Lesson Plan
Cheryl L. Mason and William G. Thomas

Comparative Effects of Financing the Civil War

For Teachers 9th - 12th
How do countries fund wars? Learners examine the economics of warfare through a comprehensive study of what measures were taken to fund wartime activities during the American Civil War. They'll start by reading a newspaper article from...
Lesson Plan
1
1
Smithsonian Institution

Women's Role in the War Effort

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Did you know that many women were Confederate spies during the Civil War? The resource focuses particularly on the important role women played for both the Union and Confederacy. It uses exercises such as a discussion, video, analyzing...
Lesson Plan
1
1
University of California

The Civil War: Strategies and Battles

For Students 7th Standards
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.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Kentucky in the Civil War

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders consider how Kentucky was involved in the Civil War. In this American Civil War lesson, 7th graders view PowerPoint presentations on the topic and then discuss the state's neutrality policy and eventual secession....
Lesson Plan
Civil War Trust

Civil War Slang

For Teachers 5th - 7th Standards
Introduce a lesson on Civil War slang to your class of fresh fish. After looking at pictures from the Civil War and examining the list of slang terms, young historians write a letter to a family member as if they are a Union soldier or a...
Lesson Plan
1
1
National Park Service

Civil War to Civil Rights: From Pea Ridge to Central High

For Teachers 4th - 12th Standards
Explore how the Civil War impacted the Civil Rights Movement. Class members complete a series of projects for a unit that uses a layered curriculum approach to learning. 
Lesson Plan
2
2
Curated OER

Civil War Literature Circle

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Historical fiction can be a valuable asset when learning about the past. Integrate several novels written about the Civil War into your social studies unit, with groups of four working collaboratively to comprehend the novel from...
Lesson Plan
Civil War Trust

The Gathering Storm: The Coming of the Civil War

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Take a longer look at a formative time in history with a lesson that explores the causes of the American Civil War. After viewing a series of images and explanations for various forces at play, middle schoolers choose the images that...
Lesson Plan
Civil War Trust

Civil War Play

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Raise the curtain to a class play that depicts the Civil War through both factual information and literary devices. The performance showcases the Battle of Antietam (Battle of Sharpsburg) and brings attention to women's roles,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Arkansas Civil War Bandits and Outlaws

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Young historians study civilian Arkansas during the Civil War. They look at the many challenges they faced to keep their homes in order while the men were at war. Learners hear stories of bands of outlaws who ravaged the state during...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Songs of the Civil War

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Students investigate music of the Civil War era and explore how music can be used to arouse and express emotion. They identify a rhythmical musical pattern and match lyrics to it.
Lesson Plan
Civil War Trust

Map the Civil War

For Teachers 4th - 7th Standards
Mapmaking was a very important element in successfully planning attacks on enemies during the Civil War. Guide pupils through the process of pacing to find the average length of their steps, measure the distance between one object...
Lesson Plan
Civil War Trust

Transcribing Civil War History

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Primary sources are valuable for understanding the context of historical events, but the diction and dialect in these documents can be difficult to understand. Middle and high schoolers participation in a transcription process in which...
Lesson Plan
1
1
PBS

Civil War: Blacks on the Battlefield

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Imagine a war being fought to free slaves, with slaves on the front line. Scholars use primary documents, videos, and research in the second installment of a three-part series to guide their analysis of the first African-Americans on the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Soldier's View of the American Civil War

For Teachers 5th - 10th
Study and research the American Civil War in this explanatory writing instructional activity. Middle schoolers complete six activities to learn about the American Civil War and soldiers' views of the war. The instructional activity...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil War Perspectives

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders have a debate and defend one of the three different perspectives of the Civil War. In this Civil War lesson plan, 5th graders defend either the North, the South, or the Neutral perspectives.
Lesson Plan
Civil War Trust

Civil War Soldier: Experiencing the Battle of Franklin

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Fighting a war over home soil makes a living nightmare even more real. Class members describe the experience of a Civil War soldier during the Battle of Franklin, poised right at a major turning point of the war, after researching the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

I Served in the American Civil War

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers research soldier's lives in the American Civil War. They create a video about a soldier's life
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mark Twain: Straddling the Civil War

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed
Mark Twain's life, politics, writing, and role as a mirror of pre- and post-Civil War American culture are the focus 11th and 12th graders in this section from an expansive author study. A critical writing assignment comparing Twain...
Lesson Plan
Core Knowledge Foundation

Marching into Civil War Times: Little Women, Past and Present

For Teachers 5th
Here is a fine unit of lessons which compare and contrast the culture during the time period of the classic book, Little Women to present day. Topics covered are the family, politics, morality, fashion, transportation, cities, historical...
Lesson Plan
American Battlefield Trust

Creating Civil War Multimedia

For Teachers 6th - 10th Standards
What was it like to live through the Civil War? Learners investigate the question by creating multimedia presentations. With a scaffolded approach that includes research, creating a biopic poem, storyboard, and then polished multimedia...
Lesson Plan
American Battlefield Trust

The Common Civil War Soldier

For Teachers 4th - 7th Standards
If it were possible to step back in time, what would learners want to know about the Civil War? With the aid of discussion prompts, they now have that chance. Invite a Civil War re-enactor to your classroom and have all their questions...
Lesson Plan
Ford's Theatre

Socratic Seminar/Group Discussion: The Crisis of the Civil War

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
High schoolers work in four different groups to examine the many factors that led to the American Civil War. They research an assigned topic, prepare questions, and finally engage in a class discussion using the Socratic Seminar method.
Lesson Plan
American Battlefield Trust

Civil War Personalities: Individual Examples of Character

For Teachers 4th - 7th Standards
What is a hero? What is character? Using biographies of figures during the Civil War, both famous and lesser known, scholars consider these questions. After brainstorming what they think makes a hero, they examine the lives of those who...

Other popular searches