Reform Movements, abolitionism, Underground Railroad, women's rights, 19th-century arts and literature
Reform and Culture unit contains 8 learning experiences.
Learning Experiences (Lessons) in Reform and Culture Each learning experience takes about 45 minutes to teach in the device-enabled classroom.
Reform and Culture: Vocabulary
Students engage with key vocabulary related to the early nineteenth-century reform movements in the United States.
The Reform Movement’s Impact on Health and Education
Students learn about the impact of movements for the reform of mental health care, prisons, education, and the care of the disabled. They focus on Dorothea Dix, reformer for prisons and mental health institutions, and Horace Mann, educational reformer. Then they elaborate on the connection between the Second Great Awakening and the nineteenth century reform movements.
The Abolitionist Movement
Students learn about the origins of the abolitionist movement and the role of movement leaders, including Fredrick Douglass. Then, students study other abolitionists and report on their contribution to this important movement.
The Underground Railroad
Students learn about the Underground Railroad and some important individuals who helped slaves escape to freedom. Then students explain the role that civil disobedience played in the Underground Railroad and the abolitionist movement.
Women’s Rights
Students learn about the origin of the women's rights movement and the Seneca Falls Convention and how this movement led to changes to women's role in society. Then, they create a biography about one of the prominent women in the women's rights movement.
Nineteenth Century Arts and Literature
Students learn about the art, music, and literature of the early to mid-1800s, including the Hudson River School and John James Audubon. Then, they study a Hudson River School artist in more detail, selecting a favorite painting and explaining how it reflects the romantic ideals of the time.
Transcendentalism and Civil Disobedience
Students learn about transcendentalism and the influence that people like Ralph Waldo Emerson had on this movement. Then, students read about Henry David Thoreau and civil disobedience. Finally, students prepare an essay based on a quote from Thoreau's essay "Civil Disobedience."
