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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Life of a Hoosier Soldier, based on the letters of Lt. John V. Hadley

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders take a closer look at the life of Union soldiers. In this American Civil War instructional activity, 8th graders read and analyze a series of letters from Lt. John Hadley to his fiancée. Students chart their findings from...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

You Ain't Whistling Dixie

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders complete a unit of lessons on the Civil War. They identify the factors that led to the Civil War, develop and perform a skit, research and write a report, or create a replica of art from Civil War period.
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Primary
Other

Library of Congress: Civil War Faces

For Students 9th - 10th
A collection of well over 1,000 photographs of Union and Confederate soldiers from the Civil War, as well as some family members. Each photo is accompanied by a caption. Click on the 'Show more' link at the top of the page for additional...
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Website
Library of Congress

Loc: Learning Page: Civil War Soldiers' Stories

For Students 9th - 10th
Included here are primary source documents that tell the story of Civil War soldiers in their own words. These historic documents tell why men and boys joined so enthusiastically, and what trials and suffering were endured.
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Website
Other

Gettysburg College: Civil War Institute: Killed at Gettysburg

For Students 9th - 10th
Read in-depth accounts of the lives of the soldiers who died in the Battle of Gettysburg. Each story looks at the soldier's community and home life at the beginning of the war, his wartime experiences, and the impact his death had on...
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Primary
Library of Congress

Loc: Prints and Photographs: Liljenquist Civil War Photographs

For Students 9th - 10th
View an entire collection of ambrotype and tintype photographs of Union and Confederate soldiers.
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Interactive
Other

Pennsylvania Heritage Society: Pennsylvania Civil War 150: Interactive Soldier

For Students 9th - 10th
Videos and models of Civil War reenactors illustrate the uniform and drills of Union soldiers. Also includes a cannon-firing demonstration.
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Website
Other

A Soldier's Diary: The Memoirs, Diary and Life of Private Jefferson Moses

For Students 9th - 10th
A treasure trove of primary source material from an ordinary Union soldier. Read his memoirs, diary, and see artifacts from his life.
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Primary
University of Virginia

E Text Center: American Civil War Collection

For Students 9th - 10th
Collection of primary documents--letters, diaries, photographs, and newspaper articles of both the Union and Confederate.
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Website
Smithsonian Institution

Civil War@smithsonian: Winslow Homer's Civil War Sketches

For Students 9th - 10th
During the Civil War, Winslow Homer was a freelance artist for "Harper's Weekly," a leading news magazine of the day. This site examines Homer's work, which documents the lives of the soldiers who fought for the North. Includes an...
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Website
Other

Civil War Letters: Letters From an Iowa Soldier in the American Civil War

For Students 9th - 10th
Students read letters from an Iowa Soldier in the Civil War.
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Unit Plan
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Harcourt: School Publishers: Black Civil War Soldiers Honored

For Students 3rd - 8th
Article describing the ceremony in Boston in 1997 in which Colin Powell honored the black soldiers who fought in the Civil War.
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Graphic
Curated OER

Library of Congress: Liljenquist Family Collection of Civil War Portraits

For Students Pre-K - 1st
View this entire collection of beautiful ambrotype and tintype photographs of Union and Confederate soldiers during the American Civil War. Many have personal notes found in the case. It is very touching to see the young faces of these...