From December 20, 1860 to June 8, 1861, eleven states seceded from the Union. Alabama seceded on January 11, 1861. Why did so many white Alabamians want to secede? Why did they believe the South could win the war? These are the essential...

Should Juneteenth be recognized as a national holiday? To prepare to take a stance on this question, young historians first analyze the Emancipation Proclamation and compare it to Lincoln's first Inaugural Address. Scholars then read an...

Eighth graders explore the battles of the Civil War through journaling exercises. In this American Civil War lesson, 8th graders write journals from the perspective of teens accompanying the troops into various battles.

Young scholars examine Civil War battlefields in Arkansas. They read primary source documents written by Arkansans. They discover what life was like during the Civil War as well.

Eleventh graders will look at the causes of the Civil War in detail. A brief unit on the war itself will follow. Battles, historical figures, and daily life will be studied. The webpage is a link to many different related lessons.

Students discuss political, social, and personal issues relating to the Civil War from various perspectives using internet sources. Students write various selections from Civil War characters' point of view.

Students examine photographs from the Civil War. Using a primary source document, they discover the conditions of a private during the Battle of Chickamauga. In groups, they use the sources to determine the authnecity of the documents.

Learners examine the difference in politics in the North and South during the Civil War. Using that information, they discuss how politics and ideologies led to the war. They explain the causes and effects of the war and evaluate the...

Eighth graders play Medical War Ball. In this Civil War lesson, 8th graders research the role of women in the Civil War as nurses. They play dodge ball with slightly different rules to incorporate a nurse on each team. 

Eighth graders are introduced to the efforts of Reconstruction after the Civil War. In groups, they develop their own plan for Reconstruction and provide a mission statement which they share with the class. They must defend any...

Students study Civil War photography and write captions for each picture based on context. In this Civil War photography lesson, students match photographs with their original captions. Students read included short biographies of the...

Learners create historically accurate newspapers. In this Civil War lesson, students research Internet and print sources regarding the events, battles, and personalities of the war. Learners collaborate to publish newspapers that feature...

Tenth graders get a feel for the people behind the American Civil War and the beginning of the conflict. discuss some of the reasons the Confederate and Union soldier fought and explain the motives behind moves made by both the Union and...

Middle schoolers consider how the Civil War impacted their community. In this Civil War instructional activity, students use primary and secondary sources to research the Civil War in Henry County, Georgia. Middle schoolers use their...

Students research important figures in the American Civil War. In this research skills lesson, students create trading cards about selected key figures in the war that list details about the figures and their accomplishments.

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...

Fifth graders describe three similarities and three differences between the American Revolutionary War and the American Civil War. They play a game comparing the two wars.

Students explore the work of a Civil War photographer. In this Civil War lesson plan, students access the photographs by Matthew Brady through the web link and examine the photographs he took in order to better understand the Civil War.

Students consider how the American Civil War affected Northerners and Southerners. In this primary source analysis lesson, students read the provided narratives of the war and respond to questions about both of the narratives.

Third graders read "Cvil War on Sunday" together and discuss characters, setting, problem and resolution. They determine facts from fiction used in the story and research drummer boys in the Civil War or Clara Barton using the Internet....

Eighth graders compare Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant. In this Civil War activity, 8th graders research both generals and write a comparative essay. They include a paragraph about Lee, another about Grant, and one showing the...

Students investigate the various causes of the U.S. Civil War. They view photos on the Smithsonian website, write about what it would have been like to be in the Civil War, complete a graphic organizer, and analyze a timeline.

Students move beyond the generals and battles approach to the Civil War and explore, instead, the issues, ideals, and outcomes of the great conflict that left a president dead, a region destitute, and a nation in shambles.

Students put themselves in the shoes of American Civil War soldiers. In this Civil War activity, students compose letters to their families from the the perspective of soldiers in the war.