Reconstruction Ends — A Collaborative PBL About Segregation and Harsh Discriminatory Southern Policies

Imagine this scenario - A strange, drug-resistant, virus has begun to spread through a specific population in the southeastern part of the country. This virus causes a variety of symptoms that include a flu-like sickness, and most alarming, erratic behavior, which can vary in severity from individual to individual. The erratic behavior has been noted by individuals within certain population groups, but is not substantiated by the scientific community. Therefore, it is uncertain whether this erratic, abhorrent behavior is caused by the virus, or outside stresses that may be causing a specific reaction. This virus seems to only affect individuals who have a light-iris-pigment. In other words, the lighter your eye color, the more likely you will contract the virus.

This virus has a specific perimeter, the southeastern United States, and only effects individuals with blue or green eye pigments. Green-eyed individuals tend to have less severe symptoms. Thus far 11 southeastern states have been affected, but the fear is that this virus will become a pandemic and spread to the western and northern states.

The media has reported widely on the behaviors of virus-infected individuals. However, none of these behaviors have been caught on camera and just seem to be hearsay from people who say they have seen the behaviors. In an effort to capture the imagination of their audience the media has linked events that are not related, just to create newsworthy stories.

Fear has spread throughout the southeastern region causing some local and state governments to call for segregation of individuals with light-iris-pigmentation. Some local officials are calling for legislated codes that will restrict the contact the light-iris-pigmented population has with the dark-iris-pigmented population.

Rumors are spreading on social media of acts of violence by virus infected light-iris-pigmented individuals (or LIPs) against dark-iris-pigmented individuals (or DIPs). It is difficult to determine, with the mass hysteria, what is fact and what is rumor.
Step 1 – Gain an understanding of how segregation and redemptive southern policies affected a segment of the population in the past.

1. Define Black Codes. What are their purposes?
2. Who is the focus of intimidation and segregation in South Carolina after the Civil War and during Reconstruction?
3. What militant group formed to resist the gains made by African Americans during Reconstruction in South Carolina? What methods did they use to show their resistance?     
4. How are insurgent groups different from militant groups? How are they alike? What was the primary method used by both groups to resist Reconstruction and who are their methods targeting? 
5. What does the term redeem mean? How does this term describe the success southerner’s had in 1877? Give specific examples to support how southerners reclaimed the government.
6. Even within a very segregated society, Reconstruction did help to improve the lives of African Americans and poor whites. Support this statement with specific facts.

Possible choices for completing Step 1:

• Answer the questions in a traditional manner, using your textbook and teacher approved resources. 
• Answer the questions in a traditional manner, using your textbook and teachers approved resources, but use a site like Slidestory to create a pod cast with sound tracks to answer the questions. 
• Utilize visual literacy, using a site like Vizlingo, to create a short video to represent the concepts of the questions and each darkened word in questions (1-5) and the concept of “Reconstruction Successes” in question 6.

Step 2 – Use the guided questions to create a foundation of knowledge to help you understand the scenario and how events in the scenario may be tied to the past, present, and future. 

1. Are there any instances, in the 21st century, where certain segments of the population are segregated for the good of society?
2. What determines "overall good"? Is it based strictly on laws, and can those laws vary from state to state, or community to community?
3. How did the fear spread?
4. What's the difference between news agencies and social media?
5. Is either group obligated to report only facts? 
6. How does an individual shift through information to determine what is fact and what is rumor?
7. Does public exposure in the media (news or social media) affect public policy?
8. Give a specific example, in the recent past, where public exposure changed the outcome of an event.

Possible choices for completing Step 2:

• Answer the questions in a traditional manner, utilizing group research and group consensus. 
• Create your own social network within your class, or other classes who may be answering these questions as well. (great collaborative activity with a language arts class) Post a question and get responses. (Yammer)
• Use a site like Plurk to create a localized twitter-like thread about the topics listed.

Step 3 – Gain an understanding of how segregation could affect a segment of the population in the present.

• Segregate the class into three sections, blue-iris-pigmented students, green-iris-pigmented students, and brown-iris-pigmented students

In the segregated-classroom-society:

• Both blue-iris-pigmented students and green-iris-pigmented students fall in the category of light-iris-pigmented students and are therefore segregated and do not have the same rights as brown-iris-pigmented students.
• Since brown-iris-pigmented students are not affected by the virus and are not considered a threat to the “classroom-society”, brown-iris-pigmented students may create codes to determine the general code of behavior (what is allowed, and what is not allowed) for segregated LIPs.
• Brown-iris-pigmented students may decide if green-pigmented students, by virtue of having some dark pigment in their eyes and less severe virus symptoms, are worthy of less restrictive codes. If BIPs determine that less restrictive codes are appropriate for green-iris pigmented students, they must write specific codes for the instances where there is less restriction.
• Brown-iris-pigmented students should post a general code of conduct for all LIPs, as well as the exceptions that may apply specifically to green-iris-pigmented students.
• Brown-iris-pigmented students should post any instances where it is acceptable for BIPs and LIPs to mingle.
• Light-iris-pigmented students must come up with a plan of action to protest the proposed restrictive codes suggested by brown-iris-pigmented students. In this atmosphere of fear are there less aggressive forms of protest that may be more acceptable and protected in society, causing less restrictive retaliation from the BIPs? Research how groups, segregated in society after Reconstruction, protested their condition. 
• Each group of light-iris-pigmented students should make a list of ways segregated groups in the past protested, and propose ways they can protest now. Are there ways to merge old methods of protest with new methods of protest? Come up with a plan of action to protest the codes that are proposed.
• Are the green-iris-pigmented students in agreement with the blue-iris-pigmented students about the protest? Are they fearful of losing some of the rights given that may not be given blue-iris-pigmented students? 

Possible choices for completing Step 3:
*Various sites will be listed under resources

• Poster – To list codes or creative art to protest – BigHugeLabs, Glogster EDU
• Infographs or Wordgraphs – Piktochart, Canva, ThinkLink, Tagxedo
• Radio broadcast – Slidestory, Narrable

Step 4 – Write an informed, fact-based opinion for the Essential question: Is segregation ever appropriate?
​Using a site like Blogmeister, or a simple sharable document on Google Docs, create a “group blog” that answers the essential question and the supporting issues dealing with segregation as it existed in the past, and exists in the present.

• ​The group blog should have a clear introduction that previews the structure of the discussion.
• The paragraph should be fluid and vivid, giving the reader a clear picture of the writers’ view.
• All facts should be supported and accurate on the three specific points, and transitions between points should be thoughtful and show connectivity.
• Last but not least, the conclusion should be strong, and the essential question should be clearly answered with supporting facts backing up the assertion of group’s answer.

1. How was segregation used in the past? Include in your answer any negative or positive affects past segregation had on different populations.
2. Each group should address how the class segregation scenario affected the different segregated groups; this should be a personal reflection with each group’s views and observations included in the blog. An informed opinion on how social media affected the response of each group should be included.
3. Finally, answer the question whether segregation is appropriate. The group should give specific factual reasons that either affirm that segregation is appropriate, naming specific situations, or dispute that segregation is appropriate, again giving supportive factual reasons to back up their group’s assertion.

Invite other groups, your teacher, and class parents to respond to your blog. 

Teacher Answer Key:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DClKgjy9BBys2BamthurzYagGuFaPDNK5fbA...

Additional Activities

• Use the list of possible choices under steps 1, 2, and 3 for additional activities.
• Using a program that allows one to create a multimedia presentation, create a documentary on Mary McLeod Bethune that shows how Reconstruction, and the period following the end of Reconstruction, positively and negatively affected her personal life, and her life’s work.

Rubric - Reconstruction Ends
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hclscT3RtnzxOQFzAHCpPnmADW-NHnnyt9pw...