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Activity

Staging the Compelling Question

Students are introduced to the themes of the compelling question by responding to a quote from James Baldwin that sparks their thinking about the complexities and contradictions within US history.

Published: November 7, 2022

Activity

Language

English — US

Subject

History

Grade

9–12

Duration

One 50-min class period

Democracy & Civic Engagement
Human & Civil Rights
Racism

Overview

Students explore the ideas behind the compelling question for this inquiry: How do we reckon with a history full of complexities and contradictions? They engage with a quote from James Baldwin—”American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful, and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it”¹ —to generate curiosity about the inquiry and begin thinking about the complexities of US history.

1Baldwin, “A Talk to Teachers.”

How do we reckon with a history full of complexities and contradictions?

Procedure

Activity 1

Explain to students that over the course of this inquiry, they will be exploring the contradictions and complexities within the history of the founding of the United States, including these:

The ideals reflected in our founding documents

How those ideals compared to the government established in the new nation

The experiences of people denied rights and freedoms during the founding era

Project this quote from James Baldwin:

American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful, and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it.
—James Baldwin

Activity 2

Using the Big Paper teaching strategy, place the James Baldwin quote at the top of a sheet of poster paper (create multiple copies if needed for a larger class) and give students enough time to have a written discussion about the quote in complete silence. The following questions can help guide their discussion:

What questions, thoughts, connections, or feelings does this quote raise for you?

What are some moments, events, or stories in US history that you consider to be beautiful or terrible?

Why might people have chosen to tell an incomplete or one-sided story of US history?

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Activity

Staging the Compelling Question - PDF

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Staging the Compelling Question - Doc

Activity

Supporting Question 1: The Nation’s Founding Ideals

Students explore the supporting question "What does the Declaration of Independence state about the nation’s founding ideals?"

Lesson

Students consider how US history books, films, and other works of popular culture have misrepresented the history of the Reconstruction era.

A portrait of W.E.B. Du Bois, head-and-shoulders, facing slightly right.

Lesson

Students examine how freed people in the United States sought to define freedom after Emancipation.

A black and white image of African American schoolchildren in Liberty County, circa 1890.

Lesson

Students learn about President Andrew Johnson and the Congressional Republican's conflicting visions of how to rebuild the nation after the Civil War.

Lesson

Through a video-based activity, students explore how Radical Reconstruction changed the nature of voting rights and democracy in the South.

Lesson

By examining periods of violence during the Reconstruction era, students learn about the potential backlash to political and social change.

Portraits superimposed on an image of the American flag

Lesson

Through a video-based activity, students examine America’s struggle for a stronger democracy during Reconstruction and today.

Dr. Martin Luther King leads thousands of civil rights demonstrators out on the last leg of their Selma to Montgomery 50-mile hike.

Lesson

Students explore the ways that Emancipation and Radical Reconstruction altered the lives of many Americans.

Survivors of slavery observe Juneteenth in hats, canes, and bonnets inAustin, TX

Unit

Teach a 3-week study of the Reconstruction era guided by the essential question "What can we learn from the history of Reconstruction as we work to strengthen democracy today?"

Collection

Use this rich collection of Reconstruction era primary sources, videos, and a 3-week unit to engage your students in this pivotal period in US history and its legacies today.

African American and Radical Republican members of the South Carolina Legislature in the 1870s.

Collection

Enrich your teaching on the Reconstruction era with these primary source documents and images.

Lesson

Students consider what it means to be free by learning about the choices and aspirations of freedpeople immediately after Emancipation.

Black students standing outside in front of a clapboard school house

Lesson

Students learn about the aftermath of the Civil War and examine primary source documents that provide insight into the difficult task of reuniting the nation.

The ruins of Mills House and nearby buildings, Charleston, South Carolina, at end of American Civil War.

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Staging the Compelling Question

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Language

Subject

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Duration

Overview

About this Activity

Procedure

Activities

Materials and Downloads

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Staging the Compelling Question

At a Glance

Language

Subject

Grade

Duration

Overview

About this Activity

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Procedure

Activities

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Materials and Downloads

Quick Downloads

Download the Files

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You might also be interested in…

A Contested History

Defining Freedom

The Political Struggle, 1865–1866

Interracial Democracy

Violence and Backlash

Legacies of Reconstruction

The World the War Made

The Reconstruction Era 3-Week Unit

The Reconstruction Era and the Fragility of Democracy

The Reconstruction Era Primary Sources

Enacting Freedom

The Devastation of War

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