Students compare life masks and photos of Abraham Lincoln that were made before and at the end of the Civil War. In this "Faces of War" instructional activity, students analyze images of Lincoln in a historical context and create a...

Students examine the Reconstruction Era. In this American history activity, students explore the condition of the United States following the Civil War as they read statistical data. Students analyze the Reconstruction policies to...

Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary resources. In this Civil War activity, students examine the service of African Americans in the Civil War and consider their plight to secure the rights and...

Students use primary and secondary sources to observe a child's view of the Civil war.  In this Civil War lesson plan, students understand that different people had different perspectives on the war.  Students recognize the...

Students examine the battle of Gettysburg as they write news articles. In this Battle of Gettysburg lesson, students become familiar with the job of the news reporter as they report on the events of the Battle of Gettysburg as they...

Imagine the challenge of trying to trace your family genealogy if no records were kept of births and deaths. Where would you look for information? What types of documents could provide you with the information you seek? History...

Soldier's lives are often a topic when studying the Civil War, but what about the lives of civilians? Scholars use the characters from the novel Bull Run to better understand the lives of those not directly on the Civil War battlefields....

Dred Scott v. Sanford was a watershed moment for the country—and a key moment leading up to the Civil War. Using videos and analytical worksheets, scholars consider the facts of the case and then develop their own arguments before the...

Students examine how various segments of the American population viewed the Emancipation Proclamation. They read the Emancipation Proclamation, analyze key terms and statements in the document, and participate in a debate.

Why is a letter a better way to learn about a person than a different primary source? Explore Thomas Day's ideas and advice to his daughter in a letter from 1851, which details the struggles of the American South before the Civil War....

When is it a moral obligation to disobey the law or to fight back? Using primary sources that document the "Christiana Riot" of 1851, learners consider these questions. The firsthand accounts tell the story of the riot, which happened...

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...

Seventh graders determine how the American Civil War began. In this American Civil War instructional activity, 7th graders listen to a SMART Board-supported lecture about the causes of the war and watch a United Streaming video on the...

Middle schoolers read Paul Fleischman's Bull Run in Readers Theater format. Next, students examine and interpret primary source images of Civil War era middle schoolers and reveal their understanding of a child's perspective in a...

High schoolers determine whether the American Civil War could have been avoided. In this Civil War lesson, students examine primary and secondary sources to prepare to participate in a classroom debate that requires them to compromise to...

Young scholars consider the impact of the American Civil War on Georgia. In this Georgia history lesson, students discover Roswell's contributions to the Confederate effort and then create children's books that illustrate the destruction...

Students identify the locations of pivotal American Civil War battles. In this map skills lesson, students label Fort Sumter, Antietam, Vicksburg, Gettysburg, and the Battle for Atlanta on an outline map. The map is not included.

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...

Students discover how to use primary and secondary sources in research. In this Civil War lesson plan, students conduct research on slavery as they distinguish between primary and secondary sources regarding the same events.

Students discover how to create electronic graphic organizers. In this Civil War lesson, students present their thoughts regarding slavery in the United States as the war began. Students use Inspiration software and follow the provided...

Eighth graders investigate the Battle of Corydon. In this American Civil War lesson, 8th graders discover details about the Battle of Corydon and the leaders of the battle. Students also identify how the Corydon commemorates the battle...

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 role of African-Americans in the Civil War. Using primary sources, they analyze the material and formulate their own opinions about the past. They write journal entries to share their opinions on photographs from the...

Use the Civil War and important figures from that period to help your class write poetry. You'll need to create a list of similes and metaphors, but you could also consider having your learners create this the day prior. They will use...