University of California
The Civil War: Secession of the South
Was the Southern states' decision to secede from the Union protected by the United States Constitution? Eighth graders discuss the constitutionality of the South's justification for secession, particularly the secession of South...
Curated OER
The Brief American Pageant: America Secedes from the Empire
A good companion to your class on the American Revolution, this slideshow provides a short series of maps that detail major campaigns and battles. Though the information on the slides is not sufficient for an entire lecture, the images...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Alabama's Secession in 1861: Embraced with Joy and Great Confidence. Why?
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...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
What Would the Ladies Think? An Alabama Secession Story
Alabama voted to secede from the Union preceding the Civil War. What did women think of the decision? The lesson uses letters and newspaper articles to explain women's views on the secession and how they participated in the celebration...
Curated OER
Bring President Lincoln to Life
"A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half-slave and half-free." - Abraham Lincoln
Curated OER
Secession: A Southern Perspective
Eighth graders determine how secession impacted South Carolina as well as the United States. In this American Civil War lesson, 8th graders examine selected primary and secondary sources in order to study the state's sovereignty and the...
Curated OER
United We Stand
Students recreate and simulate the secession of the South during the Civil War by having their class secede from the school. They write an essay comparing and contrasting the similarities and differences of everyday life before and after...
Judicial Branch of California
Our Government Today…What A System!
A group of citizens in North Canada has decided to leave their country, and they are asking for help in setting up an American-style democracy. Using a carefully structured activity, pupils lay out the principles in the American...
Curated OER
Lincoln and the Republicans: The Cause of the War?
Middle schoolers evaluate the impact of the Republican party in creating a Southern philosophy of secession. They analyze causation concerning the Southern philosophy of secession.
Curated OER
A Light in the Storm
Examine the genre of historical fiction while reading A Light in the Storm. They extract events in chronological order to make a timeline. Then, they use information in the book important to the characters to create a presentation of an...
Humanities Texas
A President's Vision: Abraham Lincoln
Invite your learners to take a close look at Abraham Lincoln's presidency through analysis worksheets of several images and primary documents, presented on an educational poster entirely dedicated to this great United States...
Curated OER
The Gay '80s, '90s and '00s
After reading and discussing a news article from the New York Times regarding gay and lesbian issues of the last thirty years, students engage in several activities to explore current events. They create a timeline, either electronically...
Curated OER
Look Out My Window. What Do You See?
Students explore William D. Huff's experience during Civil War as portrayed in his drawings, express empathy and demonstrate historical knowledge through creating their own artwork, and craft drawings and captions from perspectives of...
Curated OER
The Civil War Begins
Begin your unit on the Civil War with this informative PowerPoint that includes key elements leading to the war. This slideshow takes us from Abraham Lincoln to Fort Sumter. Each slide contains a corresponding graphic and clear fact.
Charlesbridge
Under the Freedom Tree: A Readers Theater
Susan VanHecke's Under the Freedom Tree is transformed into a 12-part readers theatre script appropriate for a performance by upper-elementary classes.
Syracuse University
Civil War
What was it like to enlist as a soldier in the Civil War? By using enlistment papers, young scholars consider this question. After they've looked at the primary source and discussed it, they create a short story of a fictional soldier to...
Curated OER
The Civil War: Up Close and Personal
Young scholars take an in depth look at different aspects of the Civil War. Using primary source documents, they discover that people who lived during the war are not so different from them. They read about the experience of a...
Curated OER
Civil War Diaries
Fifth graders examine excerpts from a diary of a Confederate soldier and his experiences in a Union prison camp. After receiving character cards, they write diary entries from the perspectives of their Civil War identity. As an...
Curated OER
Divided We Stand
Students research historic issues and events that have divided Americans in the past. They assess the division in American society shown by the 2000 presidential election by writing from the perspectives of people who have seen other...
Curated OER
Role Playing The Civil War
Students are divided into the Union and Confederacy of the Civil War and write a report and create recruitment posters for both sides. In this Civil War lesson plan, students then discuss each side and why they thought what they did.
Curated OER
Fort Pickens and the Outbreak of the Civil War (38)
Students discover why Fort Pickens was so valuable to both the Union and Confederacy, and follow the actions of the military commanders faced with crucial decisions. (National Park)
Curated OER
King Andrew And His Critics
In this United States history learning exercise, middle schoolers utilize a word bank of 10 terms or phrases to answer 10 fill in the blank questions about the Andrew Jackson and his critics. A short answer question is included as well.
Curated OER
The Whiskey Rebellion and the New American Republic
High schoolers examine the implications of the passage of the Whiskey Tax of 1791. In this Whiskey Rebellion lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture regarding the details of the rebellion. High schoolers respond to...
Curated OER
Arrest of the Maryland Legislature
For this Civil War history worksheet, students read and discuss a selection regarding the arrest of the Maryland legislature.