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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Running for Freedom: The FUgitive Slave law and the Coming of the Civil War

For Teachers 8th - 10th
In order to understand the complicated nature of slave laws during the Civil War, learners compare and contrast an abolitionist poster and a runaway slave ad. They use an attached worksheet to consider each primary source document, then...
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Lesson Plan
American Battlefield Trust

Civil War Overview: Elementary Lesson Plan

For Teachers 4th - 6th Standards
How do you teach the Civil War and all its intricacies within the time limits of an average school day? Using a three-part plan, teachers easily integrate coverage of key Civil War battles into the unit. The lesson includes activities to...
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Website
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Smithsonian Institution

Civil War

For Students 5th - 12th Standards
Did you know that more than three million people fought in the Civil War? Through artifacts, graphics, and passages class members learn about the stark divide between North and South that led to the war, as well as about the events that...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introduction to the American Civil War

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders participate in a drill activity in which they review the political, social and economic causes of the Civil War. Individually, they complete a Civil War pretest in which they test their misconceptions about the war. They...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Life of a Civil War Soldier

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders write about the physical hardships endured by soldiers of the Civil War. They compare the losses between two communities during the Civil War. They analyze personal letters to understand what a battle was like. They...
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Lesson Plan
Alabama Department of Archives and History

The Civil War at Home

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
To conclude a study of the 4 C's (cause, course, consequences, and characters) of the Civil War, young historians examine personal letters that reveal the effects of the war on those at home.
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Lesson Plan
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National Endowment for the Humanities

Life Before the Civil War

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
American life before the Civil War was very different from American life today. To show this difference in a full spectrum, learners compare two communities that illustrate the differences between Northern and Southern life. Throughout...
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Lesson Plan
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University of California

The Civil War: Effects of the Civil War

For Students 7th Standards
Imagine being on the front line of the Civil War —from the front porch of your own house. Scholars use visual evidence from primary and secondary sources to analyze the impact of the Civil War on all Americans. They examine the research...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Free, but Not Free: Life of Free Blacks Before the Civil War

For Teachers 9th - 11th Standards
Using the family stories of a famous comedian and singer-songwriter, learners consider what life was like for African Americans who were enslaved and free before the Civil War. To complete a concluding activity, they write about the...
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Interactive
Annenberg Foundation

Evaluating Evidence

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Was the Civil War fought only due to slavery? Using an interactive web tool, scholars investigate the four main causes of the Civil War. Gathering evidence and data to support their claims, they present a final statistical breakdown...
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Worksheet
MCHS Early US History

Ken Burn’s Civil War, Episode 1: The Cause

For Students 8th - 12th
Ken Burn's epic documentary miniseries The Civil War, broadcast in 1990, was the most-watched PBS program ever. A question sheet helps viewers keep track of events in the first episode of the documentary.
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Lesson Plan
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PBS

Civil War: Before the War

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Free the slaves! Scholars research primary documents and videos while working together to create abolitionist posters. They examine the John Brown raid as a template to creating their own demonstration. 
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PPT
Curated OER

The American Civil War: A Nation Divided (1861-1865)

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Intended for use with atlases, this presentation details the causes and effects of the Civil War. It includes historical pictures of battles and discussion points about the technology which emerged during (and for) the war. The final...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil War Scouting

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students complete a webquest that focuses on the basic causes and major events of the Civil War. They answer a series of questions each having an Internet link to a reading that provides clues for the answer.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Civil War: A Nation Divided

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the clash between the North and the South. In this Civil War lesson plan, students watch segments of the Discovery video "The Civil War: A Nation Divided". Students conduct further research pertaining to the economies...
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Assessment
American Battlefield Trust

Middle School Assessment for the Civil War Curriculum

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
The bravery of African American troops on the frontlines directly impacted the lives of the newly freed enslaved people. Using documents, including letters from African American troops and an excerpt of the Emancipation Proclamation,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Causes of the Civil War: Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850 and Kansas Nebraska Act

For Teachers 8th - 10th Standards
How did the Missouri Compromise, the Compromise of 1850, and the Kansas-Nebraska Act contribute to the growing tensions that led to the Civil war? To better understand the events that led to the Civil War, young historians engage in a...
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Lesson Plan
American Battlefield Trust

1861: The Country Goes to War

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
What was it like to know the Civil War was coming? Using a graphic timeline activity and excerpts of speeches from Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, learners consider the early days of the conflict. The resource includes prompts for...
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Lesson Plan
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University of California

The Civil War: Lincoln’s Speeches

For Students 7th Standards
Abraham Lincoln is responsible for uniting the states during the most tumultuous periods in American history, and for his elegant oratory that kept the Union believing in its cause. Young histoians analyze various speeches by America's...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Causes of the Civil War Worksheet

For Students 8th - 12th
In this American Civil War worksheet, learners identify the 19 people and events listed on the worksheet that contributed the outbreak of war. Students also examine a list of 8 causes and put them chronological order.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

I Am Freedom Bound!

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Upper elementary and middle school learners engage in this awesome lesson plan on the Civil War. In it, they watch streamed video, perform Internet research, engage in hands-on activities, and use their geography skills to locate...
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Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

Homeschooling Chronicles: Making The Civil War Come Alive

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
The Civil War is a complex topic that students can study in a variety of ways, including watching a reenactment.
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Lesson Plan
American Battlefield Trust

1861: The Country Goes to War

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
While the firing on Ft. Sumter may have seemed like a sudden event, the long march to war spanned decades. Using games and a presentation, class members review the events that led up to the fateful April day in 1861 when brother turned...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Causes of the Civil War

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders write an essay describing one of the main causes of the Civil War. In this Civil War lesson plan, 8th graders discuss the Civil War and then write an essay on it.

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