Lesson Plan

Pre-1861: Disunion

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

Nat Turner, John Brown, and Abraham Lincoln all played a key role in the run-up to the bloody American Civil War. Using a PowerPoint, timeline activity, and essay prompt, young historians consider the roles of these men and more to analyze why Americans turned to violence during the period. The resource includes all materials for easy use in the classroom.

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CCSS: Adaptable
Instructional Ideas
  • Use the timeline activity to give learners a sense of the causes of the Civil War
  • Assess pupils' understanding using the essay prompt
Classroom Considerations
  • Lesson is one is a larger series about the Civil War
Pros
  • Lesson uses a variety of modalities for learning
  • Contains necessary background information, making it easy to adapt in the classroom
Cons
  • Resource decentralizes the experiences of enslaved people in a problematic way
  • Some of the historiography around states' rights may be considered problematic