Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil War Play Lesson Plan

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students act out the Civil War through reader's theater. In this performing arts lesson, students research the Civil War and find costumes, props and scenery appropriate to the time period. They become characters from the Civil War time...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African Americans after the Civil War

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students explore the events of Reconstruction after the Civil War.  In this US History lesson plan, students complete several activities and worksheets that reinforce challenges and social upheaval experienced in the South after the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil War Photographs: What Do You See?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
A study of an image from The Library of Congress collection Civil War Photographs 1861-1865 launches an investigation of the connection between the Civil War and American industrialization. After analyzing “Petersburg, Va. The...
Lesson Plan
1
1
PBS

Civil War: Before the War

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Free the slaves! Scholars research primary documents and videos while working together to create abolitionist posters. They examine the John Brown raid as a template to creating their own demonstration. 
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...
Assessment
American Battlefield Trust

Middle School Assessment for the Civil War Curriculum

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
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,...
Lesson Plan
American Battlefield Trust

Civil War Battle Strategy

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
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...
eBook
Core Knowledge Foundation

The Civil War

For Students 3rd - 8th Standards
A student reader shares information about the history of slavery, the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln, women's contributions to the war, the Emancipation Proclamation, and reconstruction.
Lesson Plan
Newseum

Civil War: Encoding the News

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Young journalists learn to appreciate the advantages of how modern media technology enables rapid news delivery as they compare today's media revolution to how the telegraph and Morse Code revolutionized news coverage during the Civil...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

I Am Freedom Bound!

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Upper elementary and middle school learners engage in this awesome lesson plan on the Civil War. In it, they watch streamed video, perform Internet research, engage in hands-on activities, and use their geography skills to locate...
Lesson Plan
1
1
Friends of Fort McHenry

Baltimore – Caught in the Middle

For Teachers 8th Standards
Choosing sides is no easy matter, and this was certainly true for the citizens of Baltimore in the beginning stages of the Civil War. Using video, group analysis of several primary sources, and discussion, this detailed and thorough...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Facing the Ghosts of Our Past

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
A reading of a New York Times review of the movie Beloved launches research into how the Civil War affected the lives of people living during this period. Creative thinkers select a person from an included list of historical figures and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Will You Pick My Cotton?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Use this cross-curricular history lesson to work on your students' informational writing skills. After listening to songs and stories related to Sultana, they engage in a several activities to boost their understanding of slavery and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Integrated Social Studies and Drama Lesson

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Learners study the Civil War. They conduct research in order to find out more information about the Battle of Corydon. Using this information, they create accurate props and sets for a play about this battle. They perform the play in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil War and Beyond

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders play a game.  In this Civil War lesson, 6th graders discuss the beginnings of the Civil War and define vocabulary words associated with the war such as abolitionist and Emancipation Proclamation.  Students play a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil War Medicine

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders discover details about medical care during the American Civil War. In this medical advancements lesson plan, 8th graders participate in classroom station activities that require them to study doctors, amputation, medical...
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lincoln and the War’s Larger Meaning

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students analyze Abraham Lincoln's view of the Civil War. In this American Civil War lesson, students read excerpts of Lincoln's speeches to determine whether he had a dual view of the war. Students respond to discussion questions about...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Time of Slavery

For Teachers 5th
Young historians learn about abolitionists, The Civil War, Frederick Douglas, and so many more details about slavery in this highly engaging presentation. Teachers could use this as a whole class review and discussion tool.
Worksheet
Mr. Nussbaum

Fort Sumter Reading Comprehension

For Students 5th - 8th Standards
The Battle of Fort Sumter was both the first and the least deadly battle of the American Civil War, with no soldiers lost during the lengthy bombardment. Learn more about the first shots of the Civil War with a short reading passage 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
Curated OER

The Civil War: A Nation Divided

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the clash between the North and the South. In this Civil War lesson plan, students watch segments of the Discovery video "The Civil War: A Nation Divided". Students conduct further research pertaining to the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Civil War

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Learners explore the Civil War. Using computer technology, they create informational flash cards about the Civil War. Students use artwork to depict Civil War activities. They examine topics such as battles, leaders, tactics, prisoner of...

Other popular searches