A New Approach to Teaching the Reconstruction Era | Facing History & Ourselves
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Professional Learning

A New Approach to Teaching the Reconstruction Era

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About this event:

Multi-Session

Our multi-session professional learning series are designed for in-depth exploration of themes and topics that help educators strengthen their skills and competencies. Session information is included in the event details.

Instructor-Led & Self-Paced

This professional learning event will be led by Facing History staff and also contains portions that are self-paced and delivered virtually. When you register, you will receive instructions for how access and participate in the event.

This event qualifies for Graduate Credit.

3 graduate credits are available through the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs and require an additional project and fees. For more information about graduate credit, check out our graduate credit guide.

History Social Studies
Racism Resistance

How does society rebuild after extraordinary division and trauma, when the ideals and values of democracy are most vulnerable?

The Reconstruction era, most commonly viewed as the period from 1865 to 1877, was a monumental struggle for freedom and democracy in the face of violent backlash. The study of the Reconstruction era in American history is essential to an understanding of citizenship and democracy in the United States today.

During this course, you will examine this significant period in US history, when Americans were faced with the challenge of restoring a nation amid the social and political upheaval of the Civil War. You will learn to teach about the Reconstruction era using an approach that helps students connect this history to their own lives and the choices they make today.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  1. Plan and implement a unit of study, built on the Facing History methodology, that focuses on the Reconstruction era of American history and the challenges of creating a just democracy in a time of deep division
  2. Use key resources and teaching strategies to help students explore the idea that democracy can only remain vital through the active, thoughtful, and responsible participation of its citizens
  3. Use historical and contemporary examples to develop students’ understanding of Reconstruction’s legacy and the importance of presenting an accurate account of this era
  4. Learn how to facilitate respectful classroom discussions on difficult issues such as racism, bigotry, and other forms of exclusion in a way that invites personal reflection and critical analysis
  5. Use new teaching strategies that help students interrogate texts, write and think critically, and discuss controversial issues respectfully

At-a-Glance

Who should take this course: 7th–12th grade US history, humanities, and English language arts teachers and curriculum specialists.

Cost: Free. The registration fee and event fee for this online course have been waived thanks to generous funding from Facing History and Ourselves donors and partner organizations.

Duration: 6 weeks. There is a new session each week. The first week's session is designed to welcome you to the course, introduce you to Facing History, and connect you with other educators in the course. Weeks two through six are designed so that you will engage with course-related readings, videos, and other resources and leave with concrete strategies and lesson plan ideas to implement in your classroom. Sessions begin on Thursday and end on the following Wednesday.

Time Commitment: Approximately 3 to 4 hours per week.

Pacing: Self-paced, asynchronous with facilitated online discussions and optional synchronous live learning sessions in Zoom.

Accessibility: Facing History is committed to creating and maintaining a welcoming and inclusive educational environment for educators of all abilities. If you have an accessibility need, please contact us at support [at] facinghistory.org (support[at]facinghistory[dot]org).

Certificate of Completion: Awarded upon successful completion of the course, for 20 professional development hours. Requirements for professional development hours vary by state. It is the educator's responsibility to ensure that they are meeting the requirements of their state.

If you are an educator based in New York, after taking this course you are eligible for 20 CTLE hours. If you are an educator based in Illinois, after taking this course, you are eligible for up to 20 clock hours. Please contact us at support [at] facinghistory.org (support[at]facinghistory[dot]org) for more information.

Graduate Credit: 3 graduate credits are available through the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs and require an additional project and fees. For more information about graduate credit, check out our graduate credit guide.

 

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