PBS
Predicting/Making a Hypothesis
As an introduction to the hypothesis and testing method of investigation, young history detectives engage in a special investigation of a family artifact. After watching a short video that demonstrates the method, they develop a...
Curated OER
Election of 1864
An interesting lesson plan uses a hands-on-activity and group discussion to explore the 1864 presidential election and Lincoln's plans for ending the Civil War. Designed for high school, the resource also requires historians to...
American Battlefield Trust
1862: Antietam and Emancipation
Was the Emancipation Proclamation a revolutionary document or just a military strategy? It proclaimed that all those enslaved in Confederate states would be "forever free." Logistically, though, it did little. The order, however,...
American Battlefield Trust
Civil War Civilian Experience
Imagine what would it have been like to watch a dramatic battle of the Civil War in your own backyard. Young scholars ponder this scenario while looking at firsthand accounts from the Battle of Franklin, along with modern photos of the...
PBS
Document This
Being a historian requires serious sleuthing. They examine primary source documents and look for evidence, for clues that reveal who wrote the document, when, and why. After watching two historians model the process, young history...
EngageNY
Mid-Unit Assessment: Classifying and Evaluating Primary Sources
Let's go for a walk. Learners complete the mid-unit assessment by completing a gallery walk to analyze different primary sources discussed while reading A Mighty Long Way. After viewing the sources, class members complete organizers and...
American Battlefield Trust
Experiencing the Battle of Franklin
Scholars watch videos, study an animated map, and read a firsthand written account to explore the impact of the Battle of Franklin during the Civil War. Academics analyze images, complete worksheets, and create journal entries to...
American Battlefield Trust
Contraband Camp
An educational lesson plan explores the plight of African Americans escaping slavery during the Civil War. Learners view a presentation and analyze primary documents and images to understand the purpose of contraband camps and how...
American Battlefield Trust
United States Colored Troops
The debate over slavery contributed to the Civil War, but it didn't stop African Americans from joining the military. Academics complete a series of worksheets, read original letters, and analyze a photo of an African American soldier to...
American Battlefield Trust
Post-1865: Effects of the War
What did Lincoln want? Historians still debate this question, and perhaps people will never fully know. Class members examine the legacies of the war, including the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments. The lesson plan also...
American Battlefield Trust
Civil War Overview: Elementary Lesson Plan
How do you teach the Civil War and all its intricacies within the time limits of an average school day? Using a three-part plan, teachers easily integrate coverage of key Civil War battles into the unit. The lesson includes activities to...
American Battlefield Trust
1864-1865: Bringing the War to an End
The Civil War—in its breathtaking ferocity—came to a close in 1864. However, turmoil echoed throughout the country's politics, including the presidential context between Lincoln and McClellan. Performing chronology and primary source...
American Battlefield Trust
Gettysburg Address: Abraham Lincoln's Greatest Speech
Most Americans have heard of the Gettysburg Address, but may not know what it means and why is it so important. Following guidance and scaffolded prompts, scholars analyze the short document that left an undeniable impact on the American...
American Battlefield Trust
Joshua Chamberlain Lesson Plan
While Joshua Chamberlain's name is not as iconic as Abraham Lincoln or Robert E. Lee, he still played a pivotal role in the military engagements of the Civil War. Using two secondary sources—including one that draws heavily from his...
American Battlefield Trust
The Home Front
Women and children played key roles during the Civil War, even if their voices are often lost in history. By studying letters and personal testimony from them, budding historians get a glimpse into the day-to-day life of civilians during...
American Battlefield Trust
1861: The Country Goes to War
What was it like to know the Civil War was coming? Using a graphic timeline activity and excerpts of speeches from Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, learners consider the early days of the conflict. The resource includes prompts for...
American Battlefield Trust
Jeremiah Handley
Designed for middle school scholars, a instructional activity explores the life of Jeremiah Handley, a young man when the Civil War broke out. Pupils read Handley's personal story, accounts of battles, and view images to understand what...
American Battlefield Trust
Emancipation 1861 to 1863
Academics read newspaper articles from 1861 to 1863 regarding Emancipation and answer questions to understand how public opinion changed over time and why. The activity provides scholars with good historical context and the vocabulary...
American Battlefield Trust
John Brown
How did the raid on Harper's Ferry contribute to the start of the Civil War? Curated for high school historians, the activity explains John Brown's contribution to the start of the Civil War by using violence to demand an end to slavery....
American Battlefield Trust
Life at War
It looks like a cracker, but hardtack was anything but. The staple of the Civil War soldier's diet is one of many aspects of military life that scholars consider using letters from soldiers back home and images from slavery. A PowerPoint...
American Battlefield Trust
1862: Antietam and Emancipation
The Emancipation Proclamation shifted the tone and purpose of the Civil War. Using a primary source analysis, pupils consider the significance of the document. A second activity investigates the founding of the United States Colored...
National Woman's History Museum
Humor and Activism
As part of their study of the women's suffrage movement, groups analyze political cartoons and drawings. They create a caption for an image from the time, add an exhibit label that provides a context for their drawing, and post as part...
National Woman's History Museum
Creating a Historical Thesis Statement
A strong thesis statement not only identifies the subject of an essay but also presents a claim that must be supported with evidence. After researching how nursing has evolved in the United States since the Colonial era, young writers...
National Woman's History Museum
The National Woman’s Party
Two parties led the women's suffrage movement. The National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) was a moderate organization while the National Women's Party (NWP) was more militant. Young historians investigate why members of the...