Reconstruction Video Series

Watch this documentary video series where the experts walk your students through Reconstruction with the aid of photographs. There are 6 videos. They are 12-16 minutes each.

There are activities to accompany a few of the videos.

Activity for Part 1 in the video series: Students reflect on power structures in their own lives. Then they watch part one in the Reconstruction video series (12 min). They answer questions. Teachers have the option to assign up to 4 primary sources and the class discusses.

Activity for Part 3 in the video series: Students analyze 2 political cartoons and answer provided questions. Then they watch 9 min of streaming video (The Political Struggle, part 3 in the series) and answer provided questions. Next, Students read a loyalty oath created by President Andrew Johnson during Presidential Reconstruction. Teachers can set up a "Big Paper" discussion on this doc (students answer questions and respond to other comments on large pieces of paper). Thereafter, students watch the second part (7 min) of the Reconstruction video; this part is on Radical Reconstruction. And students answer questions. Finally, students read about the Reconstruction Acts of 1867 and do another Big Paper Discussion.

Activity for Part 6 in the video series: Students watch a 13 min video (part 6 in the series) and read a primary source. Students answer questions about each and then discuss what they will do to about race relations moving forward.