Syracuse University
Civil War
What was it like to enlist as a soldier in the Civil War? By using enlistment papers, young scholars consider this question. After they've looked at the primary source and discussed it, they create a short story of a fictional soldier to...
Middle Tennessee State University
A House Divided: The Civil War Home Front in Tennessee
To broaden their understanding of both the short term and long terms effects of the Civil War, class groups examine primary source materials and then assume the role of a family member and draft a letter to a soldier describing life at...
Curated OER
Who Fought for the Union?
Learners read New York Times articles, letters, and listen to songs written from a soldier's perspective during the Civil War in order to understand who was fighting in the Union Army. This is a great lesson, complete with weblinks,...
Center for History Education
Northern Racism and the New York City Draft Riots of 1863
Just how racist were some people in the North during the American Civil War? Using excerpts of the Conscription Act, as well as graphic images of lynchings, young historians consider why white people in New York City rioted and killed...
Curated OER
Living History - Civil War
Eighth graders, after researching antebellum North Carolina and the role of North Carolina in the Civil War, write, edit, publish, and produce their own plays.
Curated OER
Civil War Soldiers
High schoolers investigate the concept of having a draft for obtaining military forces. They conduct research in small groups using a variety of resources in order to answer key questions. The ideas of having a volunteer army instead is...
Curated OER
The New York Draft
Students investigate the draft that originated in New York during the time of the Civil War. They examine the primary resource of a newspaper article from the time in order to gather information. The students check the grammar of the...
Curated OER
Civil Disobedience Action Plan
Students investigate incidences of civil disobedience. In this civil disobedience lesson plan, students watch a video and read a newspaper article on civil disobedience. Then, in groups, they search a current newspaper for examples of...
Curated OER
Noncombatancy and the Seventh day Adventist Church
Upper graders investigate how the Seventh Day Adventists are objectors to the practice of war. The lesson covers the Civil War and examines the church's position about the practice of war. The research extends to modern wars and learners...
Civil War Trust
Genealogy
The Civil War is undoubtedly a part of America's history, but could it be part of your pupils' history as well? Middle schoolers conduct research to discover a connection between their ancestors and the American Civil War. Whether...
PBS
Pbs: Independent Lens: Conscience and the Constitution
Would you accept being drafted into military service if your family was being held in an internment camp? That was the question on many a Japanese American's mind during World War 2. Explore the stories of those who resisted service and...