Curated OER
The Civil War: On the Homefront
Eighth graders examine the role of Indiana soldiers in the Civil War. In this American Civil War lesson, 8th graders listen to a lecture about the involvement of Indiana soldiers in the war and then analyze letters written home by the...
Curated OER
The Civil War as Photographed by Mathew Brady
Learners gain historical background on the Civil War era from textbooks, encyclopedias, or supplemental material. Assign at least two photographs for each student to analyze using the Photograph Analysis Worksheet which is imbedded in...
Curated OER
Economics during the Civil War
Students synthesize the concepts of scarcity, supply, and demand, pertaining to the Civil War time period. In this economics lesson, students gain understanding of economic terms through read-alouds, Venn diagrams, (comparing lifestyles...
Tennessee State Museum
An Emancipation Proclamation Map Lesson
Did the Emancipation Proclamation free all slaves during the Civil War? Why was it written, and what were its immediate and long-term effects? After reading primary source materials, constructing political maps representing information...
Curated OER
Will You Pick My Cotton?
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...
Curated OER
Integrated Social Studies and Drama Lesson
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...
Curated OER
Chapter 28: Red Flags and Velvet Revolutions: The End of the Cold War, 1960-1990
Set your historians up for testing success using this interactive flashcard tool. It is one of many learning strategies offered in this thorough online resource. Although designed for use with a text, the site is valuable independently....
PBS
Evaluating Conflicting Evidence: Sultana
What sunk the Sultana? Scholars become investigators to uncover the facts behind the 1865 sinking just after the end of the Civil War. Through group work, videos, and primary documents, they research and analyze why 1,800 men died....
Curated OER
Map the Civil War
Students explore the Civil War through original maps. In this mapping lesson, students calculate distance and show it on an original map. Students examine the type of landscape and its landmarks and draw symbols on the map.
American Battlefield Trust
1864-1865: Bringing the War to an End
The Civil War—in its breathtaking ferocity—came to a close in 1864. However, turmoil echoed throughout the country's politics, including the presidential context between Lincoln and McClellan. Performing chronology and primary source...
Curated OER
Lincoln and the War’s Larger Meaning
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...
Curated OER
The Civil War—Why Hoosier Soldiers Fought
Eighth graders determine why Hoosier soldiers were willing to fight in the American Civil War. In this Civil War lesson plan, 8th graders listen to a lecture about the involvement of Indiana soldiers in the war and then conduct research...
Curated OER
The People of the Civil War
Fifth graders complete a two week unit on the American Civil War. They complete a Venn diagram, watch a video, make butter, write journal entries, write a letter to a Civil War leader, and create a newspaper.
Curated OER
The Civil War 1850–1865
In this online interactive history quiz worksheet, students respond to 50 multiple choice questions about the American Civil War. Students may submit their answers to be scored.
Curated OER
Civil War and Beyond
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...
Smithsonian Institution
The Price of Freedom: Americans at War
An interactive resource covers all of the United States' most prominent and influential historic wars including the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the War of 1812, and the Korean War. Learners observe cause and effect as well as how violence...
American Battlefield Trust
John Brown
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....
Curated OER
1864-1865: Bringing the War to an End
An interesting lesson plan explains the last battles of the war and the terms of the Articles of Surrender. It also analyzes the election of 1864 with copies of the Baltimore and Chicago platforms. To conclude the lesson, academics...
Teach With Movies
Learning Guide To: Gone with the Wind
The film version of Gone with the Wind is the focus of this learning guide that asks viewers to consider some of the issues that the Southern states faced prior to and during the Civil War.
Curated OER
The Brief American Pageant: Twenty-Three Political Paralysis in the Gilded Age
Detailing the Presidential elections of 1876, 1884, and 1892, this slideshow focuses on the final years of the 19th century in the United States. Additionally, slides include information on the changes in Southern plantations and growth...
Curated OER
Analyzing Civil War Pictorial Envelopes
Young scholars explore the power of political messages contained in visual artifacts and examine the political messages conveyed by the illustrations that appeared on personal stationery used during the Civil War. They create and...
Curated OER
Care of Prisoners During the Civil War
Students identify the needs of prisoners through the study of the Civil War. In this Civil War lesson, students are divided into two groups to represent the two armies. Students simulate a situation where students are captured prisoners...
Curated OER
Unit 2: Post-Revolution: The Critical Period 1781-1878
The post-Revolutionary Period of 1781-1787, also known as the Critical Period, is the focus of a series of lessons that prompt class members to examine primary source documents that reveal the instability of the period of the...
Curated OER
Gettysburg: The Civil War's Costliest Battle
Learners research the Civil War and the Battle of Gettysburg. In this Gettysburg instructional activity, students analyze journals and letters written by the Gettysburg soldiers. Learners define Civil War soldier vocabulary words....