American Battlefield Trust
Gettysburg Address: Abraham Lincoln's Greatest Speech
Most Americans have heard of the Gettysburg Address, but may not know what it means and why is it so important. Following guidance and scaffolded prompts, scholars analyze the short document that left an undeniable impact on the American...
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Three Days at Gettysburg
Eighth graders discuss why the Battle of Gettysburg was important to the Civil War. In groups, they identify the major events of each day of the battle. They analyze how the battle changed the direction of the war and discuss the outcome.
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Prairie Grove Battlefield
Students examine the battle of Prairie Grove and Arkansas's role in the Civil War. They discover the realities of war on the soldiers and civilians. They analyze historical documents for content.
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Lesson Three: Poem Pieces
Students read and analyze stanzas of Civil War poem, The Flags of Michigan, to get perspective on what life was like and how Americans viewed Civil War, rewrite stanzas in modern language, and share new versions of poem with classmates.
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Brother Against Brother
Eighth graders read Across Five Aprils and correlate it to a unit on the Civil War. They culminate the unit by writing a a piece of historical fiction in the first person entitled "Brother Against Brother."
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A Tough Act to Re-enact
Students discover the significance of various historical events. Using the information they find, groups re-enact these events, stressing their importance to history and our lives today.
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"Mill Springs Battlefield"
Learners investigate the Civil War caused deep division in the border states and discover the significance of Kentucky to the Union and the Confederacy. They examine how battle casualties were and are honored in the local community.
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Lincoln's Political Theology
Students continue to examine the events of the Civil War. Using primary source documents, they identify how Lincoln's religious beliefs affected the decisions he made during this time period. They discuss the meaning of his "Meditation...
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Recruitment
Fifth graders analyze and then draw recruitment posters. In this Revolutionary War lesson, 5th graders analyze recruitment posters and discuss the attitude towards African Americans. Students analyze primary documents from...
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The Battle of Mill Springs
This lesson could be used in teaching units on the Civil War or on the commemoration of wars.
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The Battle of Glorieta Pass: A Shattered Dream
This lesson can be used in American history, social studies, and geography courses in units on westward expansion and the Civil War.
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After the American Revolution: Free African Americans in the North
Eleventh graders explore how one-third of Patriot soldiers at the Battle of Bunker Hill were African Americans Census data also reveal that there were slaves and free Blacks living in the Nort
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Eisenhower: The Contentious 1950s
Students explore 1950's America. In this American history lesson, students research the McCarthy hearings, Civil Rights, war fatigue, and economic issues of the decades. Students respond to discussion questions about topics.
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World War II
Students create a Powerpoint presentation covering key information regarding a World War II battle and present the information to the class in the form of an oral presentation. They then will turn in a summary report including two...
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The Battle of the Little Bighorn
Students assess how point of view can change a story. For this content area reading lesson, students read about the Battle of the Little Bighorn from three different sources. Students answer questions based upon their reading and draw...
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Commemoration of the Gettysburg Battlefield
High schoolers use a multimedia project, The Valley of the Shadow: Two American Communities in the Civil War, to create a presentation about the significance of the Gettysburg Address. They work on expert teams to explore the interactive...
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Johnny Tremain
Students study the Revolutionary War. In this colonial America instructional activity, students read Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes. Students discuss chapter 1 as they respond to the provided discussion questions.
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Revolutionary War: The Battle of Oriskany
Learners evaluate the decisions several New Yorkers made about which side to support during the Revolutionary War and analyze the Battle of Oriskany to determine whether the Tories or the Rebels won the battle.
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Manassas National Battlefield Park
Students complete a variety of activities that go along with the study of and possible fieldtrip to Manassas National Battlefield Park in Virginia.
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Gettysburg 360
An interactive site allows scholars to explore the Gettysburg battlefield up close, read soldiers' accounts, and view images of the event. In addition, enrichment activities enhance young historians' experience with Gettysburg...
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Black History Web Design
Each student or student team creates a web page. Students research and make decisions for content of the page. Each web page should contain at least six images and six links, as well as any necessary commentary. Students indicate on the...
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Drumbeats and Heartbeats
Students explore some of the battles of the Civil War through music, literature, and art. The use of the drum on the battlefield and the reflections and emotions of the drummer boys are examined.
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What Is a Primary-Source Document?
Students discover what a primary-source document is, what different types there were back in 1867, and what newer kinds there are today. They play a form of bingo using printed cards that reproduce documents related to Confederation.
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Rockin’ the World: Rock and Roll and Social Protest in 20th Century America
Young scholars explore protest songs. In this interdisciplinary lesson plan, students examine issues-based music by summarizing lyrics and revealing inferences, generalizations, conclusions, and points of view found in the songs.