Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Across Five Aprils/Civil War

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders study the Civil War novel, Across Five Aprils, by Irene Hunt. They review vocabulary and literary elements and write a "Brother Against Brother" essay about coming face to face with a brother in one of the battles of the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Service Learning Project-American Civil War

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders study the American Civil War. As part of a service learning project, they volunteer to help preserve or promote a local Civil War site. They conduct research and write letters or lobby legislatures on behalf of historic...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Civil War in Historical Fiction and Historical Accounts

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders examine life during the Civil War through various readings. They compare and contrast a novel they read in class to one they chose on the subject. They work together as a class to produce a newspaper displaying the...
Organizer
Curated OER

Civil War and Reconstruction Spelling Activity

For Students 5th - 8th
In this spelling strategies worksheet, students examine the 10 words on the list pertaining to the Civil War and Reconstruction. Students write the words 2 times, cover the words, spell them, and check their work.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Search for Words: Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War

For Students 2nd - 4th
In this American history instructional activity, students read 12 words pertaining to Abraham Lincoln, the Civil War and slavery. Students find the words in a word search.
Lesson Plan
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1
University of California

The Civil War: Secession of the South

For Students 8th Standards
Was the Southern states' decision to secede from the Union protected by the United States Constitution? Eighth graders discuss the constitutionality of the South's justification for secession, particularly the secession of South...
Interactive
DocsTeach

From Dred Scott to the Civil Rights Act of 1875: Eighteen Years of Change

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
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...
Lesson Plan
American Battlefield Trust

Life at War

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
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...
Lesson Plan
American Battlefield Trust

1861: The Country Goes to War

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
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...
Lesson Plan
American Battlefield Trust

John Brown

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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....
Lesson Plan
American Battlefield Trust

Joshua Chamberlain Lesson Plan

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
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...
Lesson Plan
American Battlefield Trust

Preserving Battlefields

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
Save that site! Budding historians go on a rescue mission to save important Civil War battle sites using a project-based lesson plan. After carefully researching the importance of critical engagements and evaluating current threats,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Home Front

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young historians explore life on the home front during the Civil War with primary documents and a series of writing prompts. They also watch a presentation and use a worksheet to compare how communication methods have changed over time....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Remembering the Fallen

For Teachers 7th - 12th
A thought-provoking lesson showcases Civil War battlefield monuments to demonstrate how fallen soldiers are remembered. High school scholars compare Union and Confederate monuments to learn how each group commemorated the battles. They...
Lesson Plan
American Battlefield Trust

United States Colored Troops

For Teachers 6th - 8th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

1863: Shifting Tides

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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...
Lesson Plan
American Battlefield Trust

Fredericksburg 360

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
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...
Website
ESRI

Juneteenth: An American History through Maps

For Students 6th - 12th
An interactive website traces the history of Juneteenth celebrations from their origin in Galveston, Texas, on June 19th to the present day.  Using interactive maps, learners can find information about the African-American...
Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Lincoln and the Republicans: The Cause of the War?

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
In today's political rhetoric, many forget the pivotal role the Republican Party played in the causes of the Civil War. The party's formation was the final straw for Southerners who saw the enslavement of people of African descent a...
Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Did Southern Free Men of Color Fight for the Ideals of the South?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Much of history is distasteful. Primary sources often reveal attitudes acceptable at the time that no longer are. But to understand controversial historical events, historians must examine primary sources that represent a wide variety of...
Lesson Plan
Alabama Department of Archives and History

Alabama's Economic Contribution to the Confederacy

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
With a presentation and guided questions, help elementary historians understand the role Alabama played in the Confederate economy during the Civil War. The resource concludes with a newspaper article writing assessment.
Interactive
Smithsonian Institution

Who Am I?: A History Mystery

For Students 5th - 12th Standards
Who Am I? Scholars go online to gather clues and evidence to uncover just who was involved in the American Civil War. They use hands-on Internet activities to come to an understanding of the roles soldiers and civilians played in the...
Interactive
DocsTeach

Lincoln's 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
While most Americans connect the celebration of Thanksgiving to a colonial celebration of pilgrims and Native Americans, the national holiday was actually the product of a war-time measure by Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War....
Lesson Plan
Civil War Trust

Contrasting the North and South before the War

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Learners create a standing cube with four panels that display information on the North and South's economy, geography and climate, society, and means of transportation before the Civil War. Through discussion and reading...

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