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
Ford's Theatre

Socratic Seminar/Group Discussion: The Crisis of the Civil War

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
High schoolers work in four different groups to examine the many factors that led to the American Civil War. They research an assigned topic, prepare questions, and finally engage in a class discussion using the Socratic Seminar method.
Lesson Plan
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University of California

Anti-Communism at Home

For Teachers 11th Standards
Have you ever been accused of something without cause? The sixth installment of an eight-part series asks scholars to create a museum exhibit on the anti-communist activities in the United States at the start of the Cold War. To make...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

I Am Freedom Bound!

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Upper elementary and middle school learners engage in this awesome lesson plan on the Civil War. In it, they watch streamed video, perform Internet research, engage in hands-on activities, and use their geography skills to locate...
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Deconstructing Reconstruction: The Reconstruction Era

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
High schoolers examine the Reconstruction programs instituted following the American Civil War, the potential for change these efforts offered, and the realities that occurred. Guided by a PowerPoint presentation, class members read a...
Lesson Plan
1
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Facing History and Ourselves

The Political Struggle, 1865-1866

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Healing versus justice. The central source of tension following the United States Civil War was between the demands for healing and the demands for justice, the battle between President Andrew Johnson and Congress. A video introduces the...
Lesson Plan
West Virginia Department of Education

A State of Convenience: The Creation of West Virginia

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Ever wondered why there is a West Virginia but not an East Virginia? The resource answers questions like this one and more as it takes an in-depth and detailed look at the history of West Virginia and how it became a state. Several...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Causes of the Civil War

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students identify the various causes leading to the Civil War. Students create a timeline of the actual events that led to it. Students form small groups and read from one of the included paragraphs about the causes of the war to each...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Causes of the Civil War

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research information on the causes of the Civil War. They rank their top three reasons and individuals responsible for the war and then use that information to write a position paper.
Lesson Plan
American Battlefield Trust

Contrasting the North and South Before the War

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Fundamental differences between the North and South led to the South adopting a system of enslaved labor. These abstract ideas become concrete when class members create a standing cube using information provided in the resource. Young...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hoosiers in the Civil War

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders research soldiers in the Civil War. In this Civil War lesson, 4th graders listen to the story Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco and identify the main events. They read facts about "Hoosiers in the Civil War" and create...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Civil War: A Nation Divided

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the clash between the North and the South. In this Civil War lesson plan, students watch segments of the Discovery video "The Civil War: A Nation Divided". Students conduct further research pertaining to the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Were the Political & Social Views of People During the Civil War

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders study the Civil War. In this US history lesson, 8th graders discuss the causes for fighting for the North and the South showing that there was no good side or evil side just people believing in what they were fighting for....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Civil War—Why Hoosier Soldiers Fought

For Teachers 8th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Black Kentuckians and the Civil War

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Young scholars demonstrate how the American Civil War affected black Kentuckians socially and politically. They identify and discuss the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which forced the end of slavery in Kentucky months after...
Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Newscast on the Battles of the Ironclad Ships

For Teachers 5th Standards
Fifth graders create multi-media newscasts based on their knowledge of Civil War battles of the ironclad ships.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Civil War: On the Homefront

For Teachers 8th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Civil War Era

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explore both the causes of and the actual events of the Civil War. They write essays and descriptive paragraphs and explore a variety of websites. They create a series of skits highlighting the key points of the Civil War era.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Claiming Common Ground? The Civil War and the Preservation of Claiming Common Ground? The Civil War and the Preservation of George Washington's Mount Vernon

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers explore how people viewed George Washington in the 19th Century.  In this U.S. History lesson, students create a timeline of events during the Civil War, including government and court decisions.  Following...
Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Daily Lives of Slaves - What Really Happened?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
The stories of enslaved people are preserved forever thanks to the Great Depression. Budding historians explore slave narratives gathered by a federal government initiative to discover what life was actually like for enslaved people....
Lesson Plan
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PBS

Civil War: Before the War

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Free the slaves! Scholars research primary documents and videos while working together to create abolitionist posters. They examine the John Brown raid as a template to creating their own demonstration. 
Lesson Plan
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PBS

Civil War: Blacks on the Battlefield

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Imagine a war being fought to free slaves, with slaves on the front line. Scholars use primary documents, videos, and research in the second installment of a three-part series to guide their analysis of the first African-Americans on the...
Lesson Plan
1
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National Endowment for the Humanities

Life Before the Civil War

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
American life before the Civil War was very different from American life today. To show this difference in a full spectrum, learners compare two communities that illustrate the differences between Northern and Southern life. Throughout...
Lesson Plan
Civil War Trust

Civil War Play

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Raise the curtain to a class play that depicts the Civil War through both factual information and literary devices. The performance showcases the Battle of Antietam (Battle of Sharpsburg) and brings attention to women's roles,...

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