The World the War Made
Duration
One 50-min class periodSubject
- History
Grade
9–12Language
English — USPublished
Overview
About This Lesson
The devastation of the Civil War and the revolutionary ideas behind Emancipation and Radical Reconstruction changed the United States and the lives, circumstances, and opportunities of nearly every American. Centered on The World the War Made, Part One of Facing History’s video series about Reconstruction, and enhanced with activities and readings, this lesson will help to frame some of the ways in which the lives of Americans changed after the end of the Civil War. By watching the video and reading and analyzing historical documents, students will reflect on their own identities, what factors influence those identities, which parts of their identities are determined by their own choices, and which parts are determined by forces beyond their control.
This lesson is part of Facing History’s work on the Reconstruction era and part of a series of lessons focused on our Reconstruction videos. Use this lesson at the beginning of a unit on Reconstruction to engage students in a discussion about the many changes to Americans’ identities and the effects of those changes during this time period.
In addition to the suggestions below, see Lessons 1, 3, and 4 in The Reconstruction Era and the Fragility of Democracy for background information about the ways that the lives of Americans changed in the aftermath of the Civil War.