Reconstruction of Virginia

Although many people are familiar with the Civil War, many fail to recognize the damage it caused to the states involved, particularly Virginia. In order to rebuild after the war, the people of this time had to overcome various circumstances and trials. Although the state of Virginia and the country as a whole have made immense progress since the war, lasting impacts can still be seen today. Throughout this lesson you will examine the Reconstruction Era in Virginia following the Civil War in order to get a better understanding of the devastation of this time. You will take on different roles and use different materials to study the different aspects of this time period.

You will get into a group with two other students, and you and your group will study the state of Virginia after the Civil War. One person from each group will be given a topic of researching segregation, urbanization or industrialization in Virginia after the Civil War. You will be asked to provide a short description of you topic, as well as complete the assigned task for your assigned topic. After each person in your group has completed his own research, you will meet together in order to share information. Then, each person in your group will be asked to write, draw or prepare a speech concerning one of the three topics of his choice and share his work with the class. Students must also then comment on two other student's projects. Finally, after you have discussed each topic but before class presentations, you will work together with your group to determine if we can see any effects of these events or impacts on society today.

The following is a brief overview of the steps you will need to take to complete this webquest.  Look under researcher one, two or three for more detailed instructions. 

1. You will get into a group with two other students. Once in your groups, assign a role and its topic to each person: viewer- segregation, artist- urbanization or engineer- industrialization.

2. Do your research on the websites provided for your assigned role in order to complete the task you have been assigned.

3. Teach your group about what you have learned.

4. After you have discussed each topic with your group, determine which topic you feel was the most influential during this time or which one helped you to learn the most about this time period.

5. Write, draw, or prepare a speech to represent the information you felt was most important about the topic you thought was most influential to this time period.

6. Share your writing, drawing or speech with the whole class on the "conclusion" page of the webquest.

7. Write two sentences in response to at least two other student's writing, drawing or speech.

Researcher One: Segregation

Viewer: You will use the websites under this heading to watch videos to learn about segregation in Virginia after the Civil War. As you watch the video clips, note any significant events or people mentioned. Be prepared to discuss how they were significant to this time period. You will also be asked to provide a short description of your topic.

http://classroomclips.org/video/3257

http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/booker-t-washington

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oy_yRN0DVlM

Researcher Two: Urbanization

Artist: You will use the websites under this heading in order to view pictures of Virginia during the era of urbanization.  You will be asked to illustrate one of these pictures, or design your own picture that you think would be an accurate representation of life during this time based upon the images you have viewed. Once you have completed your visual representation, share it with your group and explain its various aspects.

The first link shows images of urbanization in Virginia. The second link shows images of rural life in Virginia in order to help compare this to and urbanized Virginia.

http://www.vahistorical.org/collections-and-resources/educator-resource…

http://www.vahistorical.org/collections-and-resources/virginia-history-…

Researcher Three: Industrialization

Engineer: You will use the websites under this heading to determine different inventions or ideas that helped Virginia become more industrial. You will note how different creations impacted daily life, and you will also be able to choose an invention that you thought was the most beneficial or efficient addition to daily life during this time period. You will also discuss how the invention works practically, and provide any examples of or similarities to this product in today's society.

http://www.vahistorical.org/collections-and-resources/virginia-history-…

http://blueridgecountry.com/newsstand/magazine/mccormick-reaper/

Although you may not have known much about life in Virginia after the Civil War, hopefully you now know many different achievements and challenges of this time period. In order to share what you have learned with the class, use the link to the document below to write, upload a drawing, or insert and audio clip of your speech about which topic, event or person you thought was the most influential to this time period and to today's life.  Writings should be at least one paragraph in length, drawings should be explained in a few sentences or labeled, and speeches should be at least one minute in length. After you have inserted your work into the document, write two sentences in response to at least two other student's work in the document:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/161IF1HPV5ubc9FQn_gb_9BwbBsSQSE3Fmy9…

Picture for introduction page: http://mtviewmirror.com/150-years-ago-reconstruction-for-the-usa/

Picture for the task page: http://www.fasttrackteaching.com/burns/Unit_1_Reconstruction/U1_Reconst…

Picture for the process page: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2149899/The-American-West-youve…

Picture for the conclusion page: http://www.virginiaplaces.org/rail/

Thank you to all websites included in this webquest.
We all benefit by being generous with our work. Permission is granted for others to use and modify this WebQuest for educational, non-commercial purposes as long as the original authorship is credited. The modified WebQuest may be shared only under the same conditions.

This webquest was designed in order to better educate students about the state of Virginia after the Civil War and the progression it made toward recovery. This webquest should take the students roughly an hour, including the collaborative writings which accompany the lesson.  The implementation of this lesson involves students in both creative production and creative problem solving, stretching them to reach their potential as learners.

Description: Informs about the Reconstruction Era in Virginia following the Civil War

Grade Level: 4

Curriculum: Social Sciences

Standards:

Virginia Standard of Learning- VS.8 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the reconstruction of Virginia following the Civil War by a) identifying the effects of Reconstruction on life in Virginia; b) identifying the effects of segregation and “Jim Crow” on life in Virginia for whites, African Americans, and American Indians; c) describing the importance of railroads, new industries, and the growth of cities to Virginia’s economic development.

National Standard of Learning- Individuals, groups, and institutions