graphic organizer with scaffolding questions Pioneers and Pathways: Analyzing Westward Expansion roleplay activity Answer key for teachers (suggested) ★Please make an executive decision whether or not this lesson can be executed with your students based upon the preview file. Thank you! ©2024 A Social Studies Life For personal use only. Duplication for an entire school, an entire school system, or for commercial purposes is strictly forbidden. Please have other teachers purchase their own copy. If you are a school or district interested in purchasing several licenses, please contact me for a district-wide quote.
Social, Political, Economic Effects of Reconstruction
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Social, Political, Economic Effects of Reconstruction

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Why are the political, social, and economic changes during Reconstruction important for understanding how the United States developed after the Civil War, especially in terms of civil rights and equality? This lesson and activity examines the social, political, and economics effects of the Reconstruction era. Students will analyze documents and answer corresponding scaffolding questions in graphic organizer form. They will apply their knowledge of social, political, or economic effects in a law or organization activity as well as answer the final summary question to apply their knowledge. Included in this resource: Do Now - Inferring and dividing the social, political, and economic effects into correct categories Economic Changes during Reconstruction document with scaffolding questions graphic organizer Political Changes during Reconstruction document with scaffolding questions graphic organizer Social Changes during Reconstruction document with scaffolding questions graphic organizer Effects of Reconstruction Activity Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Assessment: Why is it important to evaluate the social, political, and economic effects of Reconstruction when discussing modern-day efforts to achieve racial equality and social justice in the United States? Answer key for teachers (suggested) ★ Please make an executive decision whether or not this lesson can be executed with your students based upon the preview file. Thank you! ©2024 A Social Studies Life For personal use only. Duplication for an entire school, an entire school system, or for commercial purposes is strictly forbidden. Please have other teachers purchase their own copy. If you are a school or district interested in purchasing several licenses, please contact me for a district-wide quote.
Reconstruction Rap Up Activity
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Reconstruction Rap Up Activity

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This activity evaluates students’ application of their knowledge from the Reconstruction era unit. They will wrap up the Reconstruction unit by creating rap songs using Reconstruction vocabulary and terms in this engaging and fun activity! Included in this resource: Reconstruction ‘Rap’ Up Directions Reconstruction vocabulary and terms (teacher and/or student can also insert more vocabulary) Sample student created rap song ★ Please make an executive decision whether or not this lesson can be executed with your students based upon the preview file. Thank you! Up to teacher’s discretion regarding grading ©2024 A Social Studies Life For personal use only. Duplication for an entire school, an entire school system, or for commercial purposes is strictly forbidden. Please have other teachers purchase their own copy. If you are a school or district interested in purchasing several licenses, please contact me for a district-wide quote.
Ulysses S. Grant, Reconstruction
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Ulysses S. Grant, Reconstruction

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How did Ulysses S. Grant’s policies and actions during his presidency influence the course and outcomes of the Reconstruction era, particularly in terms of civil rights and national reunification? This lesson and activity examines President Grant’s policies during his presidency and the Reconstruction era. Students will analyze primary source documents including Grant’s first inaugural address and answer corresponding scaffolding questions. They will answer the final summary question to apply their knowledge. Included in this resource: Do Now - President Grant’s first inaugural address primary source document with scaffolding questions Ulysses S. Grant and the Reconstruction Era reading passage with scaffolding questions graphic organizer Ulysses S. Grant on Reconstruction perspective/point of view and questions Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Assessment: Why was Ulysses S. Grant’s approach to the Reconstruction era significant in shaping the post-Civil War United States, and how did his strategies and policies contribute to the goals of national unity and civil rights advancement? Answer key for teachers ★ Please make an executive decision whether or not this lesson can be executed with your students based upon the preview file. Thank you! ©2023 A Social Studies Life For personal use only. Duplication for an entire school, an entire school system, or for commercial purposes is strictly forbidden. Please have other teachers purchase their own copy. If you are a school or district interested in purchasing several licenses, please contact me for a district-wide quote.
Failure of Reconstruction
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Failure of Reconstruction

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Why did Congress’ Reconstruction efforts to ensure equal rights to formerly enslaved people fail? This lesson and activity examines the reasons why Reconstruction failed in the effort to ensure equal rights to newly freed peoples. Students will analyze primary source documents and answer corresponding scaffolding questions. They will answer the final summary question to apply their knowledge. Included in this resource: Do Now - Creative writing: write as if you’re a newspaper reporter! Reconstruction historical context reading passage with scaffolding questions Failure of Reconstruction Document Pass/Station Activity: students analyze primary source documents and answer corresponding scaffolding questions (documents can be used as stations and groups can travel station to station OR documents can be passed group to group) Document #1: Views Against Voting Rights Document #2: Emergence of the Ku Klux Klan Document #3: Restoration of Rights to Former Confederates in 1872 Document #4: Call for Formation of White Leagues in the South Document #5: 1874 Congressional Election - Democratic Victory and Republican Defeat Document #6: Economic Challenges and African American Voting Rights Document #7: Life After Emancipation Document #8: Election of 1876 Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Assessment: Why did Congress’ Reconstruction efforts to ensure equal rights to formerly enslaved peoples fail? Answer key for teachers (suggested) ★ Please make an executive decision whether or not this lesson can be executed with your students based upon the preview file. Thank you! ©2024 A Social Studies Life For personal use only. Duplication for an entire school, an entire school system, or for commercial purposes is strictly forbidden. Please have other teachers purchase their own copy. If you are a school or district interested in purchasing several licenses, please contact me for a district-wide quote.
Amnesty Act 1872
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Amnesty Act 1872

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This activity examines the provisions of the Amnesty Act of 1872. Students will analyze the primary source document and answer corresponding scaffolding questions. Included in this resource: Remembering the Amnesty Act of 1872 primary source document with vocabulary Understanding the Amnesty Act of 1872 reading passage with scaffolding questions Answer key for teachers ★ Please make an executive decision whether or not this lesson can be executed with your students based upon the preview file. Thank you! ©2023 A Social Studies Life For personal use only. Duplication for an entire school, an entire school system, or for commercial purposes is strictly forbidden. Please have other teachers purchase their own copy. If you are a school or district interested in purchasing several licenses, please contact me for a district-wide quote.
Social, Political, Economic Effects of Reconstruction Activity
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Social, Political, Economic Effects of Reconstruction Activity

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This activity examines the social, political, and economics effects of the Reconstruction era. Students will apply their knowledge of social, political, or economic effects in a law or organization activity. Included in this resource: Effects of Reconstruction Activity Answer key for teachers (suggested) ★ Please make an executive decision whether or not this lesson can be executed with your students based upon the preview file. Thank you! ★ Looking for the full lesson that also includes this activity? Find it here! SPE Effects Reconstruction ASSL ©2024 A Social Studies Life For personal use only. Duplication for an entire school, an entire school system, or for commercial purposes is strictly forbidden. Please have other teachers purchase their own copy. If you are a school or district interested in purchasing several licenses, please contact me for a district-wide quote.
Plessy v. Ferguson
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Plessy v. Ferguson

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How did the Plessy v. Ferguson decision shape the course of racial segregation laws in the United States? This lesson and activity examines the circumstances surrounding the Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court case decision and its impact. Students will analyze documents and perspectives and answer corresponding scaffolding questions. They will answer the final application question to apply their knowledge. Included in this resource: Do Now - Timeline leading up the Plessy v. Ferguson decision and corresponding scaffolding questions Plessy v. Ferguson 1896 reading passage with corresponding scaffolding questions Spotlight on: Homer Plessy document with scaffolding questions graphic organizer Justice Brown on Plessy v. Ferguson majority opinion perspective and questions Justice Harlan on Plessy v. Ferguson dissenting opinion perspective and questions Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Assessment: Why was the Plessy v. Ferguson decision significant in shaping social and legal attitudes towards segregation and civil rights in the United States? Answer key for teachers ★ Please make an executive decision whether or not this lesson can be executed with your students based upon the preview file. Thank you! ©2023 A Social Studies Life For personal use only. Duplication for an entire school, an entire school system, or for commercial purposes is strictly forbidden. Please have other teachers purchase their own copy. If you are a school or district interested in purchasing several licenses, please contact me for a district-wide quote.
End of Reconstruction
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End of Reconstruction

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This activity examines the end of the Reconstruction era. Students will analyze the reading passage document and answer corresponding scaffolding questions. Included in this resource: The End of Reconstruction reading passage with scaffolding questions Withdrawal of Federal Troops Election Resolution Impact on African Americans Resurgence of Southern Control Answer key for teachers ★ Please make an executive decision whether or not this lesson can be executed with your students based upon the preview file. Thank you! ©2024 A Social Studies Life For personal use only. Duplication for an entire school, an entire school system, or for commercial purposes is strictly forbidden. Please have other teachers purchase their own copy. If you are a school or district interested in purchasing several licenses, please contact me for a district-wide quote.
Ku Klux Klan Violence
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Ku Klux Klan Violence

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Why did the Ku Klux Klan resort to violence and terror as a means to achieve their goals during the Reconstruction era? This activity examines the realities of the violence of the KKK. Students will analyze the reading passage and answer the corresponding scaffolding questions. Included in this resource: Violence of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) reading passage with scaffolding questions Answer key for teachers ★ 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! This activity is also included in the full Reconstruction Realities lesson plan found here: Sharecropping, Education Viewpoints, Life for the formerly enslaved ASSL ©2023 A Social Studies Life For personal use only. Duplication for an entire school, an entire school system, or for commercial purposes is strictly forbidden. Please have other teachers purchase their own copy. If you are a school or district interested in purchasing several licenses, please contact me for a district-wide quote.
Booker T. Washington WEB DuBois Education Point of Views
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Booker T. Washington WEB DuBois Education Point of Views

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Why did Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois have differing viewpoints on the approach to African American education during the Reconstruction era, and how did these differences influence their respective visions for racial progress in the United States? This activity examines the realities of differing viewpoints on education. Students will analyze the viewpoints of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois and answer corresponding scaffolding questions. Included in this resource: Booker T. Washington perspective with scaffolding questions W.E.B DuBois perspective with scaffolding questions Answer key for teachers ★ 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! ©2023 A Social Studies Life For personal use only. Duplication for an entire school, an entire school system, or for commercial purposes is strictly forbidden. Please have other teachers purchase their own copy. If you are a school or district interested in purchasing several licenses, please contact me for a district-wide quote.
Sharecropping Activity Reconstruction
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Sharecropping Activity Reconstruction

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How did the sharecropping system during Reconstruction impact the economic and social status of formerly enslaved individuals and their descendants? This activity examines the realities of the sharecropping system. 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: Exploring Sharecropping reading passage and definitions Exploring Sharecropping: An Agreement activity which includes: an agreement/contract Sharecropping outcomes dice roll game/simulation 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 activity 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! ©2023 A Social Studies Life For personal use only. Duplication for an entire school, an entire school system, or for commercial purposes is strictly forbidden. Please have other teachers purchase their own copy. If you are a school or district interested in purchasing several licenses, please contact me for a district-wide quote.
Radical Republicans, Wade-Davis Bill, Thaddeus Stevens, Freedmen's Bureau
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Radical Republicans, Wade-Davis Bill, Thaddeus Stevens, Freedmen's Bureau

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Why did Radical Republicans propose more rigorous plans for Reconstruction compared to President Lincoln’s more lenient approach? This lesson and activity examines the early Radical Republicans reconstruction plans - including the Wade-Davis Bill. Students will analyze documents including primary source resources to determine how the radical Republicans began to plan and favored a tougher and more extreme approach to Reconstruction. Included in this resource: Do Now primary source analysis and questions - Thaddeus Stevens’ 1867 speech to the House of Representatives Creating a Reconstruction Plan critical thinking activity - How would you rebuild the South and reunited the country? The Freedmen’s Bureau reading passage with scaffolding questions Starting a New Life photograph analysis with scaffolding questions Radical Republicans Begin to Plan reading passage with scaffolding questions Thaddeus Stevens reading passage with scaffolding questions Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Question - What impact did the Radical Republicans’ early plans for Reconstruction have on the post-Civil War United States? ★ 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! ©2023 A Social Studies Life For personal use only. Duplication for an entire school, an entire school system, or for commercial purposes is strictly forbidden. Please have other teachers purchase their own copy. If you are a school or district interested in purchasing several licenses, please contact me for a district-wide quote.
Lincoln's Assassination, Andrew Johnson's Reconstruction Plan
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Lincoln's Assassination, Andrew Johnson's Reconstruction Plan

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Why was Andrew Johnson’s Reconstruction plan criticized by Republican lawmakers? This lesson examines Andrew Johnson’s Reconstruction plan implemented after Lincoln’s assassination. Students will analyze documents including primary source resources to determine how Andrew Johnson’s plan was considered more lenient to Republicans than what they would’ve liked to implement. Included in this resource: Do Now prior knowledge assessment - comparing Lincoln’s Ten Percent Plan to the Wade-Davis Bill Lincoln’s assassination reading passage with scaffolding questions Lincoln’s assassination from a friend’s diary primary source document with scaffolding questions/graphic organizer Andrew Johnson’s Reconstruction Ideas reading passage with scaffolding questions/graphic organizer Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Question - Why did Andrew Johnson’s leniency towards the South ultimately lead to more aggressive policies during Reconstruction? ★ 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! ©2023 A Social Studies Life For personal use only. Duplication for an entire school, an entire school system, or for commercial purposes is strictly forbidden. Please have other teachers purchase their own copy. If you are a school or district interested in purchasing several licenses, please contact me for a district-wide quote.