Teach With Movies
Learning Guide for: Glory
Invite your class to learn about the first regular US army unit composed of black soldiers during the Civil War with the film Glory. This website reviews the historical accuracy of the movie, offers pre- and post-viewing handouts, and...
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...
Smithsonian Institution
Comparing Confederate and Union Soldiers
The Civil War, a war that divided a nation. Comparing and contrasting the Confederate and Union soldiers is not always an easy task, but the eighth of 15 resources makes it easy to teach the concepts. Exercises include watching videos in...
Curated OER
Causes of the Civil War: Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850 and Kansas Nebraska Act
How did the Missouri Compromise, the Compromise of 1850, and the Kansas-Nebraska Act contribute to the growing tensions that led to the Civil war? To better understand the events that led to the Civil War, young historians engage in a...
Curated OER
American Civil War Lesson Plans
Civil War lesson plans can get students thinking about, and discussing issues related to history, politics, and even photography.
Curated OER
Places Where Women Made History
Using places can help students identify with the history-making women associated with them.
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
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.
American Battlefield Trust
1861: The Country Goes to War
While the firing on Ft. Sumter may have seemed like a sudden event, the long march to war spanned decades. Using games and a presentation, class members review the events that led up to the fateful April day in 1861 when brother turned...
Curated OER
Civil War Letters
Students 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 to...
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...
Curated OER
Medical War Ball/ Civil War
Eighth graders play Medical War Ball. In this Civil War lesson, 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
Images at War
Students 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 primary...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Factory vs. Plantation in the North and South
North is to factory as South is to plantation—the perfect analogy for the economy that set up the Civil War! The first lesson in a series of five helps teach beginners why the economy creates a driving force for conflict. Analysis of...
Curated OER
Causes of the Civil War
Seventh graders determine how the American Civil War began. In this American Civil War instructional activity, 7th graders listen to a SMART Board-supported lecture about the causes of the war and watch a United Streaming video on the...
Curated OER
Civil War Quizzes
In this American Civil War worksheet, students respond to 40 short answer questions about the war. Some of the questions require them to conduct independent research to answer.
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 resources.
Curated OER
Chapter 7 – The Civil War
In this U.S. history worksheet, students read assigned textbook pages about the Civil War and respond to 48 short answer questions.
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
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
Hallowed Ground: Preserving Arkansas's Civil War Battlefields
Pupils 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
History of the Americas: Causes of the Civil War
In this American Civil War worksheet, high schoolers respond to 36 short answer questions that require them to define people and events that were significant during the war.