Code Compare

This worksheet helps students in Grades 5 and 6 build historical understanding, analytical writing, and critical thinking skills by comparing Black Codes and Jim Crow laws. Through guided questions and extended responses, students examine how both systems restricted the rights of African Americans, identify similarities and differences, and evaluate the long-term effects of legalized discrimination during and after Reconstruction.

Learning Goals

• Comparing Historical Systems (Grades 5-6) – Students analyze similarities and differences between Black Codes and Jim Crow laws.
• Understanding Discrimination & Inequality – Learners examine how laws were used to limit rights and maintain racial control.
• Cause and Effect Reasoning – The activity explores how Reconstruction policies influenced life in the post-Civil War South.
• Evidence-Based Explanation – Students support conclusions with historical reasoning and examples.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource – Designed by educators to align with upper-elementary social studies and ELA standards.
• Strong Compare-and-Contrast Practice – Structured prompts help students organize similarities, differences, and outcomes.
• Encourages Deeper Analysis – Goes beyond facts to examine patterns of injustice and lasting impact.
• Flexible Classroom Use – Works well for independent work, discussion-based lessons, assessments, or enrichment.
• Low-Prep Printable – Ready for classroom or homeschool use.

This Code Compare worksheet helps students develop a clearer understanding of how Black Codes and Jim Crow laws shaped life for African Americans and influenced ongoing civil rights struggles. By comparing systems of discrimination and reflecting on Reconstruction’s impact, learners strengthen reasoning, historical literacy, and their ability to write thoughtful, well-supported explanations.