Freedmenís Village Lesson Plan

Subject: Virginia and United States Histor

Standards of Learning

VUS.7: The student will demonstrate knowledge of the Civil War and Reconstruction Era and its importance as a major turning point in American histor

Freedmenís Village was the most prominent of the ìcontrabandî camps created by the federal government during the Civil War to assist former slaves who were emancipated, abandoned, or had escaped. Students will learn about Freedmenís Village by reading an article. They will be quizzed on the village through a PowerPoint slide show. Students will then use the Internet to prepare a five minute discussion about a topic related to Freedmenís Village. They will use Microsoft Word to create mini-books which will accompany their presentations. They will then give their presentations in small groups

Objectives

Students will learn about Freemenís Village and the issues for newly freed slaves during the Civil War by reading an article. They will demonstrate their knowledge by taking a PowerPoint quiz

Students will search the Internet to learn about a topic related to Freedmenís Village, focusing on how the events contributed to a major turning point in American history. Their research will culminate in a five-minute presentation to their peers.

Keywords

Freedmenís Village
ìContrabandsî
Contraband Fund
Camp Barker
Indigent
Emancipation
Suffrage
Quartermaster
Freedmenís Bureau
Fort Whipple
Danforth B. Nichols
Elias M. Greene
General Robert E. Lee
Mary Custis Lee
Custis-Lee Family Estate
Reverend Robert S. Laws
John B. Sypha

Materials Needed

Computer Lab with: Internet Connection, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Printer
Copies of ìComing from the Shadow of the Past: The Transition from Slavery to Freedom at Freedmenís Village, 1863-1900î, by Joseph P. Reidy. The article is in the October 1987 edition of The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography.
PowerPoint quiz: ìFreedmenís Village
Disks for each student to save mini-books

Procedures

Begin by giving an overview of Freedmenís Village, using the overview below. Read through the keywords listed above, defining each of them for the class. Then ask students to read the article ìComing from the Shadow of the Past: The Transition from Slavery to Freedom at Freedmenís Village, 1863-1900î, by Joseph P. Reidy.

Students should proceed to the computer lab when they are finished with the article. Each computer should have the PowerPoint quiz loaded on it. Students should progress through the quiz, testing their comprehension of the article they read. When they are finished, additional worksheets can be used for further assessment. worksheet 1 worksheet 2

When students finish with the quiz, assign them to research a topic related to Freedmenís Village. Spread the topics amongst the students so that they are not all researching the same topic. Possible topics include:

Freedmenís Bureau
General Robert E. Lee
Mary Custis Lee
Fort Whipple/Fort Myer
Arlington House (Custis-Lee Estate)
Emancipation
Lomax A.M.E. Zion Church

Each student should search the Internet to find what they can about the topic, especially as to how the events around it contribute to a major turning point in American History. They should learn enough to give a five minute presentation on their topic. They should also find at least eight images in order to create the mini-books. The students should save the images and write down where they found each image.

Students will then create mini-books based on the images they found. The teacher will explain how to create the mini-books, using the guide below. Students should write meaningful captions and place the images in an order that fits with their presentation.

Once the students have created their mini-books, printed and folded them, they will break into groups of about four. The students in each group should have all researched different topics. The students will take turns giving the five minute presentation on their topic, using the images in their mini-book to supplement the presentation.

Assessment

PowerPoint Quiz

Matching Quiz (Solution)

Mixup Quiz (Solution)

Overview of Freedmenís Village

As former slaves were emancipated, abandoned or escaped during the Civil War, they faced the harsh reality of finding food, shelter, and the other necessities of life. These former slaves were called ìcontrabands.î The federal government provided assistance by creating ìcontraband camps,î which provided shelter and the basics of life to the needy. Many of the camps were built in the Washington, D.C. area, on both sides of the Potomac River. While these camps provided assistance, they quickly became overcrowded and disease-infested. In 1863, Freedmenís Village was built on the site of the Custis-Lee family estate, which had been captured during the early part of the war. The village allowed ìcontrabandsî to live and work in the open air, and was a self-sustaining community, with a hospital, a school, and a chapel. While most camps were closed after the war ended, inhabitants of Freedmenís Village stayed, purchasing their abodes and land for farming. They resisted several attempts at eviction. The camp eventually closed in 1900, after the residents were reimbursed for the price of their homes and for the taxes they paid during the war to sustain the camp.

Creating Mini-Books

Open the template ìminibook.docî. The file is saved on the web site for this lesson plan, under ìSupplementary Resourcesî. Save a copy of the file to your local computer.
Open the file in Microsoft Word.
Delete the star graphic on one of the panels of the template and replace it with a picture for your mini-book. The images on the left side of the vertical line should be turned so that the top of the picture is on the right side; the images on the right side of the vertical line should be turned so that the top of the picture is on the left side.
Right-click on the text in the same panel, and choose ìEdit Textî. Replace the text with a caption or description appropriate for the picture.
Repeat the last two steps, until eight pictures and captions have been added that fill the eight boxes created by the lines.
Save the document.
Print the document.
Open the Mini-Book Instructions Page 1 and Page 2 for instructions on how to fold the printout into a mini-book.

			Freedmen's Village Lesson Plan

		Freedmenís Village Lesson Plan Grade: 11 Subject: Virginia and United States Histor Standards of Learning VUS.7: The student will demonstrate knowledge of the Civil War and Reconstruction Era and its importance as a major turning point in American histor Brief Description Freedmenís Village was the most prominent of the ìcontrabandî camps created by the federal government during the Civil War to assist former slaves who were emancipated, abandoned, or had escaped. Students will learn about Freedmenís Village by reading an article. They will be quizzed on the village through a PowerPoint slide show. Students will then use the Internet to prepare a five minute discussion about a topic related to Freedmenís Village. They will use Microsoft Word to create mini-books which will accompany their presentations. They will then give their presentations in small groups Objectives Students will learn about Freemenís Village and the issues for newly freed slaves during the Civil War by reading an article. They will demonstrate their knowledge by taking a PowerPoint quiz Students will search the Internet to learn about a topic related to Freedmenís Village, focusing on how the events contributed to a major turning point in American history. Their research will culminate in a five-minute presentation to their peers. Keywords Freedmenís Village ìContrabandsî Contraband Fund Camp Barker Indigent Emancipation Suffrage Quartermaster Freedmenís Bureau Fort Whipple Danforth B. Nichols Elias M. Greene General Robert E. Lee Mary Custis Lee Custis-Lee Family Estate Reverend Robert S. Laws John B. Sypha Materials Needed Computer Lab with: Internet Connection, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Printer Copies of ìComing from the Shadow of the Past: The Transition from Slavery to Freedom at Freedmenís Village, 1863-1900î, by Joseph P. Reidy. The article is in the October 1987 edition of The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. PowerPoint quiz: ìFreedmenís Village Disks for each student to save mini-books Procedures Begin by giving an overview of Freedmenís Village, using the overview below. Read through the keywords listed above, defining each of them for the class. Then ask students to read the article ìComing from the Shadow of the Past: The Transition from Slavery to Freedom at Freedmenís Village, 1863-1900î, by Joseph P. Reidy. Students should proceed to the computer lab when they are finished with the article. Each computer should have the PowerPoint quiz loaded on it. Students should progress through the quiz, testing their comprehension of the article they read. When they are finished, additional worksheets can be used for further assessment. worksheet 1 worksheet 2 When students finish with the quiz, assign them to research a topic related to Freedmenís Village. Spread the topics amongst the students so that they are not all researching the same topic. Possible topics include: Freedmenís Bureau General Robert E. Lee Mary Custis Lee Fort Whipple/Fort Myer Arlington House (Custis-Lee Estate) Emancipation Lomax A.M.E. Zion Church Each student should search the Internet to find what they can about the topic, especially as to how the events around it contribute to a major turning point in American History. They should learn enough to give a five minute presentation on their topic. They should also find at least eight images in order to create the mini-books. The students should save the images and write down where they found each image. Students will then create mini-books based on the images they found. The teacher will explain how to create the mini-books, using the guide below. Students should write meaningful captions and place the images in an order that fits with their presentation. Once the students have created their mini-books, printed and folded them, they will break into groups of about four. The students in each group should have all researched different topics. The students will take turns giving the five minute presentation on their topic, using the images in their mini-book to supplement the presentation. Assessment PowerPoint Quiz Matching Quiz (Solution) Mixup Quiz (Solution) Overview of Freedmenís Village As former slaves were emancipated, abandoned or escaped during the Civil War, they faced the harsh reality of finding food, shelter, and the other necessities of life. These former slaves were called ìcontrabands.î The federal government provided assistance by creating ìcontraband camps,î which provided shelter and the basics of life to the needy. Many of the camps were built in the Washington, D.C. area, on both sides of the Potomac River. While these camps provided assistance, they quickly became overcrowded and disease-infested. In 1863, Freedmenís Village was built on the site of the Custis-Lee family estate, which had been captured during the early part of the war. The village allowed ìcontrabandsî to live and work in the open air, and was a self-sustaining community, with a hospital, a school, and a chapel. While most camps were closed after the war ended, inhabitants of Freedmenís Village stayed, purchasing their abodes and land for farming. They resisted several attempts at eviction. The camp eventually closed in 1900, after the residents were reimbursed for the price of their homes and for the taxes they paid during the war to sustain the camp. Creating Mini-Books Open the template ìminibook.docî. The file is saved on the web site for this lesson plan, under ìSupplementary Resourcesî. Save a copy of the file to your local computer. Open the file in Microsoft Word. Delete the star graphic on one of the panels of the template and replace it with a picture for your mini-book. The images on the left side of the vertical line should be turned so that the top of the picture is on the right side; the images on the right side of the vertical line should be turned so that the top of the picture is on the left side. Right-click on the text in the same panel, and choose ìEdit Textî. Replace the text with a caption or description appropriate for the picture. Repeat the last two steps, until eight pictures and captions have been added that fill the eight boxes created by the lines. Save the document. Print the document. Open the Mini-Book Instructions Page 1 and Page 2 for instructions on how to fold the printout into a mini-book.