Grade Level: Fifth Grade | Content Area: Social Studies | Duration of Unit: 4 weeks
Unit Overview
In this four-week unit, fifth graders will examine the period of United States history following Reconstruction, when Jim Crow laws and segregation created systems of racial discrimination and inequality for Black Americans. Students will investigate how state and local laws enforced segregation in public spaces, restricted political participation through barriers such as literacy tests and poll taxes, and limited economic and social opportunities. Through the analysis of primary and secondary sources, students will explore how these policies affected the daily lives of individuals and communities while considering the concepts of fairness, justice, and equality. Students will examine the ways people challenged discrimination through acts of resistance, advocacy, and civic action, laying the foundation for the Civil Rights Movement. By the end of the unit, students will develop an understanding of how the struggle for equal rights shaped the nation and continues to influence American society today.
