American Civil War Teacher Resources
Find American Civil War lesson plans and worksheets
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History Blueprint: The Civil War
Northerners, Southerners, and abolitionists all had a different perspective on the American Civil War. To understand these different points of view, class members analyze primary documents including speeches by Abraham Lincoln, the...
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Civil War: Activity Pack
The three lessons in the Civil War: Activity Pack collection provide young history detectives with an opportunity to examine artifacts the reveal African-American involvement in the United States Civil War. They watch videos to learn...
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Reconstruction: America After the Civil War
Excerpts from Reconstruction: America After the Civil War, Henry Louis Gates Jr.’s documentary series provide young historians with insight into the struggles the country faced in the years after the Civil war. Viewers learn about the...
Lesson Planet Curated
Life in the North and South 1847–1861: Before Brother Fought Brother
A five-resource collection looks at the complex series of events that led to the American Civil War. Using primary source documents, scholars research the social and economic issues that led to the country-fracturing conflict.
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Teaching With Laurel Grove School
The Laurel Grove school was established by freedmen and freedwomen after the United States Civil War. The school is now a museum and offers this collection of six lessons that use primary and secondary source materials to tell the story...
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The Reconstruction Era and The Fragility of Democracy
Seven lessons examine the Reconstruction Era that followed the United States Civil War. The series of detailed lessons provide background information on the era, teaching strategies, videos, and primary source materials.
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Women's History Month: Grades 3–5
This March, honor and celebrate Women's History Month with a collection of lessons, videos, and ideas. From women in aviation to women in the Civil War to women in politics, this collection is sure to cover all the bases in women's history.
Lesson Planet Curated
Women's History: Activity Pack
A three-lesson unit from PBS’s History Detective series has young historians investigating women's contributions to American history. Young sleuths search for clues in artifacts, images, and videos. They hold a mock convention, create...
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The Price of Freedom: Americans at War Printable Exhibition
The Price of Freedom: Americans at War is a collection of 13 resources from a printable exhibition curated by the Smithsonian Museum of American History. Each resource begins with a summary and a table of contents. The resources...
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The Price of Freedom: Americans at War Lessons
Designed for teachers, a 15-lesson collection curated by the Smithsonian, examines how wars have impacted American society. Each resource includes a lesson plan, background information, a materials list, maps, images, and worksheets. An...
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National Constitution Center: Hall Pass Videos
The National Constitution Center offers this collection of informative and entertaining videos intended to start conversations and develop critical thinking skills. Viewers learn about the rights granted by the constitution, about the...
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C-SPAN Classroom: Middle School Civics
Introduce middle schoolers to the roles and powers of the three branches of the United States government, with the 21 resources in the C-SPAN Civics collection. Sorted into the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial...
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A President's Vision: Abraham Lincoln
A seven-resource collection of worksheets ask students to examine letters written by Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, as well as an excerpt from the diary of a Union soldier. After a careful reading of these primary sources, class...
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A President's Vision
A seven-resource curriculum set presents primary source materials that permits young historians to examine the programs and initiatives advanced by Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt,...
US House of Representatives
Black Americans in Congress
Seven lessons make up a unit about African Americans who served in the United States Congress from 1870 to 2007. Young historians read contextual essays, engage in activities, examine primary source images, and artifacts to gain an...
US House of Representatives
Hispanic Americans in Congress
Based on contextual essays from the book "Hispanic Americans in Congress," four lesson plans examine the Hispanic pioneers who served on Capitol Hill from 1822 to 2012. The first lesson features materials from the Louisiana Purchase to...
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Looking Back Reaching Forward: Exploring the Promise of Brown v. Board of Education in Contemporary Times
A six-lesson unit commemorates the historic Supreme Court decision Brown V. Board of Education. High schoolers discuss key elements of the decision and examine documents detailing the history of school desegregation and the conditions...
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Persuasion Across Time and Space Instructional Unit
Five lessons comprise the Persuasion Across Time and Space Instructional Unit module. Middle schoolers examine the persuasive techniques used in video and print advertisements and how ethos, pathos, and logos appeals are used in...
Curated OER
Causes of the American Civil War
What caused the American Civil War? Who were the major figures during this time? Focusing specifically on slavery and the attack on Fort Sumter, this resource provides a quick overview of some of the conflicts faced at this time.
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The American Civil War (1861 -1864)
Peek back in time and learn about the North and South of the American Civil War. Discussed in full are the causes, effects, major battles, and agreements that made Civil War history. Period technology, social changes, and the ultimate...
Curated OER
American Civil War History - Part 2/3
A quiet, serene town in Pennsylvania became the setting for an integral battle in the Civil War. The Battle of Gettysburg, Lee's second invasion of the North, failed to secure ground for the Confederacy. This video, part two in a series,...
Curated OER
A Soldier's View of the American Civil War
Study and research the American Civil War in this explanatory writing lesson. Middle schoolers complete six activities to learn about the American Civil War and soldiers' views of the war. The lesson includes several options to complete...
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American Civil War, 1861-1865
The American Civil War tore the country in two. What made tension grow between the North and the South? How did the war finally begin? What artillery was used? Answer some of these basic questions using this resource. Consider choosing a...
Curated OER
I Served in the American Civil War
Learners research soldier's lives in the American Civil War. They create a video about a soldier's life