Curated OER
Civil War Letters
Young scholars put themselves in the shoes of American Civil War soldiers. In this Civil War lesson, students examine letters from the time period written by soldiers, edit the letters for grammatical errors, and then present the letters...
Curated OER
What's Civil About War?
Students study about the Civil War through primary sources used in the PBS production of "Freedom: A History of US" based on Joy Hakim's books, "A History of US", and the companion PBS Web site.
Curated OER
Civil War
Fifth graders discuss the causes of the Civil War and write a paragraph summarizing each identified event. In the computer lab, 5th graders create a PowerPoint presentation explaining events leading up to the Civil War. They use the...
American Battlefield Trust
Pre-1861: Disunion
Nat Turner, John Brown, and Abraham Lincoln all played a key role in the run-up to the bloody American Civil War. Using a PowerPoint, timeline activity, and essay prompt, young historians consider the roles of these men and more to...
Curated OER
Images at War
High schoolers examine American attitudes toward war as revealed in Civil War photographs and WWII homefront posters. They analyze and discuss photos, explore the National Archives website, and organize a statement of their findings.
Annenberg Foundation
Evaluating Evidence
Was the Civil War fought only due to slavery? Using an interactive web tool, scholars investigate the four main causes of the Civil War. Gathering evidence and data to support their claims, they present a final statistical breakdown...
Center for History and New Media
Slavery and Free Negroes, 1800 to 1860
What was life like for enslaved and free black people before the American Civil War? Explore the building tension between states and the freedom of individuals with a thorough social studies lesson. Learners of all ages explore...
Curated OER
Similarities and Differences Between the American Revolutionary War and the American Civil War
Fifth graders describe three similarities and three differences between the American Revolutionary War and the American Civil War. They play a game comparing the two wars.
Curated OER
The Cycles in the Civil War
Young scholars investigate the various causes of the U.S. Civil War. They view photos on the Smithsonian website, write about what it would have been like to be in the Civil War, complete a graphic organizer, and analyze a timeline.
Curated OER
Political and Social Origins of the Civil War
Middle schoolers examine the difference in politics in the North and South during the Civil War. Using that information, they discuss how politics and ideologies led to the war. They explain the causes and effects of the war and evaluate...
Curated OER
Causes of the Civil War Worksheet
In this American Civil War worksheet, students identify the 19 people and events listed on the worksheet that contributed the outbreak of war. Students also examine a list of 8 causes and put them chronological order.
Curated OER
The Civil War/ A Unit Overview
Eleventh graders will look at the causes of the Civil War in detail. A brief unit on the war itself will follow. Battles, historical figures, and daily life will be studied. The webpage is a link to many different related lessons.
Curated OER
History of the Americas: Causes of the Civil War
In this American Civil War activity, students read assigned textbook pages about the causes of the war and then respond to 35 short answer questions about how the war began.
Curated OER
Experiencing the Civil War
Eleventh graders examine the Civil War. In this American History lesson, 11th graders investigate the causes, effects, and the lives of people during the Civil War. Students develop a research paper using various...
Curated OER
Chapter 7 – The Civil War
For this U.S. history worksheet, students read assigned textbook pages about the Civil War and respond to 48 short answer questions.
Curated OER
Hallowed Ground: Preserving Arkansas's Civil War Battlefields
Students examine Civil War battlefields in Arkansas. They read primary source documents written by Arkansans. They discover what life was like during the Civil War as well.
Curated OER
Looking Back at Pre-Civil War Slavery
Eighth graders explain the nature of slavery, the impact of slavery on African-Americans, and how slavery intensified the conflict between the North and South that eventually led to a major cause of the Civil War.
Curated OER
Women in the Civil War
Students study the Civil War era in the US with a concentration on women during this time through literature and biographies. They create a timeline or multimedia presentation as one product of this series of lessons.
Curated OER
Chapter 6 – Road to the Civil War
In this U.S. history worksheet, students read assigned textbook pages detailing the causes of the Civil War and respond to 37 short answer questions.
Curated OER
Could the Civil War Been Avoided Through Compromise?
Students determine whether the American Civil War could have been avoided. In this Civil War lesson, students examine primary and secondary sources to prepare to participate in a classroom debate that requires them to compromise to avoid...
Curated OER
History of the Americas: Causes of the Civil War
In this American Civil War worksheet, students respond to 36 short answer questions that require them to define people and events that were significant during the war.
Curated OER
American Civil War
Eighth graders read a collection of stories about the Civil War. Based upon their readings, they perform various activities to reinforce facts about the Civil War. Students create time lines, maps and reports about the war. They...
Curated OER
Medical War Ball/ Civil War
Eighth graders play Medical War Ball. In this Civil War activity, 8th graders research the role of women in the Civil War as nurses. They play dodge ball with slightly different rules to incorporate a nurse on each team.
Curated OER
A State Divided - Maryland in the Civil War Era
Students use primary sources to see how Maryland was a divided state during the time leading up to the Civil War. For this Civil War lesson plan, students go over vocabulary, and look at maps that show the division of opinions of people...