SS.8.CG.2.1

Students will take a journey through the Reconstruction Amendments (13^th, 14^th, 15^th) to determine the importance of citizenship by experiencing an interactive PowerPoint and then take a deep dive into text while writing about Reconstruction and citizenship. Finally, students will create an original visual representation to develop a deeper understanding of both the Reconstruction Amendments and accompanying vocabulary.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will reinforce their understanding of the naturalization process by viewing scenarios of people going through naturalization and using text coding strategies to reinforce the steps they have already learned.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will explore how the 14th Amendment establishes citizenship. Students will also learn how the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments reflect their Reconstruction-era context.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will use primary sources to determine how the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments expanded the right to vote and participate in the political process for African Americans.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will read and compare the Florida Constitutions of 1838 and 1868.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson plan, students will read and analyze the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, along with background information on Frederick Douglass.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will engage in a whole class discussion about citizenship from colonial times through Reconstruction.  Students will then collaborate to analyze excerpts from two primary documents.  Ultimately, students will create a "mindmap" to represent what they learned about U.S. citizenship.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this interactive tutorial, learn about the rights, obligations, and responsibilities of American citizenship.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn all about citizenship in the United States of America: what citizenship is, why some Americans have citizenship from birth, and how others became U.S. citizens through a process called naturalization with this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

This Grade 8 Civics Family Guide provides some ideas and activities to support civics education when at home, out and about, and in the community. The activities provided align to the civics learning benchmarks within Standard 2 at this grade level.

Type: Teaching Idea

In this source analysis activity, students will examine the Reconstruction Amendments: 13,14,15.    After careful examination of the 3 amendments they will look at political cartoons from the time period to see reactions to Reconstruction. 

Type: Teaching Idea

Alejandro Brice and his family immigrated from Cuba at the beginning of the Cuban Revolution. His father was jailed as a counter-revolutionary sympathizer and upon release, the family fled the country. Dr. Brice shares his memories of his “freedom wings”, the culture shock of growing up in Ohio as immigrants, learning English in elementary school, watching his family start over, and becoming a U.S. Citizen. Dr. Brice is a college professor specializing in the education of immigrant children and English language learners.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

Ivonne Blank immigrated to the United States in 1961 as part of Operation Pedro Pan, the largest exodus on unaccompanied minors in the Western Hemisphere. Ms. Blank talks about how difficult it was waiting for her parents and living in an orphanage in Denver, CO. Her parents later left the island by boat, were rescued by the Coast Guard, and resettled in the United States. After the family was reunited, they were able to rebuild their lives with support from their community. Ms. Blank went on to become a lifelong educator and U.S. citizen.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation