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American Civil War Lesson Plans
Civil War lesson plans can get students thinking about, and discussing issues related to history, politics, and even photography.
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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.
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The Antebellum South
Your history students will be on the edges of their seats during this fascinating presentation, which details the abolition movement and slave life during the Antebellum period in the American South. Students will be left agape at the...
Curated OER
Underground Railroad/Quilts
Students explore the Underground Railroad communication system. In this cross curriculum fine arts and United States history Civil War lesson, students view several websites that feature quilts constructed by slaves during the...
National Park Service
Lesson 6: Researching Contemporary Slavery
While many believe slavery ended after the American Civil War, it continues today in various forms. Using a WebQuest research project, class members investigate how the institution of slavery lives on in the modern world. Activities also...
Curated OER
Reconstruction (1865-1876)
Easily broken into pieces for several class sessions, this presentation is a great way to transition your class out of a Civil War unit and closer to the 20th century. Engaging photographs, including relevant maps and humorous political...
Digital Public Library of America
The Underground Railroad and the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
Escaping Enslaved people attempting to escape didn't need a ticket to ride on the Underground Railroad. Here is a packet of primary sources that reveal the kind of courage and determination they did need to face the challenges to gain...
Digital Public Library of America
Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln
Frederic Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, although dissimilar in their backgrounds, were united in their views about slavery. A set of 14 primary sources permits scholars to examine the views of these two powerful men.
PBS
History of Juneteenth and Why It’s Now a National Holiday
June 19 is now a United States federal holiday. Young historians examine the background of the first Juneteenth celebrations and why on June 15, 2021, Congress finally approved "Juneteenth National Independence Day" as a federal holiday.
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Underground Railroad- People Get Ready...There's a Train a Comin'
Students learn about the Underground Railroad. In this Civil War and slavery lesson, students discuss how successful slaves would be moving around at night, learn the secret vocabulary used for escape routes and review background about...
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1856-1865: Abolitionists and the Civil War
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...
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Abraham Lincoln, the 1860 Election, and the Future of the American Union and Slavery
Students examine Abraham Lincoln's political views about slavery. In this American Civil War instructional activity, students determine how Lincoln's beliefs led to the restriction of slavery in American territories. Student also analyze...
ESRI
Juneteenth: An American History through Maps
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...
Curated OER
The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854: Popular Sovereignty and the Political Polarization over Slavery
Why did Stephen Douglas support the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854? Why did Abraham Lincoln oppose it? Young historians examine how the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 affected the political balance between free and slave states and explore how...
K12 Reader
Slavery in the Constitution
Your young historians will read excerpts from three parts of the United States Constitution—Article One, the Thirteenth Amendment, and the Fourteenth Amendment—and discuss how they each address the issue of slavery.
Center for History Education
Did Southern Free Men of Color Fight for the Ideals of the South?
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...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad
While many have heard of Harriet Tubman, few are aware of the many ways this remarkable woman was involved in the United States Civil War, the abolitionist movement, and the Underground Railroad. Young historians examine primary source...
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Trains, Telegraphs, and Steamships: War’s New Weapons
Students examine the technological weapons of the Civil War. For this Civil War lesson, students research the use of trains, telegraphs, and steamships in the war. Students write newspaper articles pertaining to the new weaponry.
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Call and Response Singing
Learners investigate call and response singing. In this fine arts and U.S. history lesson, students listen to several call and response songs that were sung by African-American slaves during the period before the Civil War. ...
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Abraham Lincoln, the 1860 Election, and the Future of the American Union and Slavery
Students examine the political alternatives regarding the spread of slavery and the preservation of the American union facing the American people in the decade leading up to the 1860 presidential election.
US House of Representatives
“The Fifteenth Amendment in Flesh and Blood,” The Symbolic Generation of Black Americans in Congress, 1870–1887
The reading of a contextual essay launches a study of Black Americans who served in Congress from 1870 through 1887. Young historians identify the African Americans who served during this period, investigate the ways they won national...
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Before Brother Fought Brother: People and Places in the North and South
Middle schoolers use census records to research and compare the population and economies in two counties within the same valley (Franklin Country Pennsylvania (North) and Augusta County, Virginia (South) in the pre Civil War era.
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Slavery in America at the Time of the Civil War: Sources
Students discover how to use primary and secondary sources in research. In this Civil War lesson, students conduct research on slavery as they distinguish between primary and secondary sources regarding the same events.
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Slavery Bound or Underground
Examine the role of slaves,, slave owners, and abolitionists during the Civil War with a study of the history of the Underground Railroad. Through the many links learners research the people involved and the heroes of the movement....