Students learn how industrialization shaped the early 19th-century South by reinforcing social divisions and traditions. They examine how class, race, and gender determined roles and opportunities, revealing both progress and persistence in Southern life and economy.
Students examine two images, The Wedding by J. B. Forest and A plantation corn-shucking-social meetings of slaves by Mary A. Livermore, to compare how different groups in the South experienced community and labor. They post to a discussion wall explaining what the images reveal about life and social relationships in the South during early industrialization. Students then read a brief overview of the experience and review the lesson objectives.
Teacher MovesIntroduce the focus of the experience and review the objectives with students. As students share on the discussion wall, highlight responses that compare similarities and differences between the two scenes of social life. Prompt deeper thinking with questions such as, “What do you notice about how people are gathered or interacting in each image?” and “How do these differences in social gatherings reflect unequal experiences in the South?” When the class is ready, unlock the next scene.
Students read Southern Society to learn how long-standing customs, religion, manners, and social expectations shaped daily life and social order in the early 1800s South. They answer a series of inline-choice and multiple-choice questions to identify key ideas about social status, education, and gender roles. Students then respond to a discussion wall prompt explaining how industrialization impacted the planter class, using details from the text and prior learning about industrialization.
Teacher MovesFrame the scene by explaining that students will explore how traditions and expectations organized Southern society. While reviewing responses to the questions, ask guiding prompts such as, “What determined a person’s place in Southern society?” “How did access to education differ among classes?” and “How were men’s and women’s responsibilities viewed?” After students post to the discussion wall, lead a conversation that connects innovations like the cotton gin, mills, and railroads to increased production, wealth, and influence for the planter class. Conclude by asking which impacts show continuity and which show change, then unlock the next scene when students are ready.
Students view an image of an 1835 advertisement for the purchase of enslaved people, then watch The Invisible Plight of the Poor Southern Whites and read The Lives of Enslaved People in the South to investigate how different groups experienced life in Southern society. Using a drawing tool with text, they explain for each group how they were part of Southern society (roles, contributions, importance) and how they were excluded (rights, freedoms, or opportunities denied). Students then respond to a discussion wall prompt analyzing how industrialization in the South affected who could participate fully in society and who remained limited, citing examples from the sources.
Teacher MovesSet the purpose for viewing and reading by emphasizing that students are comparing roles, contributions, and exclusions for different groups. After students complete the drawing activity, facilitate a discussion about why white people outside the planter class, yeomen, and enslaved people had such different levels of power and opportunity, drawing attention to the influence of land ownership, wealth, and slavery on social order. When reviewing discussion wall responses, highlight examples that connect economic growth and new technology to persistent inequality, and ask, “What does this suggest about the connection between economic change and social structure?” Optionally, have students read Women’s Place in Southern Society and repeat the drawing activity as a whole class focused on women’s roles. Unlock the next scene when the class is ready.
Students read Excerpt of a Letter from Hannah Valentine to Her Husband and Selected Excerpts from the Diary of Virginia Campbell Shelton to compare the experiences of two women connected to the same household but positioned differently within Southern society. They answer multiple-choice questions identifying each woman’s role in Southern life and then respond on a discussion wall explaining what the two sources reveal about life and society in the South during the mid-1800s, using evidence from the texts.
Teacher MovesExplain that this optional extension uses personal writings to deepen understanding of social roles and inequality in the South. As you review the multiple-choice items, lead a discussion about how to describe the relationship between Hannah and Virginia, prompting students to cite details that show both the friendly tone and the unequal power shaped by the social order. When discussing wall responses, highlight answers that recognize how class, race, and gender shaped opportunities and relationships, and ask, “What details from each source help you understand how people’s experiences in the South could be very different?” Unlock the next scene when students are ready to move on.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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