Resource Unit: Civil War

1

Resource Unit Civil War Grade 8 Beth Luersman,
Lindsey Miller and Corrie Miller
2
Introduction

• When we think of the United States today, we
  dont think in terms of North and South,
  Confederate and Union, or free states and slave
  states. Rather, we visualize America as a whole,
  unified nation of states.
• However, there once was a time of crisis for our
  nation when our people were divided amongst an
  issue that almost caused the collapse of our
  great country. This event was known as the Civil
  War.

3
Continued

• The Civil War was a time for great growth and
  change for our nation.
• The war lasted from 1861-1865 and caused a
  lasting affect on Northern and Southern regional
  borders, political party views, culture, family
  values, and social norms.

4
Summary of Subject Matter

• This resource unit is designed to go into great
  detail about the Civil War and can be
  incorporated into an eighth grade classroom. In
  the following slides, there is information about
  the Civil War, important vocabulary terms,
  activities, and resources for both the teacher
  and the students.

5
Vocabulary

• Key Battles Fort Sumter, Battle of Bull Run,
  Roanoke Island, Pleasant Hill, Gettysburg, and
  Appomattox.
• Abolitionist
• Border states
• Confederacy/Confederate
• Confederate States of America
• Copperhead
• Dysentery
• Emancipation Proclamation
• Fugitive Slave Act

6
Vocabulary cont.

• Mason Dixon Line
• Rebel
• Slave state
• Union
• Yankee
• Key People Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant,
  Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, Harriet Tubman,
  Thomas Stonewall Jackson, Frederick Douglass

7
Objectives

• Students will be able to interpret and create a
  timeline of the important dates and events of the
  Civil War.
• Students will be able to gather and research
  information on key figures of the Civil War.
• Students will be able to accurately display key
  aspects of the Civil War and explain them in
  detail.
• When given a map, students will be able to find
  key battles, locate Northern and Southern states,
  and Border states.
• Students will be able to identify view points
  from many people during the Civil War.
• Students will be able to explain how the
  Underground Railroad impacted both the North and
  South and how slaves used this to escape to
  freedom.
• Students will be able to debate how significant
  the banning of slavery was to both the North and
  the South.
• Students will be able to identify the
  significance of the Gettysburg Address and what
  it meant to the Northern states and what it meant
  to the Southern states.

8
Day 1

• Activity
• Introduction Students will be divided up into 5
  small groups, each
  group representing a year of the Civil War
  1861-1865. The Instructor will briefly discuss
  the battle that actually started the Civil War
  (Fort Sumter).
• Development As a group, students will create a
  timeline of important events of the Civil War
  that occurred during their specific year
  (including battles, surrenders, and specific
  political changes example Gettysburg Address).
• Students will use this website as a reference
  tool to help create their timeline.
• http//memory.loc.gov/ammem/cwphtml/tl1865.html
• Additional sources may be used for this project.
  The goal for this project is for students to have
  an understanding of the major events that
  happened throughout the years of the war.
  Students will use large poster boards to present.
  
• Culminating Activity Finished products will be
  hung up in order around the classroom so students
  can refer back to these dates throughout the
  unit.

9
Day 2

• Activity 2
• The teacher will discuss which states were
  Northern, Southern, or border states during the
  Civil War.
• Once classroom discussion on the topic is
  finished, students will be given their own blank
  maps to label each state during the Civil War
  time period and also color states to identify
  them as Northern, Southern, or border states.
• The goal for this activity is for students to get
  a thorough understanding of each states role in
  the Civil War.

10
Day 3

• Activity 3
• Introduction Students will read the Aint I A
  Woman? speech to get a feel for the feelings of
  the time period.
• Development Students will be broken up into
  groups of 4 or 5.
• Each group will be assigned a key figure from the
  battle to research on.
• Students will be allowed library access to look
  at books and also for computer use to research
  their historical person.
• Culminating activity Students will present
  their findings on a poster constructed by the
  group. Students will get a better understanding
  of the key figures from the war by getting a
  closer look at their importance to the war.

11
Day 4

• Activity 4
• Introduction The teacher will describe to
  students how many past Underground Railroad stops
  can be found right here in the Miami Valley.
• Development Students will take maps to draw out
  different routes from the South to the North that
  were used in the Underground Railroad. Internet
  sources can also be used.
• Culminating Activity Students will determine
  how many miles the slaves traveled just to make
  it to freedom from some of the major Southern
  cities such as Montgomery and Atlanta.
• Students should get a general idea of how
  desperate and hopeful these people were to escape
  to their freedom.

12
Day 5

• Activity 5
• Introduction Several passages from the book
  Bull Run will be read aloud to students. These
  passages will cover different viewpoints from the
  war Northern and Southern soldiers, slaves,
  nurses, and generals.
• Development Students will pick two contrasting
  views and do a double-sided journal of the two
  figures. Students should include the opinion of
  both figures on the same issue.
• Culminating Activity Students will share with a
  partner their own thoughts on what it would have
  been like to be in a certain position during the
  Civil War.

13
Day 6

• Activity 6
• Introduction The teacher will describe some of
  the artifacts that students can see when visiting
  the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.
• Development As a class, students and teachers
  will visit the museum and all of the historical
  artifacts from the Civil War. Students will be
  able to walk around and experience history
  themselves.

14
Evaluation Sample Test Questions

• Multiple Choice
• When the Civil War began,
• Both sides were prepared for a long and drawn-out
  war.
• The Souths greatest strength was its military
  leadership.
• Southerners believed they could win by capturing
  Washington, D.C.
• Northerners were reluctant to volunteer for
  military service.
• Hopes on both sides for a quick victory ended
  with the
• Battle between the Merrimac and the Monitor.
• Battle of Gettysburg.
• Battle of Bull Run.
• Battle of Antietam.
• Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation declared
• All salves to be forever free.
• Slaves in Union slave states to be free.
• Slaves in Confederate states to be free.
• Slaves in U.S. territories to be free.
• The Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in
  the war because
• It triggered a four-day draft riot in New York
  City.
• The outcome convinced European nations to help
  the Confederacy.

15
Evaluation Continued

• Objective Questions
• Name two advantages the North had over the South
  during the Civil War.
• Why was the North more equipped to fight a long
  war than the South?
• Short Essay Questions
• Explain in detail how the first draft law came
  into effect and what it stated for both the North
  and the South. Also, because of the first draft
  law, why was the Civil War known as, a rich
  mans war and a poor mans fight?
• Describe in detail what kind of problems Lincoln
  faced on the Union home front.

16
Instructional Resources

• Teacher References
• Civil War Preservation Trust
• Very Informative! This website offers a wealth of
  information about historical figures who were a
  very big part of the Civil War.
• www.civilwar.org/historyclassroom/hc_glossary.htm
  
• Aboard the Underground Railroad This site will
  be helpful to show students a map of the various
  Underground Railroad trails. A student can click
  on a state, and it brings them to a detailed list
  of all the known houses that were involved in the
  Railroad in that state.
• http//www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/underground/route
  s.htm
• Articles of Confederation and the United States
  Constitution
• This is a great website for ideas and lesson
  plans. This site has great activities for all of
  the content standards!
• http//www.thirteen.org/edonline/ntti/resources/l
  essons/h_oldnew/b.html

17
Teacher References cont.

• The Civil War Home Page
• This page offers a variety of information on the
  Civil War. It includes related links, photos,
  letters and diaries, documents, and battle
  reports. www.civil-war.net
• The History Place-U.S. Civil War 1861-1865
• This provides you with a timeline with many
  original photographs and thought provoking
  quotes. www.historyplace.com/civilwar
• Selected Civil War Photographs Home Page
• This site is provided by the Library of Congress,
  providing an area to search for over 1100
  photographs. This will also allow for students to
  be able to see what it would be like to be a
  photographer during the Civil War.
• www.memory.loc.gov

18
Instructional References cont.

• Student References

• The Gettysburg AddressBy Abraham Lincoln,
  Michael McCurdy (Illustrator)
• This picture book is a great hook for students.
  This will give students a
• Visual of Abraham Lincoln and other items while
  they listen to the speech.
• Just a Few Words, Mr. Lincoln  The Story of the
  Gettysburg Address by Jean Fritz
• This book gives an easy explanation about the
  Gettysburg Address. Students
• Can use this resource to further their
  understanding or to use with students
• That might not grasp the concept.
• If You Traveled on the Underground Railroadby
  Ellen Levine, Larry Johnson (Illustrator)
• This book gives students an idea of what the
  underground railroad would be
• Like. This picture book help aid to the students
  understanding.
• Harriet Tubman Wanted Dead or Alive The True
  Story of Harriet Tubman by Ann McGovern, Richard
  M. Powers (Illustrator)
• This picture book tells the story of Harriet
  Tubman and her struggles
• Through the Underground Railroad. This book
  would be an excellent way to
• Start the lesson involving either the URR or
  Harriet Tubman.

19
Student Resources cont.

• If You Lived at the Time of the Civil WarBy
  Kay Moore
• This book gives students an idea of what it was
  like to live during the Civil War. Again, this
  would be a great opener for a second day on the
  unit and could lead to a variety of writing
  activities.
• My Brother's Keeper  Virginia's Civil War
  Diary, Mary Pope Osbourne
• This is a book about a little girl named Virginia
  who is entrusted with her fathers journal. He
  tells her to write in it. Virginia writes about
  Gettysburg and how the people there are not happy
  and she actually watches the battle and writes
  about it in her journal. Very touching.
• Ayres, Katherine. North by Night A Story of
  the Underground Railroad, Delacorte.
• Freedom independence, courage, loneliness, and
  making choices are themes that are related
  through journal entries and letters of the main
  character, Lucinda Spencer. Students will learn
  what life was like during the Civil War for those
  helping escaped slaves.
• Crane, Stephen. Red Badge of Courage,
  Permabound, 1956.
• Students will learn about the courage that one
  young Union soldier had to learn during the war..
  This would be a good selection in a literature
  circle in the language arts classroom.

20
Student Resources cont.

• English, June A. and Thomas D. Jones. Scholastic
  Encyclopedia of the United States at War,
  Scholastic, 1998.
• This encyclopedia provides a broad picture of the
  United States' role, including biographies of the
  notable figures and quiet heroes, discussions of
  the mood of the country, timelines, maps,
  descriptions of weapons, eyewitness accounts, and
  more.
• Hunt, Irene. Across Five Aprils, Berkley
  Publishing Company, 1962
• This story helps students to understand what
  things were like for those who did not fight in
  the war. Students see the complexity of small
  decisions.
• A LIGHT IN THE STORM The Civil War Diary of
  Amelia Martinby Karen Hesse
• This book is written from the point of view of a
  young girl living in Delaware and seeing and
  hearing about the North and South battles. The
  book also contains historical photos
• DEAR AMERICA Series by Scholastic, Susan Campbell
  Bartoletti
• This is a diary style book where one girl is
  writing about the Civil War. This book would
  again be a great book for a literature circle
  group.

21
Media References
McCullough, David G., Geoffrey C. Ward, and
David Grubin, contributors. Abraham and Mary
Lincoln A House Divided . Bloomington, Ind.
David Grubin Productions Alexandria, Va. PBS
Video Boston WGBH Educational Foundation, 2001.
3 videocassettes (180 minutes).Lockwood
Microforms and Newspapers VHS E457.25 Generals
in Blue Lives of the Union Commanders
(Manuscripts) Ezra Warner, Louisiana State
University Press, 1964 Safe Passage The
Underground Railroad in Southwestern Ohio.
(Multimedia Unit) This is an incredibly extensive
program with CD-Rom, VHS cassettes, novels, and
instructional materials that a teacher can
practically pick up and implement directly into
their classroom. Its even more awesome because
it deals with the area in which we actually live!
Twelve Roads to Gettysburg. Queue.
(CD-Rom) This program depicts the details of one
of the most significant battles in U.S. history
by using a variety of techniques from animation
to actual music from the period. Civil War
Americas Epic Struggle. Multieducator, Inc.
(CD-Rom) This program is amazing. It has any
information you could possibly want about the
Civil War. From battles to generals to causes
and effects, it is listed and explained in an
inviting manner.

22
Student Resources cont.

• If You Lived at the Time of the Civil WarBy
  Kay Moore
• This book gives students an idea of what it was
  like to live during the Civil War. Again, this
  would be a great opener for a second day on the
  unit and could lead to a variety of writing
  activities.
• My Brother's Keeper  Virginia's Civil War
  Diary, Mary Pope Osbourne
• This is a book about a little girl named Virginia
  who is entrusted with her fathers journal. He
  tells her to write in it. Virginia writes about
  Gettysburg and how the people there are not happy
  and she actually watches the battle and writes
  about it in her journal. Very touching.
• Ayres, Katherine. North by Night A Story of
  the Underground Railroad, Delacorte.
• Freedom independence, courage, loneliness, and
  making choices are themes that are related
  through journal entries and letters of the main
  character, Lucinda Spencer. Students will learn
  what life was like during the Civil War for those
  helping escaped slaves.
• Crane, Stephen. Red Badge of Courage,
  Permabound, 1956.
• Students will learn about the courage that one
  young Union soldier had to learn during the war..
  This would be a good selection in a literature
  circle in the language arts classroom.

23
Student Resources cont.

• English, June A. and Thomas D. Jones. Scholastic
  Encyclopedia of the United States at War,
  Scholastic, 1998.
• This encyclopedia provides a broad picture of the
  United States' role, including biographies of the
  notable figures and quiet heroes, discussions of
  the mood of the country, timelines, maps,
  descriptions of weapons, eyewitness accounts, and
  more.
• Hunt, Irene. Across Five Aprils, Berkley
  Publishing Company, 1962
• This story helps students to understand what
  things were like for those who did not fight in
  the war. Students see the complexity of small
  decisions.
• A LIGHT IN THE STORM The Civil War Diary of
  Amelia Martinby Karen Hesse
• This book is written from the point of view of a
  young girl living in Delaware and seeing and
  hearing about the North and South battles. The
  book also contains historical photos
• DEAR AMERICA Series by Scholastic, Susan Campbell
  Bartoletti
• This is a diary style book where one girl is
  writing about the Civil War. This book would
  again be a great book for a literature circle
  group.

24
Media Resources Cont.

• Abraham Lincoln. Nest Entertainment, Inc.
  Animated Hero Classics serioes. (VHS tape)
• This video highlights the major accomplishments
  of Abraham Lincoln. Not only that, but the
  information is presented in a fun cartoon that
  will make learning from the video more enjoyable
  and engaging.
• Africans in America America's Journey through
  Slavery Bagwell, Orlando, Susan Bellows, Steve
  Fayer, Angela Bassett, Bernice Johnson Reagon,
  and Michael Chin, contributors.. VHS
• Portrays the lives of some African American
  people during the time of the Civil War and
  Slavery.
• Benson, Allan, Melvyn Bragg, and Toni Moirrison,
  contributors. Toni Morrison . Chicago Home
  Vision, 1987. 1 videocassette
• Discussion of Toni Morrison and how slavery has
  impacted her writing and the impact of slavery on
  so many African Americans during the Civil War
• Civil War Journal Glover, Danny, contributor. VHS
• Episodes cover such topics as Stonewall Jackson,
  Fort Sumter, the Monitor versus the CSS Virginia,
  John Singleton Mosby, the 54 th Massachusetts
  Volunteer Infantry, photographer Alexander
  Gardner, John Brown, 1 st Bull Run, Pickett's
  charge, Gettysburg, and West Point classmates as
  enemies.
• Digging for Slaves . Princeton, NJ Films for the
  Humanities, 1992. 1 videocassette
• " Provides many fascinating and surprising
  details at excavations of 18th-century slave
  quarters on Middleburg Plantation near
  Charleston at Monticello, the home of Thomas
  Jefferson, whose slave holdings seem so
  irreconcilable with his expressed views on human
  freedom and at Colonial Williamsburg, which
  until recently neglected to show the lives of the
  slaves, who made up over half the town's
  population."

25
Media References cont.

• Civil War American History Battle Map Pictures
• Civil War in American Battle Maps and Timelines
  1860 to 1865 Documents Pictures.www.americancivil
  war.com
• Civil War Index Page
• Source for collectors researching the Civil War.
  Categorized links, including archives,
  bibliographies, books, and "Gateways"
  category.www.homepages.dsu.edu
• Civil War Women
• Resources available online from the Special
  Collections Library at Duke University about
  different women alive during the Civil
  War.www.scriptorium.lib.duke.edu
• The Civil War- PBS
• Includes images, maps, biographies, historical
  documents, bibliography, related links, fact page
  and section for educators.www.pbs.org/civilwar
• The Civil War Traveler
• Features a summary of historical interpretive
  signs and maps for civil war touring trails from
  Pennsylvania to South Carolina.www.civilwartravel
  er.com

26
Media References cont.

• Historic Preservation of American Civil War
  Battlefields
• This private, non-profit membership organization
  is working toward the preservation of the most
  historic Civil War battlefield sites.www.civilwar
  .org
• Civil War Soldiers and Sailor System
• Comprehensive research tool for searching the
  records of the soldiers and sailors who fought in
  the Civil War.www.itd.nps.gov
• Civil War at Smithsonian
• Examines the Civil War through the Smithsonian
  Institutes extensive collections. It includes
  resources, a detailed timeline, and images with
  detailed ...www.civilwar.si.edu
• American Civil War Collections
• Civil War letters and diary entries include
  transcriptions and digital images of the
  manuscripts.www.etext.virginia.edu/civilwar
• USA History American Civil War
• British site includes articles about major
  battles, political and military figures, writers,
  artists, photographers, the role of women,
  issues, ...www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAcivil
  warC.htm

27
Media Resources Cont.

• Abraham Lincoln. Nest Entertainment, Inc.
  Animated Hero Classics serioes. (VHS tape)
• This video highlights the major accomplishments
  of Abraham Lincoln. Not only that, but the
  information is presented in a fun cartoon that
  will make learning from the video more enjoyable
  and engaging.
• Africans in America America's Journey through
  Slavery Bagwell, Orlando, Susan Bellows, Steve
  Fayer, Angela Bassett, Bernice Johnson Reagon,
  and Michael Chin, contributors.. VHS
• Portrays the lives of some African American
  people during the time of the Civil War and
  Slavery.
• Benson, Allan, Melvyn Bragg, and Toni Moirrison,
  contributors. Toni Morrison . Chicago Home
  Vision, 1987. 1 videocassette
• Discussion of Toni Morrison and how slavery has
  impacted her writing and the impact of slavery on
  so many African Americans during the Civil War
• Civil War Journal Glover, Danny, contributor. VHS
• Episodes cover such topics as Stonewall Jackson,
  Fort Sumter, the Monitor versus the CSS Virginia,
  John Singleton Mosby, the 54 th Massachusetts
  Volunteer Infantry, photographer Alexander
  Gardner, John Brown, 1 st Bull Run, Pickett's
  charge, Gettysburg, and West Point classmates as
  enemies.
• Digging for Slaves . Princeton, NJ Films for the
  Humanities, 1992. 1 videocassette
• " Provides many fascinating and surprising
  details at excavations of 18th-century slave
  quarters on Middleburg Plantation near
  Charleston at Monticello, the home of Thomas
  Jefferson, whose slave holdings seem so
  irreconcilable with his expressed views on human
  freedom and at Colonial Williamsburg, which
  until recently neglected to show the lives of the
  slaves, who made up over half the town's
  population."

28
Media References cont.

• Civil War American History Battle Map Pictures
• Civil War in American Battle Maps and Timelines
  1860 to 1865 Documents Pictures.www.americancivil
  war.com
• Civil War Index Page
• Source for collectors researching the Civil War.
  Categorized links, including archives,
  bibliographies, books, and "Gateways"
  category.www.homepages.dsu.edu
• Civil War Women
• Resources available online from the Special
  Collections Library at Duke University about
  different women alive during the Civil
  War.www.scriptorium.lib.duke.edu
• The Civil War- PBS
• Includes images, maps, biographies, historical
  documents, bibliography, related links, fact page
  and section for educators.www.pbs.org/civilwar
• The Civil War Traveler
• Features a summary of historical interpretive
  signs and maps for civil war touring trails from
  Pennsylvania to South Carolina.www.civilwartravel
  er.com

29
Media References cont.

• Historic Preservation of American Civil War
  Battlefields
• This private, non-profit membership organization
  is working toward the preservation of the most
  historic Civil War battlefield sites.www.civilwar
  .org
• Civil War Soldiers and Sailor System
• Comprehensive research tool for searching the
  records of the soldiers and sailors who fought in
  the Civil War.www.itd.nps.gov
• Civil War at Smithsonian
• Examines the Civil War through the Smithsonian
  Institutes extensive collections. It includes
  resources, a detailed timeline, and images with
  detailed ...www.civilwar.si.edu
• American Civil War Collections
• Civil War letters and diary entries include
  transcriptions and digital images of the
  manuscripts.www.etext.virginia.edu/civilwar
• USA History American Civil War
• British site includes articles about major
  battles, political and military figures, writers,
  artists, photographers, the role of women,
  issues, ...www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAcivil
  warC.htm

30
Intervention/Adaptation

• During class activities, students who need extra
  help will be guided along more closely by the
  teacher.
• Students who finished early will be provided an
  opportunity to assist others who are struggling
  with their work.
• If a student needs to be challenged more, we
  would have them go one step further in their
  research. Instead of just getting the normal
  facts about a Civil War Soldier or other
  important figure, they would also have to write a
  journal entry from the perspective of the person
  they researched.
• For a student that needs more help, I would give
  them websites to look at and a note sheet that
  has blanks in it for research. This way their
  search is narrowed and more comprehensible.