Designed for middle school scholars, a instructional activity explores the life of Jeremiah Handley, a young man when the Civil War broke out. Pupils read Handley's personal story, accounts of battles, and view images to understand what life was like for soldiers throughout the conflict. Class members then demonstrate their knowledge of the material with group discussions and worksheets. 

Concepts

american history, civil war, the united states civil war, military history, soldiers, primary source analysis, primary sources, primary source images

Show More Show Less

Additional Tags

social studies

Show More Show Less

Instructional Ideas

• Have academics write journal entries from the perspective of a young soldier 
• Research the demographic of the soldiers fighting during the Civil War

Classroom Considerations

• The theme of war may not be suitable for all age groups 

Pros

• Provides all material with the lesson to ease preparation for the instructor 
• The lesson is a good skills practice for analyzing primary sources  

Cons

• None