Lesson Plan
American Battlefield Trust

1861: The Country Goes to War

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
While the firing on Ft. Sumter may have seemed like a sudden event, the long march to war spanned decades. Using games and a presentation, class members review the events that led up to the fateful April day in 1861 when brother turned...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

1864-1865: Bringing the War to an End

For Teachers 9th - 12th
An interesting lesson plan explains the last battles of the war and the terms of the Articles of Surrender. It also analyzes the election of 1864 with copies of the Baltimore and Chicago platforms. To conclude the lesson, academics...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Post-1865: Effects of the War

For Teachers 9th - 12th
An engaging lesson focuses on the impact of the war and Lincoln's plan for Reconstruction had on the United States. Historians analyze primary documents, such as Constitutional Amendments and newspaper experts. They also participate in...
Worksheet
Curated OER

The Battles of The Civil War

For Students 9th - 12th
In this social studies activity, students find the words that are studied for vocabulary related to the battles of The Civil War.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Civil War

For Students 6th - 8th
In this social studies worksheet, students find the terms related to the subject of the Civil War and the answers are accessed through the button at the bottom of the page.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil War Letters

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Young scholars put themselves in the shoes of American Civil War soldiers. In this Civil War lesson, students examine letters from the time period written by soldiers, edit the letters for grammatical errors, and then present the letters...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Trains, Telegraphs, and Steamships: War’s New Weapons

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the technological weapons of the Civil War. For this Civil War lesson, students research the use of trains, telegraphs, and steamships in the war. Students write newspaper articles pertaining to the new weaponry.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's Civil About War?

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students study about the Civil War through primary sources used in the PBS production of "Freedom: A History of US" based on Joy Hakim's books, "A History of US", and the companion PBS Web site.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Civil War

For Students 2nd - 4th
In this Civil War worksheet, students listen to the song "Civil War" and complete 11 sentence completions based upon the information from the lyrics.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Not Just A Man's War

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students write 2 letters from a woman who may have lived during the Civil War and 2 letters from her relative which include factual information that they have research using the Internet and other resources, along with other activities.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Care of Prisoners During the Civil War

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students identify the needs of prisoners through the study of the Civil War. In this Civil War lesson, students are divided into two groups to represent the two armies. Students simulate a situation where students are captured prisoners...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Post Civil War Reconstruction

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Learners analyze the process of Reconstruction after the Civil War.  In this U.S. History lesson, students discuss specific details about Reconstruction with the class, then complete a worksheet with multiple activities reinforcing...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Abraham Lincoln: The Face of War

For Teachers 4th - 10th
Students compare life masks and photos of Abraham Lincoln that were made before and at the end of the Civil War. In this "Faces of War" instructional activity, students analyze images of Lincoln in a historical context and create a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Civil War: Through the Eyes of Hoosier Women-

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders explain and analyze changes and interactions of Hoosier women in major social and work roles during the Civil War. They recognize and compare the contributions of both women on the home and war fronts.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil War

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders discuss the causes of the Civil War and write a paragraph summarizing each identified event. In the computer lab, 5th graders create a PowerPoint presentation explaining events leading up to the Civil War. They use the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Images at War

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers examine American attitudes toward war as revealed in Civil War photographs and WWII homefront posters. They analyze and discuss photos, explore the National Archives website, and organize a statement of their findings.
Assessment

US DBQs European Migration through Civil War

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Shared ResourceThis activity contains DBQs about United States History ranging from the European Migration through the Civil War. All of the documents provided contain primary sources for students to answer as well as an essay to complete once...
Interactive
American Battlefield Trust

Gettysburg Virtual Tour

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Step into one of the most iconic battlefields of the American Civil War with an educational interactive resource. Young historians learn about key moments, locations, soldiers, and turning points in the battle with a clickable map and...
Lesson Plan
National Gallery of Art

The First African American Regiment

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Young historians examine a memorial sculpture of the first African American regiment in the Civil War, and then compare how the experiences of the regiment are portrayed in letters and poetry, as well as in the motion...
Interactive
Annenberg Foundation

Evaluating Evidence

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Was the Civil War fought only due to slavery? Using an interactive web tool, scholars investigate the four main causes of the Civil War. Gathering evidence and data to support their claims, they present a final statistical breakdown...
Lesson Plan
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National Endowment for the Humanities

Factory vs. Plantation in the North and South

For Teachers 6th - 8th
North is to factory as South is to plantation—the perfect analogy for the economy that set up the Civil War! The first lesson in a series of five helps teach beginners why the economy creates a driving force for conflict. Analysis of...
Unit Plan
Annenberg Foundation

A Nation Divided

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Can a presidential election cause a civil war? Learners research the events surrounding the presidential election of 1860 in a lesson that explores America's history. Using maps, videos, and primary sources, they uncover, brainstorm, and...
Lesson Plan
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Center for History and New Media

Slavery and Free Negroes, 1800 to 1860

For Teachers 4th - 11th Standards
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...
Lesson Plan
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media

War and Poetry

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
A band of brothers or the Devil's agents? Nobel warriors freeing the oppressed or mercenaries working for the military/industrial complex? Groups examine poems from the Civil War, World War I, and World War II to determine the poets'...

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