Discuss the differences between the North and the South and how those differences led to the Civil War. Middle schoolers examine and analyze a famous speech or writing by President Lincoln in order to better understand the speaker's...

North and South: two opposite directions and two opposite economic and social systems in time of the Civil War. Pupils peruse census websites and primary source photographs to understand what life was like for the everyday person before...

Women's lifestyles before the Civil War made a huge impact as a point of causation. Give middle schoolers the opportunity to view firsthand the lives of women before the Civil War. They analyze primary source documents, view photographs,...

Middle schoolers may be surprised to learn that before the American Civil War there were more slaves living in New York than there were in Kentucky! Young historians examine maps and census data to gather statistics about...

Using primary and secondary sources, such as letters and diaries from soldiers and civilians, learners consider why people fought in the American Civil War. A role-playing Historical Mingle activity, as well as discussion questions and...

Students listen to data on African American women in Texas before the Civil War. In this Civil War activity, students compare and contrast the lives of slave and free women, and discuss case studies, locating areas on a map. Students...

Can't travel to Richmond for your Civil War unit? This plan creates an authentic experience, using primary sources and the essential question: Over What Was the Civil War Fought? Historians examine the Appomattox Marker, the site of Gen....

In order to understand the complicated nature of slave laws during the Civil War, learners compare and contrast an abolitionist poster and a runaway slave ad. They use an attached worksheet to consider each primary source document, then...

Confederate soldiers saw the Civil War much differently than their Union counterparts. Scholars analyze the perspective of the Civil War from the viewpoint of various key figures in the fourth installment of an eight-part series. By...

North is to factory as South is to plantation—the perfect analogy for the economy that set up the Civil War! The first instructional activity in a series of five helps teach beginners why the economy creates a driving force for conflict....

Abraham Lincoln is responsible for uniting the states during the most tumultuous periods in American history, and for his elegant oratory that kept the Union believing in its cause. Young histoians analyze various speeches by America's...

Reading Mary Pope Osborne's Civil War on Sunday? Here's a packet crammed with activities, exercises, reading guides, and project suggestions. A must-have for your curriculum library.

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...

Students complete a webquest that focuses on the basic causes and major events of the Civil War. They answer a series of questions each having an Internet link to a reading that provides clues for the answer.

Students explore the events of Reconstruction after the Civil War.  In this US History lesson, students complete several activities and worksheets that reinforce challenges and social upheaval experienced in the South after the...

Students are be able to analyze primary sources (Civil War images) for examples of how soldiers are portrayed historically. They discuss what a hero is and why some individuals are heroes to certain groups while others are not.

Slavery is a serious topic that can be challenging for middle schoolers to study. Young scholars can see firsthand through primary sources what occurred during that time period in the United States. The third of five lessons provides...

Historical poetry is lyrical in form and rich with content. After examining the differences between the Northern and Southern states before and during the U.S. Civil War, learners complete a Venn diagram and create an illustration of the...

Students 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 Emancipation...

Use this cross-curricular history lesson plan to work on your students' informational writing skills. After listening to songs and stories related to Sultana, they engage in a several activities to boost their understanding of slavery...

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...

Eighth graders determine why Hoosier soldiers were willing to fight in the American Civil War. In this Civil War activity, 8th graders listen to a lecture about the involvement of Indiana soldiers in the war and then conduct research...

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....

Learners access oral histories that contain slave narratives from the Library of Congress. They describe the lives of former slaves, sample varied individual experiences and make generalizations about their research in journal entries.