Reflection Paper About Sectionalism

For my second lesson, I covered the idea of sectionalism, one of the major causation of the Civil War, during the antebellum period. I linked the concept of sectionalism, loyalty to one’s region and lifeways, with the disparities between the north and south. Unlike my first lesson, I started by posing a question to the class: if Indiana outlawed the use of cars because it was morally wrong because of the damage it does to the environment, how would you feel and how would the law affect your lives? I explained that the car, as a means of transportation, is a vital and integral part of our modern form of economy. This question engaged the students greatly. Many voiced clear opposition to the idea and many arguing that, though it may be morally wrong, it is a major part of our economy and many of them might not be able to function very well without a car while others said that they would not like it if people told …show more content…
The first slide was Merrillville versus Crown Point. The second slide was a picture of Merrillville and an image of a Road some of my extending family lives on in Oklahoma. The last slide was Chicago versus the old part near the Stockyards in Oklahoma City. Nearly every student chose the images with which they had an association. When asked why many of them responded they choose the images because it was home, where their family lived or a place they knew. After the discussion of the images, I presented a definition of sectionalism, citing sectionalism as a major causation of the Civil War, before returning to the question I proposed at the beginning of the lesson and reframing the question ‘did southerners see themselves as immoral?” Many students argued that Southerners probably did not see themselves as immoral and understood why they would be upset if the government told them they were. This was my ultimate goal to make this