Sonia Henze

This roleplay was a great way for students to put their knowledge into practice. I had my APUSH students read from their textbook and several primary sources before the exercise. There were many times they had to talk with each other to actually discover Point of View and Contextualization. This activity was very much like something I have done in the past, yet so much more engaging.

APUSH students were able to consider all points of view and especially the perspectives of newly freed African Americans and people in the West. When I have asked students to construct a Reconstruction Plan in past years even the most advanced students would not consider all peoples’ voices. This is a great way to get students to lead the class.