Civil War Resource Civil War Resource UnitUnit

Joshua Howell

Todd Biehle

Table of Contents

Introduction Content Objectives Activities Evaluation Instructional Resources

Introduction

To help the students better understand the reasons for the Civil War and what each side was fighting for, our third grade class will study and scrutinize old literature, newspapers, letters, and books regarding the subject. We will also use multimedia tools to enhance the presentation methods incorporated in the unit. The unit will last two weeks and will be taught during the social studies time slot. The students will be going to different areas of the school and the community to seek out and bring back information.

Content

Slavery

On the first day of the unit the class will focus on the real cause of the Civil War. The students will brainstorm ideas about slavery and put them on a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the viewpoints of the North and South.

Content

Confederacy VS. UnionOn the second, third, and fourth day the students will expand upon the Venn diagram to include the states located in both the North and the South. They will identify which section of the country was the Confederacy and which was the Union. While focusing on the separation of the country, the students will also create maps outlining the aforementioned divisions. The students will list how the government proposed to handle the issues of the days as well.

Content

Emancipation ProclamationOn days five, six, and seven the students will focus their activities towards the Emancipation Proclamation. The students will chart what the EP proposed, and who created the speech. The students will also discuss the effects it had on the southern way of life and what effects it had on the country’s slave population. Day seven will focus the students attention on the vocabulary and which side the terms related most to.

Content

Battles and Living Conditions

On days eight through twelve the students will draw battlefield maps, design their own army gear (modernize their clothes), and do research on the letters and correspondence between families, generals, and the government. The students will experience the music, recreation, and food of the time period as well during this time.

Content

Surrender

Day thirteen will focus on the surrendering of the Confederate Army by General Lee. The students will discuss the aftermath of the surrender and will create their own terms of surrender for the southern army.

Content

Review

The students will review on Day fourteen and will study for their upcoming test.

Vocabulary

Abolitionist / artillery / bayonet / blockade / carte de visite casualty / cavalry / Confederate States of America / contraband / democrat / draft / emancipate / Emancipation Proclamation enlist / Federal / infantry / rebel / Union / Yankee

Activities

Make a timeline of Civil War events

Have students draw illustrations of the Battle of Gettysburg

Have students write a Civil War biography

Use illustrations and photos to create a collage of Civil War events

Field Trip to Gettysburg

Dress up as Civil War participants

Cook and eat classic Civil War chow

Discuss why people owned slaves

Have a slave debate – half of class North and half South

Compare the reasons Europeans came to America with the reasons Africans came to America

Activities

Make a map of the troop movements from 1861-1863

Make a map of the Underground RailroadMeasure the distances from the start to the finish of

the Underground RailroadCreate a chart to measure total land used by the

North and the SouthList why certain forts were strategically placed

where they were

Activities

Set up a store using Civil War era prices and money

Identify goods and services provided for the armies

Discuss how cotton fields were treated during the war (crops as well)

Categorize economic activities discussed during this unit on the Civil War

Make duplicate Civil War currency

Activities

Read Civil War Journals and NewspapersDiscuss how groups were organized for the

promotion of the goals of the North or the South

Examine Civil War issues that would have come up in a city or army meeting

Compare and Contrast the government setup for the Union and the Confederacy

Discuss the hierarchy of the army

Objectives

The learner will determine why slavery was prevalent in the southern regions of the United States

The learner will explore the historical developments that occurred in the Civil War Era

The learner will investigate documents related to the Civil War

Objectives

The learner will investigate the influence of geography on the sites selected for forts and battlefields

The learner will plot on a map troop movement patterns

The learner will develop map reading skills and abilities

Objectives

The learner will use maps and globes to point out specific sites (battlefields, cities…) relative to other places

The learner will locate information at other locations outside of the school

The learner will itemize the cost of goods and services available in the Civil War Era

Evaluation

1. What state was not a part of the Confederacy?

Ohio Tennessee Georgia South Carolina

Evaluation

2. What does emancipate mean? To free from slavery To place into slavery To join the armed services To shoot a gun

Evaluation

3. What officer of the Confederacy surrendered to end the Civil War?

Colonel Sanders Captain Hook Captain Bogey General Lee

Evaluation

4. What continent did most of the slaves come from?

Asia Antarctica Australia Africa

Evaluation

5. Who was President when Civil War started?

George Bush Herbert Hoover John Hancock Abraham Lincoln

Short Answer

1. List the states of the Confederacy and the states of the Union.

2. What was the main reason for the start of the Civil War?

Essays

1. If slavery was no longer illegal, would you own slaves? Why?

2. Do you think Abe Lincoln made the right choice when he emancipated the slaves of the south? Why?

Teacher References

Pictorial Field Book of the Civil War - Volumes I through III - Benson Lossing – John Hopkins University Press, Boston 1997

The Visual Dictionary of the American Civil War – John Stanchak – Dorling Kindersley 2000

Civil War Era Activity Book – Linda Milliken – EduPress 1996

Student References

Ghosts of the Civil War – Cheryl Harness – Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, New York 2002

The Tin Heart – Karen Ackerman – Macmillan, 1990

Mountain Boy - Anna Catherine Josephs -Raintree LB, 1985

Jefferson Davis – Zachary Kent – Childrens LB, 1993

Student References

The Story of the Surrender at Appomattox Court House – Zachary Kent – Childrens LB 1988

Lincoln: A Photo biography – Russell Freedman, Houghton, 1987

The Story of Sherman’s March to the Sea – Zachary Kent – Childrens LB, 1987

Clara Barton: Healing the Wounds – Cathy E Dubowski – Silver LB 1991

Student References

The Golden Book of the Civil War – Bruce Catton – Golden Press, New York 1960

Behind the Lines: A Sourcebook on the Civil War – Carter Smith, ed – Millbrook LB, 1993

A Month of Seven Days – Irene Hunt – Silver Burdett, 1993

Media References: CD- ROMs

American Journey: History in your Hands– This is a CD ROM which covers the political and

military leaders as well as civilians on the home-front recorded in letters and diaries. There is also accounts of major battles linked to a map.

     American History Inspirer: The Civil War CD ROM, Tom Snyder, 1997– This is a fast paced game which intertwines

geography and history. It takes students on a scavenger hunt through time to introduce key events and trends during the Civil War era.

Media References: Games/Simulations

Civil War Map game: Civil War Game, Educational Materials Associates. – This is a strategic game in which the students will pretend they are in the

Civil War and they are trying to plan routes they would take during the war. This game not only works on the children’s communication skills but their ability to read maps.

U.S History Baseball game, Christopher Lee– This is a fantastic board game which tests a students knowledge on

important people, places, dates and events from Columbus to the 1980s. We can manipulate this game so that it is solely about the Civil War

Fun Activities in American History, Zenger, 1990– This resource kit consists of 15 different exercises which will enhance

the students knowledge of any historical event in American History. The activities include: History Bowel Quiz Games, Divided class or Team Quiz game, Word searches, map activities, famous quotes, Unit Review puzzles, and crossword puzzles.

Media References: Videos/DVDS

    The Civil War, PBS– This 11 hour box set of 9 videos can be used to give the

students views into America’s bloodiest and most tragic war. It includes archival photographs, diary entries, and primary sources.

War Between the States Parts 1 and 2. Mastervision – This two tape set gives an extremely comprehensive

view into the major historical events of the Civil War. It covers everything from the time period prior to the declaration of war to the South’s Surrender and the reconstruction period.

       

Media References: Videos/DVDS

Causes of the Civil War, Video Cassette, Schlessinger, 1996– This video cassette gives an in-depth view into the

various causes of the Civil War. It also gives some view into the North and South’s view points on the topics.

The Civil War, Video Cassette, Schlessinger, 1996– This videocassette gives a brief synopsis into the

major events of the Civil War. It also discusses the various important Generals and political leaders who played important roles in the Civil War.

  Media References: Videos/DVDS

Animated Heroes Classics: Harriet Tubman Schelssinger 1991-97– This animated video gives the student brief view into

the life of Harriet Tubman and shows how Harriet Tubman became one of the most important historical figures in American history.

Uncle Toms Cabin, Multimedia Studies in American Drama / CUNY, Video, Guide and Paperbacks– This classic book and video gives the children a view

into the life of slaves in the south. It has become one of the most widely used books when teaching students about the lives of slaves in the south.

Media References: Videos/DVDS

Across Five Aprils and Civil War Diary. Video and books. – This book gives the children a view of the

effects of the Civil War on everyday life. It is written from the point of view of young children.

Media References: Posters

Emancipation Proclamation, Teacher’s Discovery– This is a poster which contains the entire text of Lincoln’s great

speech. It is laminated and has a picture of Lincoln in the background.

The Civil War Poster: – This is a map that covers most of the major Campaigns,

fortresses, battles and troop movements.

Famous People of the Civil War Bulletin Board poster pack, McDonald– This bulletin board poster pack contains various posters of major

military and political leaders who played a role in the Civil War.

Media References: Posters  

Civil War – Young Soldiers: Photo Collection, Jackdaw Publications, 1999– This collection contains various photos of young soldiers from

both the Confederation and Union. This would be a great tool for students to see that most of the people who fought in the Civil War were normal young children.

The Battlefields of the Civil War Map, National Geographic Society– This map does an excellent job in plotting out the major

battlefields of the civil war. It also gives dates and other important historical information on the battles.

Media References: Posters       

Civil War Timeline, Knowledge Unlimited, 2001– This is a very comprehensive timeline which covers

the time period shortly before the Civil War through all the major battles and ending during the reconstruction period after the south surrendered.

Media References: Literature/Books/ Reproducible:

American History on the Screen: Glory: The Resource book with reproducible pages, – This is a great tool for teachers to use to

extend the students knowledge of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. It takes the important historical information from the movie Glory and gives the students an opportunity to further expand their knowledge through various worksheets and hands on activities.

Media References: Literature / Books / Reproducible

54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry: Footsteps – African American History Cobblestone, 1999 Paperback– This is a great book that covers the 54th Massachusetts

Volunteer Infantry. It gives the children an in-depth view of the life of the soldiers in the 54th infantry. It is a relatively short book, but is extremely informational.

Facsimile Newspapers: The Civil War News, McDonald, 2000– This is a collection of facsimile newspapers from the Civil

War era. They look very authentic, like we would expect newspapers from that time period to look, and give information about the war and national concerns/events relative to the specific date.

Media References: Literature / Books / Reproducible

Adventures of Huck Finn by Mark Twain. – This is an excellent book based in the time of the Civil War. It

can give the children's a perspective of live during the war from a young child’s view.

Famous Americans: 22 Short Plays for the Classroom, Scholastic, 1994– This book gives everything from dialogue, well set scenes, and

clear stage directions. It covers a large number of famous historical figures like Abraham Lincoln and Rosa Parks.

Read Aloud Plays: Civil War, Scholastic, 1998 – 99– This book contains many plays which take place in the Civil

War. Some of the subjects of the plays include: Secession, Gettysburg, the surrender at Appomattox, and the Reconstruction.