Core Knowledge Foundation
The Civil War
A 48-page Student Reader focuses on the Civil War. Scholars gain information from a text that explores when, why, and where the Civil War occurred, as well as important people such as Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harriet Tubman, Abraham...
Core Knowledge Foundation
The Civil War
A unit focuses on the Civil War. Second graders follow along with an informational reading about the war—why it started, how it ended, and essential individuals such as Harriet Beecher Stow, Harriet Tubman, Abraham Lincoln, Ulisses, S....
Curated OER
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
Reporting from the Front Lines
Students examine the battle of Gettysburg as they write news articles. For this Battle of Gettysburg lesson, students become familiar with the job of the news reporter as they report on the events of the Battle of Gettysburg as they...
Carolina K-12
African American Troops in the Civil War
Middle schoolers explore the history of the African-American troops that served during the American Civil War. After reading primary source documents that detail the controversies about permitting freemen and former slaves to serve,...
National Park Service
The Battle of Stones River: A Contrast in Leadership Styles
US Commanding General William S. Rosecrans led the Union soldiers and Confederate Commanding General Braxton Bragg led the rebel army at the Battle of Stones River. Young historians compare how the leadership styles of these two...
DocsTeach
The Civil War as Photographed by Mathew Brady
While there are no photographs of actual battles during the Civil War, the pictures of Matthew Brady still paint a vivid image of what life was like as a solider. Using a series of photographs, including those of camp life and the...
DocsTeach
From Dred Scott to the Civil Rights Act of 1875: Eighteen Years of Change
What do a photo of Abraham Lincoln, a map for the Battle of Antietam, and the Dred Scott decision all have in common? Learners consider the broader question as they examine documents related to civil rights during the Civil War and...
American Battlefield Trust
Fredericksburg 360
Urban combat long preceded today's video games. Pupils today experience the battle of Fredericksburg—a major Civil War engagement in an American city—using a 360-degree interactive app. Users explore the battlefield online, using a...
American Battlefield Trust
Antietam 360
It was the single bloodiest day in Civil War history. Now, class members have the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of soldiers who fought in the Battle of Antietam using an interactive website. Supplemental resources include...
Curated OER
Preserving the Memory
Young historians explore ways to help preserve historic battlefields and artifacts. Designed for secondary scholars, the resource focuses on Civil War battlefields and the National Registrar of Historic Places Application. Pupils also...
Curated OER
1864-1865: Bringing the War to an End
An interesting lesson plan explains the last battles of the war and the terms of the Articles of Surrender. It also analyzes the election of 1864 with copies of the Baltimore and Chicago platforms. To conclude the instructional activity,...
Curated OER
Gettysburg 360
An interactive site allows scholars to explore the Gettysburg battlefield up close, read soldiers' accounts, and view images of the event. In addition, enrichment activities enhance young historians' experience with Gettysburg 360.
Curated OER
1863: Shifting Tides
The victory at Gettysburg is forever immortalized in the famous speech given by Present Abraham Lincoln. Designed for secondary pupils, an interesting lesson plan explains how 1863 was a pivotal year for the Union. Academics explore the...
American Battlefield Trust
The Battle of Saltville
It may be hard to see through the fog of war, but primary sources describing what happened at the Battle of Saltville during the Civil War shed some light on what happened there. Using primary sources, including descriptions from...
American Battlefield Trust
Civil War Battle Strategy
But for a fluke, 1862 could have gone differently during the Civil War. When Union troops found Robert E. Lee's battle plans for critical engagements in Maryland wrapped around cigars and tossed aside, history changed forever. Class...
American Battlefield Trust
1861: The Country Goes to War
While the firing on Ft. Sumter may have seemed like a sudden event, the long march to war spanned decades. Using games and a presentation, class members review the events that led up to the fateful April day in 1861 when brother turned...
American Battlefield Trust
Middle School Assessment for the Civil War Curriculum
The bravery of African American troops on the frontlines directly impacted the lives of the newly freed enslaved people. Using documents, including letters from African American troops and an excerpt of the Emancipation Proclamation,...
American Battlefield Trust
Creating Civil War Multimedia
What was it like to live through the Civil War? Learners investigate the question by creating multimedia presentations. With a scaffolded approach that includes research, creating a biopic poem, storyboard, and then polished multimedia...
American Battlefield Trust
Preserving Battlefields
Save that site! Budding historians go on a rescue mission to save important Civil War battle sites using a project-based lesson. After carefully researching the importance of critical engagements and evaluating current threats, learners...
Curated OER
Chancellorsville 360
Experience a Civil War battlefield up close. Chancellorsville 360 allows scholars to explore the battlefield in an interactive format. The site demonstrates the layout of the battlefield, strategies, and key events. Created for high...
American Battlefield Trust
Life At War
A thought-provoking lesson plan explores what life was like for Civil War soldiers. With a presentation, group discussion, and writing activity, academics learn about camp living conditions, what soldiers ate, and how they dressed.
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...