Middle Tennessee State University
A House Divided: The Civil War Home Front in Tennessee
To broaden their understanding of both the short term and long terms effects of the Civil War, class groups examine primary source materials and then assume the role of a family member and draft a letter to a soldier describing life at...
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...
Curated OER
Literature Focus Unit: Civil War
Fourth graders complete a two-week unit on the U.S. Civil War and the Underground Railroad. They read the books "Follow the Drinking Gourd" and "Pink and Say," complete story maps, and dramatize a scene from "Follow the Drinking Gourd."...
Curated OER
Quilting Through the Civil War and Underground Railroad
Students design a quilt. In this Civil War and Underground Railroad lesson, students discuss the Civil War and Underground Railroad. Students look at quilts from the Civil War and discover how they were used to help slaves escape....
Curated OER
Post-Civil War American History
Fifth graders examine significant events in Post-Civil War America. In this Post-Civil War lesson, 5th graders investigate the important events after the war in 19th century America. They read primary source documents about six topics...
Curated OER
Underground Railroad
Students navigate the Scholastic Underground Railroad site and listen to journey of the Underground railroad. In this Underground Railroad lesson, students use maps and compare and contrast the differences between the North and...
Curated OER
Civil War: Women
Students examine the role of women during the Civil War investigating their roles as spies, soldiers, and nurses.
Curated OER
Influence of Union and Confederate Resources in 1860 on the Civil War
Eighth graders compare/contrast population, railroad mileage, manufacturing plants, and industrial workers between the Union and Confederate States in 1860; students analyze effects of the resources of the Union and Confederate Forces on...
Curated OER
Civil War Bingo
Students answer Civil War questions. In this Civil War United States history lesson, students copy Civil War vocabulary and phrases onto squares on a Bingo card. Students cover a Bingo square in response to each question asked by the...
Scholastic
The Rise of Railroads: Illinois
Railways not only cross the US, but they are also intertwined with the history of America. Using a timeline format, individuals explore the connections between major events in American history—such as the Civil War—and the rise of the...
Curated OER
Landmarks of the Underground Railroad
Students explore Civil Rights by reading several books in class. For this Underground Railroad lesson, students discuss The Story of Henry Box Brown and identify the location and functionality of the Underground Railroad. Students answer...
National History Day
“Saving the Bear”: The Russian Expeditionary Force of World War One
How have Russian politics affected countries on a global stage? The discussion of the Russian Revolution and World War I begins with an analysis of primary resource letters. Learners finish with a project where they create a timeline of...
Curated OER
War, What is it Good for?
Eighth graders examine aspects of the American Civil War related to West Virginia. In this research skills lesson, 8th graders collaborate to research Civil War topics and create electronic portfolios that feature their findings.
Curated OER
Firestorms: The Bombing of Civilians in World War II
Students examine the implication of civilian targets in war. For this World War II lesson, students investigate the history of bombing practices in war. Students zero in on World War II bombing practices as they discuss precision and...
Curated OER
Integrated Social Studies and Art Lesson
Fourth graders study the Civil War and the Underground Railroad. In groups, they create coded quilts like those used in the Underground Railroad. They review secret codes used, plan a phrase they would like to use, and paint quilt...
Curated OER
Hoosier Soldiers at Vicksburg
Eighth graders examine the role of Indiana soldiers at the Battle of Vicksburg. In this American Civil War activity, 8th graders listen to a lecture about the involvement of Indiana soldiers in the battle and then analyze letters written...
Curated OER
The Battle Over Reconstruction: The Aftermath of Reconstruction
Students examine the Reconstruction Era. In this American history lesson, students explore the condition of the United States following the Civil War as they read statistical data. Students analyze the Reconstruction policies to...
Curated OER
The Underground Railroad
Fourth graders participate in a literature circle after reading a book about the Underground Railroad. They discuss their selected book with their literature circle group, and complete a handout about their role in the circle. Students...
Curated OER
Interpreting History With Artifacts: Mid to Late 1800s
Fourth graders study history though the exploration of artifacts. In this Civil War lesson, 4th graders examine artifacts such as sweet grass basket, spinning top, photos on tin, cast iron kettle, china"bone plate," bonnet, wooden carved...
Curated OER
Escape - Civil War
Fourth graders role play the Underground Railroad in this lesson. They review the Underground Railroad and how people used it during the Civil War. They then are divided into groups, and role play with each group taking a different...
Curated OER
Civil War Museum Exhibit
Fourth graders summarize the participation of Indiana citizens in the Civil War. They research an assigned topic and build a museum exhibit that displays at least five points of information relating to the topic. Students write a...
Curated OER
Technology Integration Lesson Plan: Civil War Spreadsheet
Eighth graders discuss and analyze Civil War data, manually graph data on handout, work with partners to enter data into spreadsheets, and create charts on spreadsheet for each data set.
Scholastic
The Rise of Railroads: California
Railways are an integral part of the history of California. Using a timeline format, class members connect major historical events to the rise of the railroads and their impact on the state. Activities include a mix of independent and...
Curated OER
Underground Railroad
Eighth graders explore the Underground Railroad. In this American History lesson, 8th graders create a song about the railroad. Students analyze various symbols used during the Underground Railroad.