How did the philanthropy of the robber barons during the Gilded Age impact the development of public institutions in America? This lesson and activity examines the background and impact of the robber barons and philanthropists 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 - Robber Barons quote primary source analysis Robber Barons, Philanthropists and the Sherman Antitrust Act reading passage with scaffolding questions “The Gospel of Wealth” analysis with questions Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Assessment: How did the actions of the robber barons during the Gilded Age lead to the creation of the Sherman Antitrust Act? 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.

Why did the business practices of industrialists like John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, and J.P. Morgan lead to the creation of antitrust laws in the United States? This lesson and activity examines the background and impact of the creation of monopolies by Rockefeller, 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 - Rockefeller Puck magazine primary source cartoon analysis Titans of American Industry reading passage with scaffolding graphic organizer questions The “Monster” Monopoly political cartoon analysis with questions Horizontal and Vertical Integration graphic analysis and questions Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Assessment: How did the monopolies and trusts established by industrialists like Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Morgan impact American society and economy during the late 19th and early 20th centuries? 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.

How did John D. Rockefeller’s use of horizontal integration and Andrew Carnegie’s use of vertical integration shape the oil and steel industries, respectively, and what were the long-term effects of these strategies on American industry? This lesson and activity examines the background and impact of the use of horizontal and vertical integration by Rockefeller and Carnegie. 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 - Rockefeller and Carnegie primary source quotes with scaffolding questions Horizontal and Vertical Integration reading passage with scaffolding graphic organizer questions Andrew Carnegie on Vertical Integration POV John D. Rockefeller on Horizontal Integration POV Horizontal and Vertical Integration graphic analysis and questions Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Assessment: Why were the strategies of horizontal and vertical integration so effective in establishing dominant positions in the oil and steel industries, and how have these strategies influenced modern business practices? 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.

How did corporations during the Gilded Age change the American economy and the lives of ordinary people? This lesson and activity examines the background and impact of the rise of corporations during 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 - Standard Oil advertisement primary source photo analysis with questions Rise of Corporations during the Gilded Age reading passage with scaffolding questions Understanding Business Terms vocabulary activities Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Assessment: Why are corporations considered a powerful influence on both the economy and society, especially during the Gilded Age? 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.

Why did the introduction of the assembly line by Henry Ford make the Model T more affordable and popular among Americans in the early 20th century? This lesson and activity examines the background and impact of the invention and implementation of the assembly line by Henry Ford. 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 - “The First Assembly Line” primary source analysis with questions The Revolution of the Assembly Line reading passage with scaffolding questions Henry Ford on the assembly line POV with scaffolding questions Advertising the Model-T Ford activity/project with rubric Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Assessment: How did Henry Ford’s introduction of the assembly line and the Model T, combined with the discovery of crude oil in 1859, transform American society and the global economy? 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.

How did inventions like the typewriter, the telephone, and the automobile transform daily life and work during the Second Industrial Revolution? This lesson and activity examines the background and impact of Second Industrial Revolution era inventions. 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 - Thomas Edison quote analysis Second Industrial Revolution Inventions Document analysis: Students can use the documents as a pass from group to group, or you can post the documents around your classroom and use as a “station activity,” where students go to station to station with their group to analyze. Document #1: Bessemer Process Document #2: Singer sewing machine Document #3: Transatlantic telegraph Document #4: Dynamite Document #5: Typewriter Document #6: Bell telephone Document #7: Phonograph Document #8: Incandescent electric lamp Document #9: Electric streetcar Document #10: Kodak camera Document #11: Latimer filament for light bulbs Document #12: Adding machine Document #13: Oiling machinery Document #14: Shoe-lasting machine Document #15: Wright Brothers Airplane Document #16: Ford Model-T Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Assessment: How did second industrial revolution inventions have a profound effect on the growth of cities and the economy? 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.

How did Reconstruction after the Civil War fail black American freedmen? Your students will read, research, and critically think to answer questions based on their knowledge and analysis of the reconstruction era after the Civil War. Included in this resource: • Lesson plan • Do now student centered question based on quotation • Primary & Secondary source documents with scaffolding questions • Application/Higher Order Thinking/Closure analysis question Analyzing Reconstruction, documents, questions, Jim Crow laws, Ku Klux Klan, Black Codes, lynching, black freedmen, challenges of Reconstruction for black freedmen, failure of Reconstruction, common core literacy and vocabulary ©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.

What was America’s goal for the South after the Civil War? How did this goal succeed or fail? This lesson introduces the sensitive topic of the Reconstruction Era to your students in a document-based station activity. Students will determine the goal of the United States for the South and the affect Reconstruction had on black American freedmen after the Civil War. Included in this resource: • Reconstruction & The New South cover page • Full Lesson Plan • Student-centered Do Now question: What does it mean to “reconstruct” something? Does “reconstruction” always work? Why or why not? • Introduction to Reconstruction “Museum Walk”/Station Activity: Students walk around to each station {in cooperative groups} analyzing documents and answering scaffolding questions {5 documents/5 groups} • Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Questions ★★ Please Note: I execute this lesson with my 8th grade students. Please make an executive decision whether or not this lesson can be executed with your students based upon the preview file. Thank you! If you would like more information on how to execute this lesson/activity in your class, please email me at asocialstudieslife@gmail.com. ©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.

How did the Civil War create a divided nation? This lesson and activity summarizes the Civil War and has your students analyze and identify problems and formulate resolutions! Students will examine and recognize the effects of the Civil War on the United States as whole, and start to think about how the nation will come together afterward - in the reconstruction era. Included in this resource: Close reading passage with scaffolding questions “The Civil War” Sum it Up! student-centered analysis activity (could be independent or in cooperative groups) - Identify problem(s) and formulate resolution(s) for each situation after the Civil War Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Question Interactive notebook pages ★★ Please Note: I execute this lesson with my 8th grade 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.

How did President Lincoln try to preserve the Union? This lesson and activity examines President Lincoln’s decision making and wartime actions taken during the Civil War. Students will analyze documents including primary source resources and political cartoons to determine how President Lincoln tried to preserve the Union. Included in this resource: Complete lesson plan Do Now document analysis questions - Horace Greeley’s “Prayer of Twenty Millions” Six “stations”/documents/resources with scaffolding questions corresponding to each Station #1: President Lincoln’s response letter to Horace Greeley Station #2: Photograph of President Lincoln on the battlefield of Antietam Station #3: Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation primary source excerpt and Lincoln writing the Emancipation Proclamation lithograph Station #4: Proclamation Suspending the Writ of Habeas Corpus primary source document and Debating Habeas Corpus: Atlas and Argus and the New York Times primary source documents Station #5: The Political Rail Splitter and the National Game political cartoons Station #6: Portraits of Mr. Lincoln - Mathew Brady’s 1860 portrait of Mr. Lincoln and the Lincoln Memorial Statue Graphic organizer to record conclusions and notes Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Question - Think about the exhibits and documents you saw today analyzing Lincoln’s actions. After the Civil War, what do you believe will be America’s goals for the South? Group numbers ★ Please Note: I execute this lesson with my 9th 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 can be used during your Civil War unit or at the beginning of your Reconstruction unit. I tend to use it as the first lesson in my Reconstruction unit. ©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.

How did Lincoln’s plan for Reconstruction aim to restore the Union and promote equality for all citizens? This lesson and activity examines President Lincoln’s reconstruction plans - including the Ten Percent Plan - for the South after the Civil War. Students will analyze documents including primary source resources to determine how Lincoln planned to restore the Union and attempt equality for formerly enslaved persons. Included in this resource: Do Now primary source analysis and questions - Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address Post-Civil War problems and solutions critical thinking activity - What solutions would you as President create based off of the following problems? Lincoln’s Plan for Reconstruction reading passage with scaffolding questions Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction paraphrased draft reading with scaffolding questions Summing it up conclusions Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Question - How did Lincoln plan to allow Southern states to rejoin the Union under his Ten Percent Plan? ★ 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.

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.

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.

How did the differing approaches of Lincoln and Johnson to reconstruction reflect their contrasting views on the best way to reunite the country after the Civil War? This lesson examines Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson’s Reconstruction plan. Students will review and examine both plans to best conclude which plan should be implemented by Congress. Included in this resource: Do Now prior knowledge assessment - What challenges and post-war problems does President Johnson face after Lincoln’s assassination? Lincoln and Johnson Reconstruction Plans reading passage with guided questions Comparing Presidential Reconstruction Plans Activity Students will become members of Congress as they analyze the pros and cons of each presidential reconstruction plan They will create two to three questions to ask either Lincoln’s or Johnson’s team After the team presentations, they will vote on the best plan Some students will be on either Lincoln or Johnson’s team as: President Lincoln or Johnson Public Relations Person Chief Speech Writer Press Secretary ★ 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.

How did the Radical Republicans seek to ensure civil rights for African Americans during Reconstruction? This lesson and activity examines Congressional radical Republicans reconstruction plans. Students will examine documents and provisions of radical Republican plans and draw conclusions based on their analysis. Included in this resource: Do Now primary source analysis questions - Charles Sumner on Reconstruction in the South, 1866 Who were the Radical Republicans? reading passage with questions Remembering Dred Scott v. Sandford short reading passage critical thinking prediction question Congressional Reconstruction Legislation and Amendments Activity - Students will examine reconstruction plan documents and complete a graphic organizer with conclusions based off the guided questions (documents are tiered for different learning/reading levels) Wade Davis Bill 1864 Freedmen’s Bureau Acts 1865-1866 13th Amendment 1865 Civil Rights Act 1866 Reconstruction Acts 1867 14th Amendment 1868 Enforcement Act 1870 15th Amendment 1870 Civil Rights Act 1875 What is the historical context for this legislation? What events or social changes prompted its creation? What were the goals or intended effects of the legislation? What were the key provisions or requirements of this legislation? How effective was this legislation in achieving its goals? What were the historical consequences or impact of the legislation? Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Question - How did Radical Reconstruction differ from earlier attempts to rebuild and reunite the country after the Civil War? ★ 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.

How did the differing approaches of Johnson and Radical Republicans to reconstruction reflect their contrasting views on the best way to reunite the country after the Civil War? This lesson examines Andrew Johnson’s and Congressional Radical Republicans Reconstruction plans. Students will review and examine both plans to best conclude which plan should be implemented by Congress. Included in this resource: Do Now primary source photograph analysis with questions Johnson and Radical Republicans Reconstruction Plans reading passage with guided questions Comparing Reconstruction Plans Activity Students will become members of Congress as they analyze the pros and cons of each reconstruction plan They will create two to three questions to ask either Johnson’s or Republicans’ team After the team presentations, they will vote on the best plan Some students will be on either Johnson’s or Republicans’ team as: President Johnson or Senator Wade Public Relations Person Chief Speech Writer Press Secretary ★ 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.

How did the passage of the Tenure of Office Act and impeachment of President Johnson shape the balance of power between the executive and legislative branches of the government during the Reconstruction era? This lesson examines the passage of the Tenure of Office Act by Congress and the subsequent impeachment of President Johnson. Students will analyze documents, including primary sources, to draw conclusions regarding the impartiality of the Johnson impeachment. Included in this resource: Do Now 1868 Thomas Nast political cartoon analysis questions The Tenure of Office Act primary source excerpt and reading passage with guided questions “Get your tickets here!” reading passage with critical thinking analysis question The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson reading passage with graphic organizer scaffolding questions Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Assessment: Design your own ticket to President Johnson’s impeachment trial. Be sure to include details including one article or reason for impeachment that was used by Congress and be creative! 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! If you run out of time in one class period, you can give the exit/application as homework! ©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.

How did the 13th amendment impact the lives of newly freed African Americans during the Reconstruction era? This lesson examines the background and passage of the 13th amendment and the impact it had on the lives of newly freed African Americans. Students will also critically think to conclude what rights or freedoms were not included in the 13th amendment. Included in this resource: Do Now - Section 1 of the 13th amendment primary source excerpt with scaffolding questions The Thirteenth Amendment reading passage with vocabulary and scaffolding questions Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Assessment: What specific rights or protections did the 13th Amendment fail to provide for newly freed African Americans? 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.

Why is the 14th Amendment considered a pivotal and transformative piece of legislation in American history? This lesson examines the background and passage of the 14th amendment and the impact it had on the lives of newly freed peoples. Students will examine the sections and provisions of the amendment and how due process played a key role in shaping the nation’s laws. They will critically think to conclude how the 14th amendment would shape the future of civil rights and equality in the U.S. Included in this resource: Do Now - Section 1 of the 14th amendment primary source excerpt with scaffolding questions The Fourteenth Amendment reading passage with vocabulary and scaffolding questions Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Assessment: How do you believe the 14th Amendment will continue to shape the future of civil rights and equality in the United States? 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.

Why was the passage of the 15th Amendment considered a significant step towards addressing racial inequalities and expanding democratic participation in the United States? This lesson examines the background and passage of the 15th amendment and the impact it had on the lives of newly freed peoples. Students will examine the provisions of the amendment and how it granted African American men the right to vote, prohibiting the denial of suffrage based on race, color, or previous servitude. They will critically think to conclude how the 15th amendment aimed to ensure equal access to the democratic process and combat the discriminatory voting practices prevalent during that time. Included in this resource: Do Now - Section 1 of the 15th amendment primary source excerpt with scaffolding questions The Fifteenth Amendment reading passage with vocabulary and scaffolding questions Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Assessment: Why has the 15th Amendment had a lasting impact on the advancement of civil rights and the promotion of equal voting rights in the United States? 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.