Central Question: What could the United States government have done to adequately provide newly freed slaves the means to function equally in American society?
Task: Teams of students will report happenings of the Reconstruction Era in simulated expose` news telecasts.
Assumptions: Culminating activity is introduced on the first day of the unit accompanied with a data retrieval chart. It will be labeled with all of the topics to be discussed about Reconstruction and columns headed by what the topic did, how it was favored and how it was not (1) favored . Students will have class time most every day to organize and create ideas and generally work on the expose`. Students will be given a step by step instruction sheet. Each team of newscasters will be required to meet with the teacher three times to ensure that the students are on the right track. The teacher provides feedback so students will have an idea of what needs to be improved.(2)
Details: Students will design an expose` of one of the covered Reconstruction topics. The expose` must establish what topic is being exposed, background information on the subject, what has made the topic so controversial. Student creativity can be devised within the project by conducting exclusive interviews with influential participants, live camera scenes, investigative reports, or special behind-the-scene reports.(3)
Each team will have four members with the following responsibilities:(4)
Producer: Assures that each scene of the news cast is within its time limits. Assures that the anchor and the two correspondents both have all of the issues. Responsible for questioning of the correspondent reporters. Helps in the research of the Reconstruction topic.
Investigative Reporter (2): Each reporter/correspondent
will be responsible for reporting one side of the event being exposed.
Reports can be given in different formats. (ex. one reporter may cover
the supporting side of an issue, while the other reports of the opposing
side; one reporter may cover both sides of the issue, while the other reporter
does a behind-the-scenes
report.
Anchor: Is the point of origin. Investigative reporters communicate through this person. This person is responsible for coordinating transitions from one correspondent to the next. The anchor is responsible for introducing the expose` and summarizing at the end (5). The anchor is also for leading in to each investigative reporter.
Teams will be assigned to cover the following Reconstruction topics.
Special Field Orders, No. 15; The Freedman's Bureau Bill and the Freedman's Bureau Bill Veto; The Civil Rights Bill of 1866; The Ku Klux Klan; The Enforcement Acts; The election of 1876; The Compromise of 1877.
Using resources compiled by the teacher, including books, web sites, and other resources, groups of students will further investigate the dynamics of their topic. Resources provided by the teacher will lead the students into deeper, underlying aspects of the topic. As students research their topic, they will add to the data retrieval chart that was given on the first day of the unit.(6)
Assessment: A rubric assessing the performance of the group would be designed at evaluating the project for establishment of background information about group topics, including parties involved and arguments for and against. Students will also be assessed on the organization and flow of each presentation, creativity, and new information learned as a result of their research. As a part of the unit exam, students will write a teacher guided essay, asking the students to express what they have learned as a result of the group activity.(7)
(1) Clarity here?
(2) Interim work products?
(3) Model?
(4) A role that includes visual/graphic elements for visual/spatial intelligences?
(5) Closure or CQ?
(6) More headings will lead to deeper products.
(7) Accountable for others' presentations?
Nicely conceptualized and very creative.