Reconstruction Discussion Prompts and Pause Points

Before the Movie

What do you know about the Civil War?

What was the Union? What was the Confederacy?

During the Movie (Pause Points)

Stop at the following times in the movie and ask questions or prompt a discussion to keep students focused and to assess their understanding before moving on:

Timecode 3:06: What effects did the Radicals have on the lives of African Americans?

Timecode 3:47: What did most Southerners think of Reconstruction officials and why?  

Timecode 4:18: How did President Grant bring calm to Washington?

Timecode 4:46: In what way was sharecropping a form of economic slavery?

Timecode 5:45: What tactics did southern politicians use to prevent African Americans from voting?

After the Movie

Look at the four related movies at the bottom of the page. Explain how each is connected to the Reconstruction topic.

In what ways did life in the South remain unchanged despite losing the Civil War?

What do you imagine life was like for African Americans in the South after the war?

BrainPOP recommends reading  the movie description that appears on the Reconstruction topic page to your class. Then show the movie once through without pausing.  Watch it again, this time using the discussion prompts.

*BrainPOP’s Discussion Questions and Prompts align to CCSS Speaking and Listening Standards.