The Camilla Massacre
The daily activities created for each of the Today in Georgia History segments are designed to meet the Georgia Performance Standards for Reading Across the Curriculum, and Grade Eight: Georgia Studies. For each date, educators can choose from three optional activities differentiated for various levels of student ability. Each activity focuses on engaging the student in context specific vocabulary and improving the student’s ability to communicate about historical topics.
One suggestion is to use the Today in Georgia History video segments and daily activities as a “bell ringer” at the beginning of each class period. Using the same activity daily provides consistency and structure for the students and may help teachers utilize the first 15-20 minutes of class more effectively.
Optional Activities:
Level 1: Provide the students with the vocabulary list and have them use their textbook, a dictionary, or other teacher provided materials to define each term. After watching the video have the students write a complete sentence for each of the vocabulary terms. Student created sentences should reflect the meaning of the word based on the context of the video segment. Have students share a sampling of sentences as a way to check for understanding.
Level 2: Provide the students with the vocabulary list for that day’s segment before watching the video and have them guess the meaning of each word based on their previous knowledge. The teacher may choose to let the students work alone or in groups. After watching the video, have the students revise their definitions to better reflect the meaning of the words based on the context of the video. As a final step, have the students compare and contrast their definitions to their textbook, dictionary or other teacher provided materials definitions.
Level 3: Provide the students with the vocabulary list and have them use their textbook, a dictionary, or other teacher provided materials to define each term. After watching the video, have the students write a five sentence paragraph based on the provided writing prompts.
Vocabulary/Writing Prompts:
Vocabulary Terms
Massacre
Reconstruction
Rally
Freedmen
Expelled
Violence
Prompted
Occupation
Acknowledged
Commemorated
Writing Prompts
1. Have you ever decided not to do something you believed in because you were afraid of what others might do to you? In a five sentence paragraph explain why the events of the Camilla Massacre kept many of the African-American citizens of Georgia from voting in the presidential election. Include in your answer a modern day country where people are afraid to vote because of violence.
2. Have you ever used violence to get your way? In a five-sentence paragraph explain why the White citizens of Camilla opened fire on the marchers.
3. Subtract 1868 from 1998 to figure out how many years it took for Georgia officially acknowledged the Camilla Massacre. In a five sentence paragraph explain why you think it took so many years for people to openly talk about this bloody event.
Related Georgia Performance Standards:
Reading Across the Curriculum (Grades 6-12)
SSRC1 Students will enhance reading in all curriculum areas by:
c. Building vocabulary knowledge
• Demonstrate an understanding of contextual vocabulary in various subjects.
• Use content vocabulary in writing and speaking.
• Explore understanding of new words found in subject area texts.
d. Establishing context
• Explore life experiences related to subject area content.
• Discuss in both writing and speaking how certain words are subject area related.
• Determine strategies for finding content and contextual meaning for unknown
words.
Grade 8 Georgia Studies
SS8H6 The student will analyze the impact of the Civil War and Reconstruction on
Georgia.
c. Analyze the impact of Reconstruction on Georgia and other southern states, emphasizing Freedmen’s Bureau; sharecropping and tenant farming; Reconstruction plans; 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution; Henry McNeal Turner and black legislators; and the Ku Klux Klan.
SS8H7 The student will evaluate key political, social, and economic changes that occurred
in Georgia between 1877 and 1918.
b. Analyze how rights were denied to African-Americans through Jim Crow laws, Plessy v. Ferguson, disenfranchisement, and racial violence