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Subject

English Language Arts (2005), Social Studies

Assessment

1. Select, print, and copy a document from African American Perspectives, 1818-1907 that students have not analyzed. Ask students to write essays in which they:
• identify a societal problem described by the document;
• describe how the document expands their thinking about that problem; and
• explain whether the author of the document would agree with the recommendations of the class African American Congress.
2. If practical, have students identify and analyze document themselves. This approach allows assessment of students' search skills as well as their understanding of issues studied in this lesson, and their ability to analyze a primary source.
3. Students could create posters illustrating their research on a problem. The posters should answer the study questions, providing evidence from primary sources to support the answers given.

Learning Context/ Introduction

The collection African American Perspectives: Pamphlets from the Daniel A.P. Murray Collection, 1818-1907, contains pamphlets and other materials, most of which were written by African American authors about pressing issues of the day. In this lesson, students use the collection's Timeline of African American History, 1852-1925 to identify problems and issues facing African Americans immediately after Reconstruction. Working in small groups on assigned issues, students search the collection for documents that describe the problem and consider opposing points of view, and suggest a remedy for the problem. Students then present the results of their research in a simulated African American Congress, modeled on a congress documented in the collection's special presentation, Progress of a People.

Focus Activity

Online Option

1. Assign students to small groups. Have groups go to this lesson. For easy return, have students add this address to their bookmark list.
2. Ask students to read Section 1: Introduction and follow the instructions. Allow 20 minutes for this portion of the activity.

Offline Option

1. Explain that African Americans in the South faced a variety of problems at the end of Reconstruction. These problems became acute as federal regulation of Southern state governments ended and remaining federal troops were withdrawn from the South.
2. Have students brainstorm ideas about what these problems might be. Post responses on the chalkboard
3. Divide the class into small groups and give each group several copies of the Timeline that you have printed and copied. Tell students to read the Timeline and, based on items included on the Timeline, develop a list of three to five important problems facing African Americans following Reconstruction. Allow 15 minutes for this task.

Discussion of Problems

When small groups have completed their work, have groups share their findings with the class. Discuss the problems identified, asking such questions as:

• How do you know this was a problem? What evidence does the Timeline provide?
• Did you identify this as a problem before you read the Timeline? If so, how did you know it was a problem? If not, why do you think you did not know about this problem?
• Are there significant differences among problems identified by different groups?
• Are any of these problems related? How?

Help the group reach consensus on a list of problems to be studied. Likely problems include: lynching, race riots, loss of the right to vote, segregation/Jim Crow laws, and education.

Objectives

After completing this lesson, students will be able to:

• Describe issues or problems facing African Americans following Reconstruction.
• Explain possible solutions to these problems suggested in the sources you find, and cite arguments for and against these solutions.
• Make inferences based on a timeline.
• Analyze primary source documents.
• Search a database to identify documents related to a topic or problem.

Procedure

The procedure for this learning experience consists of the following parts:

1. Focus Activity (Online or Offline Option)
2. Discussion of Problems
3. Small Group Research
4. Model African American Congress
5. Debriefing Discussion

Materials and Resources

Chart of Problems Faced by African Americans


Small Group Research

Assign or allow groups to choose problems they wish to study. Try to ensure that all problems are studied by at least one group. Explain to students that they will be using a collection of primary source documents from the Library of Congress to explore their topic further.

Before students begin their work, explain that groups will make final presentations as part of a model African American Congress. Describe how congresses were held to explore solutions to societal problems of the day. See Brief History of African American Congresses for background information. Point out that the constitution from one of these congresses is in African-American Perspectives, 1818-1907. A list of topics likely to be discussed at a congress is in the collection's feature presentation, Progress of a People. Each group should prepare a five-minute presentation describing the problem they studied and a possible solution. The presentations should be based on information from at least three documents in African American Perspectives, 1818-1907.

Have student groups move to Section 2: Directions for Research. You may wish to review Study Questions and Search Tips with students. Section 3: Primary Source Set lists the sample primary sources described in Materials and Preparation and other primary source collections that may contain related information.

Give students the remainder of this class period and the next class period to do their searching and preparation for the model congress.

Model African American Congress

During the third class period, conduct a model African American Congress, a public meeting to discuss and look for solutions to problems facing African Americans. You may preside over the congress or appoint a student to do so.

To conduct the congress:

1. Construct an agenda consisting of the problems under study.
2. For each problem, allow each group studying the problem to give a five-minute report.
3. A brief class discussion of each problem should follow reports on that problem.
4. After all problems have been reported and discussed, conduct a general discussion in which the class decides on recommendations to include in a report of the model congress.

Debriefing Discussion

Conduct a debriefing discussion in which students consider questions such as:

• What search strategies were most effective?
• Did you find some types of documents more helpful than others? More difficult to interpret?
• What surprised you about the documents you found? Why?
• Did you have enough information to assess the credibility or reliability of the documents? Why or why not?
• What other problem(s) did you identify through your research? How were these problems related to the original problem your group studied?
• What evidence of prejudice or racism did you find in the documents? Did any of the examples surprise you? Why or why not?
• What issues generated the most disagreement among African Americans? Why do you think this was so?
• What evidence did you find of the effects of slavery? Of Reconstruction?

Resources/Materials

General Preparation

This lesson emphasizes small group work. Determine the composition for the small groups prior to the first class period. Assign roles to students in each group or let students assign roles within groups. Students may want to rotate responsibilities. Tips for Organizing Group Work sets out suggested roles for small group work.

The lesson's first two class periods require computers connected to the World Wide Web. To save time, begin the lesson offline. To begin offline, print and photocopy the Timeline that accompanies African American Perspectives, 1818-1907.

Search Tips

As another timesaver, download primary sources on issues presented in the lesson. Use downloaded primary sources to launch the lesson when a World Wide Web connection is unavailable.

The chart below lists problems faced by Africa Americans, keyword search terms, and sample primary sources from African American Perspectives, 1818-1907. To find related primary sources, go to the collection search page , then type in the keyword or related words.

Problem	Keyword Search Terms	Sample Primary Source
Lynching	lynching, hanging	Lynch Law in Georgia
Race Riot/Violence	civil rights, violence, riots	Open Letter to President McKinley
Voting Rights	suffrage, vote	The Hardwick Bill: An Interview
Segregation/Jim Crow Laws	equality, segregation, black laws, Jim Crow	Equality Before the Law
Education	education, higher education, industrial education	Education of the Negro

Please visit Student Handouts to access the worksheets and information students need for this learning experience.

Extension

1. Appoint a committee consisting of one representative from each small group. Have the committee prepare an outline for a report about the model congress results. Then have each small group write to flesh out one outline topic. Ask the committee to edit the final report.
2. Have each group select a historical person particularly identified with their issue. Encourage them to search African American Perspectives, 1818-1907 and other sources for more information about that person. Have students present results of their research through a poster, a biography, or a mock interview.
3. Encourage groups to look for similarities between historical problems they have studied and problems that Americans, including African Americans, face today. Which, if any, problems have been solved? Which problems have persisted? How are arguments and proposed solutions similar and different?

Duration

Three 50-minute class periods

Source

Reproduced from the Library of Congress web site for teachers. Original lesson plan created as part of the Library of Congress American Memory Fellows Program.

Related Academic Standards

New York State

RH.9-10.7 Integrate quantitative or technical analysis (e.g., charts, research data) with qualitative analysis in print or digital text.

RH.11-12.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.

SS.C.1.1A Students analyze the development of American culture, explaining how ideas, values, beliefs, and traditions have changed over time and how they unite all Americans.

SS.C.1.1B Students describe the evolution of American democratic values and beliefs as expressed in the Declaration of Independence, the New York State Constitution, the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and other important historical documents.

SS.C.1.2C Students compare and contrast the experiences of different groups in the United States.

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