Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil War Slang

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students inquire about slang language used during the Civil War. In this writing lesson, students recieve a handout of slang words used by soldiers. Students view pictures of Civil War to get a visual idea of what it was like to be at...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Homer's Civil War Veteran: Battlefield to Wheat Field

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars examine Civil War-themed artwork. For this visual arts lesson, students compare and contrast paintings by Winslow Homer and Timothy O'Sullivan. Young scholars analyze the symbolism in the artwork representing...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African Americans after the Civil War

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students explore the events of Reconstruction after the Civil War.  In this US History lesson plan, students complete several activities and worksheets that reinforce challenges and social upheaval experienced in the South after the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil War Photographs: The Mathew Brady Bunch

For Teachers 7th - Higher Ed
Students examine the photographs of Mathew Brady. In this Civil War activity, students analyse primary source photographs from the Civil War. Students will be able to describe specific events and what life might be like during the Civil...
PPT
Curated OER

Reconstruction (1865-1876)

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Easily broken into pieces for several class sessions, this presentation is a great way to transition your class out of a Civil War unit and closer to the 20th century. Engaging photographs, including relevant maps and humorous political...
Lesson Plan
American Battlefield Trust

Civil War Battle Strategy

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
But for a fluke, 1862 could have gone differently during the Civil War. When Union troops found Robert E. Lee's battle plans for critical engagements in Maryland wrapped around cigars and tossed aside, history changed forever. Class...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil War Research Project

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Give your WWI study collaborative energy using a group research project. Groups are assigned one of the six main themes (included). Each group has an outline to guide research but will need an assignment guide. Consider supplementing the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

I Am Freedom Bound!

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Upper elementary and middle school learners engage in this awesome lesson plan on the Civil War. In it, they watch streamed video, perform Internet research, engage in hands-on activities, and use their geography skills to locate...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The People of the Civil War

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders complete a two week unit on the American Civil War. They complete a Venn diagram, watch a video, make butter, write journal entries, write a letter to a Civil War leader, and create a newspaper.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Civil War

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students are able to describe all of the Civil War terms. They are able to wonder why things happened. Students are able to tell that the United States used to be two countries.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil War Medicine

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders discover details about medical care during the American Civil War. In this medical advancements lesson plan, 8th graders participate in classroom station activities that require them to study doctors, amputation, medical...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Life of a Soldier after the Civil War Lesson Plan: What's in a Name

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore the concept of institutional bias. In this Civil War instructional activity, students read case studies on the treatment of Irish and African-American veterans who did not receive their pensions from the war. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lincoln and His Generals

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars explore Abraham Lincoln's role as Commander in Chief. In this American Civil War lesson, students listen to an instructor-delivered lecture on Lincoln's leadership and then analyze 8 pirmary documents to determine what...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Faces of the Past: Boys in the Civil War

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Students investigate the role of boys during the American Civil War. In this Civil War Research lesson, students study the contributions of young Union and Confederate men to the war effort. Students also make...
Lesson Plan
Tennessee State Museum

An Emancipation Proclamation Map Lesson

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Did the Emancipation Proclamation free all slaves during the Civil War? Why was it written, and what were its immediate and long-term effects? After reading primary source materials, constructing political maps representing information...
Lesson Plan
American Battlefield Trust

Life At War

For Teachers 9th - 12th
A thought-provoking lesson plan explores what life was like for Civil War soldiers. With a presentation, group discussion, and writing activity, academics learn about camp living conditions, what soldiers ate, and how they dressed. 
Lesson Plan
American Battlefield Trust

Joshua Chamberlain Lesson Plan

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
While Joshua Chamberlain's name is not as iconic as Abraham Lincoln or Robert E. Lee, he still played a pivotal role in the military engagements of the Civil War. Using two secondary sources—including one that draws heavily from his...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil War

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students are be able to analyze primary sources (Civil War images) for examples of how soldiers are portrayed historically. They discuss what a hero is and why some individuals are heroes to certain groups while others are not.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Quilting Through the Civil War and Underground Railroad

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students design a quilt. In this Civil War and Underground Railroad lesson plan, 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....
Interactive
Curated OER

The Civil War 1850–1865

For Students 7th - 12th
In this online interactive history quiz worksheet, students respond to 50 multiple choice questions about the American Civil War. Students may submit their answers to be scored.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

An Internet Activity for The Introduction Of The Civil War

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners research, using the Internet, specified Civil War battles in order to prepare an oral presentation for the class. They, in small groups, present using images and maps. They take a quiz on the subject matter and evaluate the web...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Civil War: Learning from Our Peers

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders discover the Civil War as taught by their peers. For this Civil War lesson, 5th graders create their own lesson plans to teach the class about the Civil War. The students are monitored by the teacher but are given lectures...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Calendar Creations About The Civil War

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders research Civil War events occurring during one month of the year, recording specific events and the dates on which they occurred. They list each event by month, day, and year on a one-month calendar of their own creation.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Across Five Aprils-Civil War Virtual Field Trips

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders explore the Civil War by reading Irene Hunt's novel, Across Five Aprils. They take virtual field trips to these battle sites and answer questions that guides them in their study of the Civil War.