Illustrating Key Terms of the Reconstruction Era

Understanding history also means understanding the terminology around it. In this activity, students will display their understanding of key terms relating to Reconstruction. Students will create a frayer model that defines and illustrates new vocabulary. Students should be encouraged to choose terms they're unfamiliar with from a word bank.

For an extension activity, teachers can display just the visualization to their class or on a separate worksheet and have students guess which term it is. Students would be able to show off their creativity to their peers while being engaged in a challenging review activity to reinforce the main concepts from this unit.

Example Vocabulary for the Reconstruction Era

• Sharecrop
• Segregation
• Emancipation
• Secede
• Carpetbagger
• Black Codes
• Abolition
• Reconstruction
• Scalawag
• Freedman’s Bureau

Student Instructions

Demonstrate your understanding of key terms related to the Reconstruction Era by creating a visual vocabulary board.

1. Choose four vocabulary words and type them in the title boxes.
2. Define the term in your own words in the description box.
3. Illustrate the meaning of the word in the cell using a combination of scenes, characters, and items.
• Alternatively, use Photos for Class to show the meaning of the words with the search bar.
4. Save and exit when you're done.