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Lesson Plan

1861: The Country Goes to War

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This 1861: The Country Goes to War lesson plan also includes:

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 discussion and writing activities. 

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CCSS: Adaptable
Concepts
battles of the civil war, causes of the civil war, the united states civil war, civil war, abraham lincoln, jefferson davis, primary source analysis, primary source images, primary sources, battle of bull run
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Additional Tags
social studies
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Instructional Ideas
  • Use the primary source excerpt and questions to analyze the tenor of the nation prior to the opening of the Civil War
  • Create a visual timeline of events with the included activity to examine the early days of the conflict
Classroom Considerations
  • Lesson is part of a chronological series 
  • Slavery is not mentioned as a cause of the war 
Pros
  • Resource involves writing, primary source analysis, and discussion to help build critical skills
  • Lesson encourages pupils to hypothesize and support ideas
Cons
  • PowerPoint does not include background information, and further research may be necessary to use it