Lesson Plan
American Battlefield Trust

Jeremiah Handley

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

Pre-1860: Disunion

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Using personas ranging from freed African Americans to wealthy plantation owners, young historians consider various points of view around the events in the days leading up to the Civil War including major milestones such as the Dred...
Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Maryland During the Secession Crisis

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
While many think the United States was neatly divided between Northern and Southern states during the Civil War, border states like Maryland are more complicated. Using hands-on activities to measure distance and primary sources,...
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Reconstruction Treaties Of 1866: The Reconstruction In Indian Territory

For Teachers 9th
The Reconstruction Treaties of 1866 and their impact on the Five Tribes in the United States Civil War are the focus of a lesson plan that asks young historians to consider how these treaties affected tribal sovereignty. Class members do...
Lesson Plan
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School Improvement in Maryland

Court Proceedings Civil Cases

For Teachers 9th - 12th
What's the difference between civil and criminal law? How do the court proceedings differ in these two types of trials? How do the standards of proof differ? Why do these differences exist? As part of their examination of the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Black American Soldiers in the Civil War

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders explore the actions needed to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor.  In this US History lesson, 8th graders analyze documents pertinent to the Congressional Medal of Honor.  Students examine the process of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

1856-1865: Abolitionists and the Civil War

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this abolition lesson, students watch "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and discuss the philanthropic acts they witnessed in the film. Students also complete an activity that requires them to determine...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

On Deck of a Union Warship

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students examine role of Naval blockades in Union war strategy, and analyze primary source image "On Deck of a Union Warship" and make detailed observation about people and activities shown.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African-American Soldiers in World War I: The 92nd and 93rd Divisions

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
Students research the role played and contributions made by African American soldiers during World War I. They discuss the evolution of civil rights in America's history, and the progress that has been made in the last 100 years.
Lesson Plan
Cheryl L. Mason and William G. Thomas

Southern Patriotism

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Patriotism in the South and notions of patriotic sentiments are examined through primary document analysis. Learners read articles and letters written in the pre-war South to determine the role patriotism played in spurring on the war....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African-American Soldiers After World War I: Had Race Relations Changed?

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
Students utilize an online database to conduct research and analyze the conditions for African-Americans before and after World War I. They consider the role of the 92nd and 93rd divisions in affecting social change.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil War Diaries

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders examine excerpts from a diary of a Confederate soldier and his experiences in a Union prison camp. After receiving character cards, they write diary entries from the perspectives of their Civil War identity. As an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Civil War Through a Child's Eyes

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers focus upon the Civil War era using research methods of drawing information from primary sources. Literature and photographic images reflect, communicate, and influence human perspectives of historical events. The lesson...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ladies, Contraband, and Spies: Women in the Civil War

For Teachers 10th - 11th
Students use primary sources - diaries, letters, and photographs - to explore the experiences of women in the Civil War. By looking at a series of document galleries, the perspectives of slave women, plantation mistresses, female spies,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lincoln Goes to War

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers examine the secession crisis of 1861 and the significance of the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter. They read and analyze Lincoln's First Inaugural Address, conduct research, and write an executive memorandum.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil War Internet Exploration

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders research the daily life of a soldier during the US Civil War. They complete a worksheet while visiting an assigned web site. They write and draw as they complete the work.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Freedom and Dignity Project

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders explore slavery and the civil war. In groups, 11th graders discuss and slavery and identify reasons for its beginning. In groups, they role-play a character for a talk show. Students determine what slavery was like in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Children's Literature Across the Curriculum Ideas-Lincoln: A Photobiography

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students read Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman. They complete a variety of cross-curricular activities surrounding the life of Abraham Lincoln, including, but not limited to, the Civil War. Included are reading, art, math,...
Lesson Plan
Alabama Department of Archives and History

Alabama's Secession in 1861: Embraced with Joy and Great Confidence. Why?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
From December 20, 1860 to June 8, 1861, eleven states seceded from the Union. Alabama seceded on January 11, 1861. Why did so many white Alabamians want to secede? Why did they believe the South could win the war? These are the essential...
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

The Emancipation Proclamation: Expanding The Goals Of The Civil War

For Teachers 8th
Should Juneteenth be recognized as a national holiday? To prepare to take a stance on this question, young historians first analyze the Emancipation Proclamation and compare it to Lincoln's first Inaugural Address. Scholars then read an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Civil War Through a Child's Eye

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students use primary and secondary sources to observe a child's view of the Civil war.  In this Civil War lesson, students understand that different people had different perspectives on the war.  Students recognize the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil War Photography Lesson Plan

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Young scholars explore photographs from the Civil War Era. In this Civil War instructional activity, students consider how photography impacted public opinion of the war as they analyze the provided photographs and discuss the evolution...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Slavery, Manumission, and Freedom: Free Blacks in Charleston before the Civil War

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students explore the concept of slavery and manumission through a variety of activities. In this civil rights lesson, students gather information from primary sources, then analyze the politics and historical context of the time....
Lesson Plan
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PBS

The Supreme Court: Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
While World War II changed the international order, it also led to a fundamental shift in the concept of civil rights within the United States. Using a video and discussion questions, class members consider the effects the war had to the...

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