Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil War Battle Cubes

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders research one of the major battles of the Civil War and display their research on a cube.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil War Tribune

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders choose a black and white copy of a photo from the Civil War and 'enhance' picture by adding color using crayons and colored pencils. They research the photo.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil War: Matthew Brady Photos

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders read background information on Matthew Brady and examine photographs of the Civil War taken by him. They fill in worksheets based on their research.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

In the Courts

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore desegregation in the courts. In this civil rights instructional activity, students listen to their instructor present a lecture on Supreme Court cases Brown v. Board of Education and Plessy v. Ferguson....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Free Blacks in the North and in the South

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders research the different lives of free blacks in the South and the North. In this Post Civil War lesson, 11th graders analyze primary sources that illustrate their lives. Students create posters that compare and contrast...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Addressing the Nation

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers examine the leadership skills of Civil War leaders. In this American Civil War lesson, students describe attributes of effective leaders and then debate the effectiveness of leaders during the war.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Embodied Presidency

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders examine the issue of slavery. In this Civil War lesson, 8th graders participate in a debate. Students evaluate the impact of slavery and war on the country.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

War, What is it Good for?

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders examine aspects of the American Civil War related to West Virginia. In this research skills instructional activity, 8th graders collaborate to research Civil War topics and create electronic portfolios that feature their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cover the Music

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore U.S. history by listening to musical pieces in class. In this Civil War era lesson, students discuss the types of musical instruments that were available to soldiers during the war and the themes of their songs. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hoosier Soldiers and the Emancipation Proclamation

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders examine the impact of Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation through the eyes of Indiana soldiers. For this American Civil War lesson, 8th graders read the proclamation and then students write essays that included letters...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Life of a Hoosier Soldier, based on the letters of Lt. John V. Hadley

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders take a closer look at the life of Union soldiers. In this American Civil War lesson, 8th graders read and analyze a series of letters from Lt. John Hadley to his fiancée. Students chart their findings from the letters on...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

An Early Threat of Secession: The Missouri Compromise of 1820 and the Nullification Crisis

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students analyze an interactive map of the Missouri Compromise to identify the regions and their relation to slavery. In this pre-civil war era lesson, students read primary source documents and research online to answer questions...
Lesson Plan
Scholastic

Abraham Lincoln: A Time Line Research Project

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Though Abraham Lincoln's life was tragically cut short, it was filled with accomplishments and inspiring moments that continue to influence American democracy. Explore the ways the 16th president of the United States made his way from a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Secession: A Southern Perspective

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders determine how secession impacted South Carolina as well as the United States. In this American Civil War lesson, 8th graders examine selected primary and secondary sources in order to study the state's sovereignty and the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

“Will I or Won’t I?” Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, 54th Massachusetts Regiment

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students discover the story of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment. In this American Civil War lesson plan, students study the life of Robert Gould Shaw and the regiment he led. Students research primary and secondary sources to learn about...
Interactive
Curated OER

Antietam Quiz

For Students 8th - 12th
In this online interactive Civil War worksheet, students respond to 14 multiple choice questions about the Battle of Antietam. Students may check their answers immediately.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The War Lesson Plan

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students view video clips of the film "The War". Several classroom activities are included and address major themes found in the film. The lessons incorporate video clips from the film as well as additional resources provided.
Lesson Plan
Stanford University

Observing Human Rights Day

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
How much intervention is appropriate for America to take in cases of human rights violations? Class members ponder a question that has lingered since the birth of America with a series of primary sources that reflect the degree to which...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How We Got to Kansas-Nebraska

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students explore the causes of the Civil War. In this lesson on slavery students use primary sources to examine the evolution of the issue of  slavery and in the American political system. Students will then write a follow-up essay...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Slavery and the Legal Status of Free Blacks

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the status of free blacks in Illinois and slavery in the U.S. They read and analyze primary source documents, answer and discuss questions, participate in a group discussion, and present the group's findings to the class.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Tet Offensive and the Vietnam War

For Teachers Higher Ed
Students comprehend how the United States became involved in what one historian called the quagmire. Students identify and analyze the importance of the Tet Offensive in turning American public opinion against the Vietnam War. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil War Letter

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students develop a question they are interested in researching about the Civil War. After completing a webquest on the war, they write a letter to their partner using the information they gathered. They use peer editing to check for...
Interactive
Curated OER

John Brown's Raid Student Quiz

For Students 5th - 8th
In this online interactive Civil War worksheet, students respond to 10 multiple choice questions about John Brown's Raid. Students may check their answers immediately.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Abraham Lincoln, the 1860 Election, and the Future of the American Union and Slavery

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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...