Smithsonian Institution
The Price of Freedom: Americans at War
An interactive resource covers all of the United States' most prominent and influential historic wars including the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the War of 1812, and the Korean War. Learners observe cause and effect as well as how violence...
Curated OER
The War of 1812
A good addition to a unit on the War of 1812, this slideshow details causes, specific battles, political contexts, and several campaigns of the war. Maps and pictures with broad topics allow teachers to bring their own discussion topics...
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What's Civil About War?
Students study about the Civil War through primary sources used in the PBS production of "Freedom: A History of US" based on Joy Hakim's books, "A History of US", and the companion PBS Web site.
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Trains, Telegraphs, and Steamships: War’s New Weapons
Students examine the technological weapons of the Civil War. In this Civil War lesson, students research the use of trains, telegraphs, and steamships in the war. Students write newspaper articles pertaining to the new weaponry.
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Not Just A Man's War
Students write 2 letters from a woman who may have lived during the Civil War and 2 letters from her relative which include factual information that they have research using the Internet and other resources, along with other activities.
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Civil War
For this Civil War worksheet, learners listen to the song "Civil War" and complete 11 sentence completions based upon the information from the lyrics.
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Ten Questions on the Civil War
In this Civil War worksheet, students answer 10 short essay questions about the War Between the States. Students will need to do Internet or library book research.
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The Civil War: Through the Eyes of Hoosier Women-
Fourth graders explain and analyze changes and interactions of Hoosier women in major social and work roles during the Civil War. They recognize and compare the contributions of both women on the home and war fronts.
NPR
Civil Rights of Japanese-American Internees
Prompted by a viewing of Emiko and Chizu Omori’s Rabbit in the Moon, a documentary about the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II, high schoolers examine a series of documents, including the Bill of Rights and the UN’s...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Factory vs. Plantation in the North and South
North is to factory as South is to plantation—the perfect analogy for the economy that set up the Civil War! The first lesson in a series of five helps teach beginners why the economy creates a driving force for conflict. Analysis of...
Center for History and New Media
Slavery and Free Negroes, 1800 to 1860
What was life like for enslaved and free black people before the American Civil War? Explore the building tension between states and the freedom of individuals with a thorough social studies lesson. Learners of all ages explore primary...
National Gallery of Art
The First African American Regiment
Young historians examine a memorial sculpture of the first African American regiment in the Civil War, and then compare how the experiences of the regiment are portrayed in letters and poetry, as well as in the motion picture, Glory.
Annenberg Foundation
A Nation Divided
Can a presidential election cause a civil war? Learners research the events surrounding the presidential election of 1860 in a lesson that explores America's history. Using maps, videos, and primary sources, they uncover, brainstorm, and...
Center for History Education
Speaking Up and Speaking Out: Exploring the Lives of Black Women During the 19th Century
Young historians investigate the often-hidden history of free and enslaved African American women before the Civil War. Using a collection of primary and secondary sources, including speeches, diaries, and poems, they evaluate the often...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
An African American Represents Alabama during Reconstruction
The era after the Civil War saw a flourishing of African Americans exercising their rights. Using graphic organizers and Internet research, pupils consider the legacy of Benjamin Sterling Turner, who sat in Congress. Afterward, they...
Curated OER
The Brief American Pageant: Girding for War
Though too short to be an adequate presentation, the solitary map in these slides would be a good visual aid to a lecture about Southern secession before and during the Civil War. The color coded states on the map make a good timeline...
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Women in the Civil War
Pupils study the Civil War era in the US with a concentration on women during this time through literature and biographies. They create a timeline or multimedia presentation as one product of this series of lessons.
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A State Divided - Maryland in the Civil War Era
Students use primary sources to see how Maryland was a divided state during the time leading up to the Civil War. In this Civil War lesson plan, students go over vocabulary, and look at maps that show the division of opinions of people...
Curated OER
Hallowed Ground: Preserving Arkansas's Civil War Battlefields
Students 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.
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Medical War Ball/ Civil War
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.
Curated OER
Civil War Music - Irish Folk Songs
Young scholars determine what it was like to serve as an Irish-American in the American Civil War. In this Irish folk song lesson plan, students use the provided worksheets to analyze selected Irish folk songs and make inferences about...
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
Civil War Journal Mini Lesson
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.
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Experiencing the Civil War
Eleventh graders examine the Civil War. For this American History lesson, 11th graders investigate the causes, effects, and the lives of people during the Civil War. Students develop a research paper using various resources.