University of California
The Civil War: Strategies and Battles
Was it the War against Northern Aggression or the War to Unify the Union? Scholars investigate the key battles and strategies of the American Civil War to determine just why the North was victorious in the end.
Curated OER
American Civil War: Conflicting Newspaper Reports
Students examine the happenings at the Battle of Antietam from all sides. In this American Civil War lesson, students analyze newspapers accounts from different perspectives regarding the battle and then write their own accounts of the...
Curated OER
African American Women Before and After the Civil War: Slavery and Freedom
Students listen to data on African American women in Texas before the Civil War. In this Civil War lesson, students compare and contrast the lives of slave and free women, and discuss case studies, locating areas on a map. Students...
University of California
The Civil War: Effects of the Civil War
Imagine being on the front line of the Civil War —from the front porch of your own house. Scholars use visual evidence from primary and secondary sources to analyze the impact of the Civil War on all Americans. They examine the research...
Curated OER
Lincoln and the War’s Larger Meaning
Learners analyze Abraham Lincoln's view of the Civil War. In this American Civil War lesson plan, students read excerpts of Lincoln's speeches to determine whether he had a dual view of the war. Learners respond to discussion questions...
Curated OER
The Civil War—Why Hoosier Soldiers Fought
Eighth graders determine why Hoosier soldiers were willing to fight in the American Civil War. In this Civil War lesson, 8th graders listen to a lecture about the involvement of Indiana soldiers in the war and then conduct research about...
Curated OER
The Civil War: On the Homefront
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...
Curated OER
"In Defense of My Race and Country": African-American Soldiers on Why They Are Fighting
Why would an African-American slave fight in the Civil War? Read and analyze primary source documents to understand the ex-slave perspective on fighting in the Union Army. Everything to complete this lesson is included.
Curated OER
African Americans in the Civil War
Students examine the contributions of African American soldiers during the Civil War. In pairs, they complete Civil War timeline worksheets. They use character cards to assume the identities of African Americans and determine whether or...
San Francisco Symphony
American Civil War Songs
Learners will compare and contrast two songs from the Civil War era, one from the North and one from the South. They'll write a comparative essay on their songs, and then compare their essays and songs with others in their small groups....
Smithsonian Institution
The Price of Freedom: Americans at War
An interactive resource covers all of the United States' most prominent and influential historic wars including the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the War of 1812, and the Korean War. Learners observe cause and effect as well as how violence...
Curated OER
The People of the Civil War
Fifth graders complete a two week unit on the American Civil War. They complete a Venn diagram, watch a video, make butter, write journal entries, write a letter to a Civil War leader, and create a newspaper.
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Convict Leasing in Alabama: a System That Re-Enslaved Blacks After the Civil War
The post-Civil War convict leasing program, rarely covered in textbooks, is the focus of a lesson that asks class members to use information drawn from primary source documents to assess the program. While the focus is on Alabama's...
Center for History and New Media
Slavery and Free Negroes, 1800 to 1860
What was life like for enslaved and free black people before the American Civil War? Explore the building tension between states and the freedom of individuals with a thorough social studies lesson. Learners of all ages explore primary...
Curated OER
Service Learning Project-American Civil War
Tenth graders study the American Civil War. As part of a service learning project, they volunteer to help preserve or promote a local Civil War site. They conduct research and write letters or lobby legislatures on behalf of historic...
Curated OER
Civil War Images: It's in the Cards!
Eighth graders review important figures of the Civil War. In this American Civil War lesson, 8th graders create flash cards of historical figures of the war and use them to review the war.
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Civil War
Students consider what it was like for black regiments during the Civil War. In this American Civil War lesson, students view segments of "Glory," and "The Descendants of the 29th Regiment." Students discuss the conditions of black...
Curated OER
The Civil War--The Battle of Corydon
Eighth graders investigate the Battle of Corydon. In this American Civil War lesson, 8th graders discover details about the Battle of Corydon and the leaders of the battle. Students also identify how the Corydon commemorates the battle...
Curated OER
African Americans in World War II: Staging a Double V Campaign in the Classroom
The feelings and attitudes of African-Americans during World War II are examined by high schoolers. After watching various clips from "The War," they answer comprehension questions for each section. In groups, they create their own...
Curated OER
Who Was Contraband?
Students examine the role of African-Americans in the Civil War. Using primary sources, they analyze the material and formulate their own opinions about the past. They write journal entries to share their opinions on photographs from the...
Curated OER
The Gettysburg Address
Who was Abraham Lincoln, and what is the Gettysburg Address? Sixth graders participate in a seminar where they read and analyze the Gettysburg Address and its importance. The role of Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War is also...
Curated OER
Lincoln, Emancipation, and the Constitution
High schoolers determine how President Lincoln promoted emancipation. In this slavery lesson, students examine primary documents, including the U.S. Constitution, to reconstruct Lincoln's attempts to end slavery and deliver the...
Curated OER
A Hoosier Perspective on the March to the Sea: The Diary of William Miller
Eighth graders take a closer look at Sherman's March to the Sea. In this American Civil War lesson, 8th graders analyze the diary entries of William Miller. Discussion questions are included with the entries. Students create illustrated...
Curated OER
Hoosier Soldiers at Vicksburg
Eighth graders examine the role of Indiana soldiers at the Battle of Vicksburg. In this American Civil War lesson, 8th graders listen to a lecture about the involvement of Indiana soldiers in the battle and then analyze letters written...