Civil War: Matthew Brady Photos

Students investigate the various causes of the U.S. Civil War. They view photos on the Smithsonian website, write about what it would have been like to be in the Civil War, complete a graphic organizer, and analyze a timeline.

Raise the curtain to a class play that depicts the Civil War through both factual information and literary devices. The performance showcases the Battle of Antietam (Battle of Sharpsburg) and brings attention to women's roles, as well as...

A pet can offer comfort, friendship, and loyalty in the most stressful of situations. Here is a lesson plan that explores the important role animals played during the Civil War. Class members read informative texts, complete a KWL chart,...

Can we learn a thing or two about history by looking at pictures from the past? As young historians view 2-D and 3-D primary source photographs, they respond to a series of worksheets that guides them toward unveiling clues about the past. 

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" lesson, students analyze images of Lincoln in a historical context and create a timeline of event.

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.

Students examine role of Naval blockades in Union war strategy, and analyze primary source image "On Deck of a Union Warship" and make detailed observation about people and activities shown.

Students view photographs of the Civil War. In this photojournalism instructional activity, students look at Mathew Brady's photographs of the Civil War. They discover the evolution of photographic equipment and analyze Civil War...

Fourth graders examine the major events of the Civil War. In this American Civil War lesson, 4th graders investigate multimedia sources in order to examine the events of the war that occurred in Virginia. Links are provided to Library...

Students discover the issues that divided our nation and led to the Civil War. In this Civil War lesson, students investigate the role Virginia played in the war. Students view pictures of battles and identify the ones that took place in...