Smithsonian Institution
Voices of Bull Run
Soldier's lives are often a topic when studying the Civil War, but what about the lives of civilians? Scholars use the characters from the novel Bull Run to better understand the lives of those not directly on the Civil War battlefields....
Curated OER
Bull Run by Paul Fleischman, a Young Adult Novel
Learners read and discuss Bull Run by Paul Fleischman. In groups, they select a character and re-write or act out that character's story and share it with the rest of the class.
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
Civil War Battles Word Search
In this Civil War battle worksheet, students search for and locate names of Civil War conflicts. To assist in identifying names, a list of 25 battles is provided. An answer key is provided.
Mr. Nussbaum
Battle of Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter, the site of the Civil War's first battle, taught the Union and the Confederacy an important lesson: they would both need to take stronger steps than anticipated if they wanted to win the war. History pupils read about the...
Core Knowledge Foundation
The Civil War
A unit covers many aspects of the Civil War. Over six weeks, fifth graders delve deep into the history of slavery, the Civil War—before, during, and after—Abraham Lincoln, women's contributions, the Emancipation Proclamation, and...
Core Knowledge Foundation
The Civil War
A student reader shares information about the history of slavery, the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln, women's contributions to the war, the Emancipation Proclamation, and reconstruction.
Smithsonian Institution
Civil War
Did you know that more than three million people fought in the Civil War? Through artifacts, graphics, and passages class members learn about the stark divide between North and South that led to the war, as well as about the events that...
American Battlefield Trust
1861: The Country Goes to War
What was it like to know the Civil War was coming? Using a graphic timeline activity and excerpts of speeches from Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, learners consider the early days of the conflict. The resource includes prompts for...
Curated OER
A Soldier's Life
Students read and interpret letters about James Vanderhoef included in lesson plan. Students make connections and note interesting vocabulary used in the letters. Students generate a list of questions about the soldier's life and...
Curated OER
The Price of War
Fifth graders, in groups, research major battles fought during the Civil War and complete an activity sheet. They choose one particular battle and create a timeline and graph using the statistics researched.
Curated OER
Conflict Between the States
Students explore the conflicts which evolved into the Civil War. Students examine the differences between the north and the south. They discuss slavery and the battles during the war. Students create a mural and write battle songs...
Curated OER
Virginia in the Civil War
Students examine the role of Virginia during the Civil War. In groups, they brainstorm ideas about why they believe so many battles took place in Virginia. Using a map, they locate the major battles on land and in the ocean. To end...
Curated OER
A Light in the Storm
Examine the genre of historical fiction while reading A Light in the Storm. They extract events in chronological order to make a timeline. Then, they use information in the book important to the characters to create a presentation of an...
Curated OER
Cause and Effect
In groups, learners they look for key words to help locate a cause and effect relationship. They create a t-chart with the information they discover and share it with the class.
Curated OER
2010 History Under Siege Quiz
In this online interactive Civil War learning exercise, students respond to 10 multiple choice questions about endangered Civil War battlegrounds. Students may check their answers immediately.
Curated OER
Philanthropy in Michigan? Civil War Lesson 1: What is Philanthropy?
Students determine the meaning of philanthropy and find examples of it in Mary Francis Shura's, Gentle Annie: The True Story of a Civil War Nurse. They discuss act of philanthropy that they have personally witnessed.
Curated OER
Photographing War
Students examine the role of Matthew Brady photographing the Civil War and compare it with the role of photographers embedded in the War in Iraq.
Curated OER
Civil War Worksheet # 70
In this Civil War worksheet, students utilize a word bank of 10 terms or phrases to answer 10 fill in the blank questions about the Civil War. 2 short answer questions are posed to students as well.
Curated OER
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."