Fifth graders create multi-media newscasts based on their knowledge of Civil War battles of the ironclad ships.

Eighth graders determine how secession impacted South Carolina as well as the United States. In this American Civil War activity, 8th graders examine selected primary and secondary sources in order to study the state's sovereignty and...

Students discover the story of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment. In this American Civil War lesson, students study the life of Robert Gould Shaw and the regiment he led. Students research primary and secondary sources to learn about the...

In this online interactive Civil War worksheet, students respond to 14 multiple choice questions about the Battle of Antietam. Students may check their answers immediately.

Eighth graders take a closer look at Sherman's March to the Sea. In this American Civil War lesson, 8th graders analyze the diary entries of William Miller. Discussion questions are included with the entries. Students create illustrated...

Students read and discuss background material on several key decisions that played a role in the Civil War including the Missouri Compromise, the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Dredd Scott Decision. They create a timeline and write an essay.

In this online interactive Civil War worksheet, students respond to 14 multiple choice questions about the Longstreet's attack at Gettysburg. Students may check their answers immediately.

Fourth graders study the Civil War and discuss what soldiers ate during that time period. In groups, representing Union and Confederate soldiers, they follow recipes, prepare, eat, and share Union hardtack and Confederate Johnnie Cakes.

In this online interactive Civil War worksheet, learners respond to 10 multiple choice questions about John Brown's Raid. Students may check their answers immediately.

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...

Learners 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...

Eighth graders engage in a lesson that is concerned with the Civil War and they conduct research using a variety of resources. The research is used to create the context for class discussion and a possible project as an extension to the...

High schoolers create timelines of the Harper's Ferry Raid. In this Civil War lesson, students analyze information and music related to John Brown and his abolitionist work. High schoolers design timelines that document the events that...

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...

Students investigate call and response singing.  In this fine arts and U.S. history lesson, students listen to several call and response songs that were sung by African-American slaves during the period before the Civil War. ...

The man who invented the earliest examples of chemical engineering was an American-born, French-educated, free man of color before the Civil War, and went on to translate Egyptian hieroglyphics. There is something of...

The tenant farming and sharecropping systems that developed in the South after the Civil War, the reasons for their development, and the eventual decline of these systems are the focus of this two-day plan.

Trench art is a nontraditional art form created by soldiers in trenches during wartime. Artist Allison Smith connects her art to the American Revolution and the question: "What are you fighting for?" Kids examine her art, how it connects...

The benefits and drawbacks of convict leasing following the Civil War are the focus of a lesson that asks groups to examine primary source materials to gain an understanding of the program before individuals decide whether they...

Learners access oral histories that contain slave narratives from the Library of Congress. They describe the lives of former slaves, sample varied individual experiences and make generalizations about their research in journal entries.

While many have heard of Harriet Tubman, few are aware of the many ways this remarkable woman was involved in the United States Civil War, the abolitionist movement, and the Underground Railroad. Young historians examine primary source...

Students explore the historical importance of the Emancipation Proclamation. In this United States History lesson, students use the internet to research the specific events that were centered around the Emancipation Proclamation, then...

Students research life in Plymouth during the Civil War. Using the internet and other resources, students examine the historical effects of the Civil War. In groups, they publish a newspaper explaining the events of the day.

Third graders examine the life of the African American in the Pee Dee region during slavery.  In this slavery instructional activity, 3rd graders explore primary and secondary documents related to the topic and create a timeline of...