The Rise and Fall of Reconstruction in Virginia (Elementary Level)

In this unit, a heterogeneous group of 4th grade students will examine the efforts made in Virginia to restore order following the Civil War, in the period known as Reconstruction. Previously, students have studied the Civil War and the surrender at Appomattox Court House. In this unit, they will examine the effectiveness of those efforts at Reconstruction, and how people in Virginia reacted to the dramatic changes unfolding at the time. Lessons will include primary documents to help expand student’s knowledge base and build vocabulary associated with the events.

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A Look at Virginians During Reconstruction (Elementary Level)

In this lesson students will examine how governmental actions during Reconstruction (1865-77) affected individual choices. Students will consider the lives of African Americans in Virginia during this period, noting how national and state political actions impacted the education of African Americans in Virginia. This lesson focuses on the opportunities that Reconstruction opened up for African Americans. Specifically, it provides students the opportunity to learn about a former slave, William Jasper, and his family. It works well after students have learned about slavery and the Civil War in Virginia, and before students study the effects of segregation and “Jim Crow” on life in Virginia—a time during which many of these opportunities vanished.

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Desegregation and Massive Resistance in Virginia (Elementary Level)

In this unit, a heterogeneous group of fourth grade students will understand the relationship between desegregation and Massive Resistance in twentieth century Virginia. They will learn about the changes that occurred in Virginia as a result of the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement. Students will make connections between key events, such as Brown v. Board of Education, and their impact on Virginia. Through the use of primary resources, secondary resources, games, and learning activities students will link key terms and individuals with an understanding of the time period.

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Role of Virginians in the Founding of the New Nation (Elementary Level)

In this unit, students will discover what contributions George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, George Mason, and James Madison made to the formation of the new nation based on democracy as opposed to another monarchy or tyranny. Students will identify traits and characteristics of these figures that lead to their accomplishments. A study of the American Revolution emphasizing the role and contributions of Virginians during the conflict will have been completed prior to the start of this unit. Students will be given selections from primary and secondary sources to analyze and interpret multiple perspectives of each individual. They will then draw conclusions identifying their abilities, talents, and ambitions. Students will make connections between their contributions to the formation of the new nation and its relevance to government today.

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The Coming of the Civil War in Virginia (Elementary Level)

This unit picks up Virginia Studies in the mid 1800s, following the founding of the new country; the Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe presidencies; and slavery in Virginia. Using many available resources, including online primary resources, students will understand that by the mid 1800s there were differences and conflicts between the North and the South in the United States and, furthermore, Virginia was divided in itself. Students will begin to relate and understand various events, issues, and conflicts that contributed to Virginia’s secession from the Union and, in turn, the Civil War. Students will examine the differences between Northern and Southern states, focusing on the existence of these differences within the state of Virginia. The unit will begin with study of the North (manufacturing-based) and the South (agricultural-based), abolition, Nat Turner’s rebellion, the Underground Railroad, John Brown’s raid, and the slavery question in the western territory. Specifically, students will analyze photos, letters, and other documents from the period in order to see that Virginians were not 100% aligned with southern or northern states. It will conclude by studying Lincoln’s election and the firing on Fort Sumter, and the formation of West Virginia.

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A Look at Virginians During Reconstruction (Elementary Level)

In this lesson students will examine how governmental actions during Reconstruction (1865-77) affected individual choices. Students will consider the lives of African Americans in Virginia during this period, noting how national and state political actions impacted the education of African Americans in Virginia. This lesson focuses on the opportunities that Reconstruction opened up for African Americans. Specifically, it provides students the opportunity to learn about a former slave, William Jasper, and his family. It works well after students have learned about slavery and the Civil War in Virginia, and before students study the effects of segregation and “Jim Crow” on life in Virginia—a time during which many of these opportunities vanished.

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Jamestown (Elementary Level)

As part of a Virginia Studies curriculum, students are required to understand the role that Virginia played in the early development of our nation. Students will understand the driving factors behind the initial colonization of the North American continent by the British. Students will look at pieces of the Virginia Company's charter to understand why the British government decided to begin the colonization process.

Prior to this unit students have learned about the geography of Virginia and the early inhabitants of Virginia. This is important because it is the interactions with the Native Americans in the area (esp. the Powahatans) that really ensured the survival of the colonists. In the long run it also ensured cultural conflict and backlash, but without the knowledge that the colonists gained from the Powhatans, they wouldn't have had enough food to survive. Students will explore this relationship with documents that detail the colonists’ interaction, including George Percy's journal.

The geography of the initial colonization process is also set up in the prior unit. Students will learn that the colonists explored the Chesapeake Bay region, settled on the James River on a peninsula, and were in the coastal plain region. These are all terms that the students will build on based on their previous learning experience. Students will compare and contrast what they have learned about the current day region using maps (esp. John Smith's) from that era.

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Nat Turner’s Revolt and Its Effects (Elementary Level)

The students have spent the year learning about Virginia. The units that have been taught thus far are Virginia geography (involving map skills), Virginia’s Native Inhabitants, Jamestown, The American Revolution, and The New Nation (how Virginians—Washington, Madison, Mason, and Jefferson contributed to our country). This mini-unit is a part of the unit on the Civil War. Students will already know the differences between the North and South’s economies. They will understand the disagreements about whether or not new states should be slave or free. They will also have an understanding of what life under slavery was like. After completing this mini-unit, the students will be able to describe the various ways that slaves resisted their enslavement, and how Nat Turner in particular resisted slavery. They will be able to discuss the various perspectives of slave owners, abolitionists, and slaves concerning this revolt, as well as the direct effects of the rebellion. (They will be able to explain the enactment of the slave codes as well as why this rebellion helped lead Virginia to secession and war.) The students will be able to analyze various primary and secondary sources that will lead them to the understandings discussed above. My class is not homogenous, but overall I would say they are an advanced group. I have the gifted children in my room, and they are quite capable students.

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