Virginia SOL USII.2.d
The Standard
describing the role of Congress and the Supreme Court in specific plans and policies including, but not limited to Lincoln’s Ten Percent Plan
Virginia Standards of Learning for History and Social Science
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students compare how Lincoln, Congress, and the Supreme Court shaped Reconstruction. They identify who proposed, opposed, or reviewed each policy and explain its effect on Southern states and formerly enslaved people.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can explain that Lincoln allowed a state to reorganize when 10 percent of its 1860 voters took a loyalty oath. The student can contrast this approach with stricter congressional measures and explain that Supreme Court rulings set legal limits on Reconstruction policies.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think the 10 percent meant the total population or Confederate soldiers, rather than voters from the 1860 election. They may also think Congress passed Lincoln's plan or that the Supreme Court created Reconstruction plans.
How to Assess It
- Give students three headings: Lincoln, Congress, and Supreme Court. Ask them to write one action each took and explain one disagreement among them.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Have pairs sort policy and court case cards under Lincoln, Congress, or Supreme Court, then place the cards on a Reconstruction timeline.
Ask students to write which branch should control the return of former Confederate states and support their answer with two historical facts.
Run a three-branch matching game using cards for loyalty oaths, the Wade-Davis Bill, constitutional amendments, and Supreme Court decisions.
Give students a short news article about a court reviewing a law, then compare each branch's role with its role during Reconstruction.
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