Lesson Plan : Review of the Civil War
Teacher Name: | Jason Roberts |
Grade: | Grade 9-10 |
Subject: | Social Studies |
Topic: | A brief review of figures and ideas leading up to, during and at the close of the American Civil War. |
Content: | During the lesson, students will be refreshed on information they would have been presented with in 8th grade history regarding the American Civil War review to prepare for fulfilling benchmark SS.912.A.2.1 Key Terms: Civil War, secession, cotton kingdom, Emancipation Proclamation, Confederate States of America, Appomattox Courthouse, Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, William T. Sherman, Ulysses Grant, carpetbagger. |
Goals: | Students will be able to recognize the seminal cause(s) of the American Civil War including the pre-eminent cause which the preservation of the Union and the question of the right of the states to secede. Students will be able to identify key political figures and several key concepts of the era. |
Objectives: | Students will be expected to identify the key terms/figures with and their association with the United States of Confederate States. Students will be able to identify images of key figures of the Civil War. Students will be able to give a brief description of key ideas/figures associated with the Civil War. |
Materials: | PowerPoint, overhead projector, hand-held signs for each student with labels and photographs/sketches to identify the concept/figure. Flags of the Union and the Confederacy as realia. |
Introduction: | The lesson will begin by presenting large flags of the United States of America as it existed in 1861 and a large Confederate battle flag in the front of the class. The Union Flag on the northern side of the classroom, and the Confederate flag on the southern end. The students will be asked what thoughts each flag evokes as they see them. I will proceed to ask the students what they think of when someone mentions the Civil War. I will write down the ideas that the students mention on the board. I will ask students who mention words like slavery, secession and union to elaborate on what they mention. |
Development: | Each slide will have an accompanying set of questions that will be asked of students for which they will hopefully draw on any prior knowledge they have of the Civil War. The First slide: "What do we call the war that occurred in our country from 1861 to 1865?" "What are some other names for it besides the Civil War?" "Why could the war also be called 'The War Between the States'?" Slide Two: (Drawing on what was written on the board during the introduction.) "Why did the Southern states want to secede from the union?" "Was slavery the only reason for the Southern states to secede?" "Who can name some of the major battles during the War?" Slide Three: "Who is the man in the picture?" "What did he do?" "Was he for or against slavery?" (Show first bullet point) "What did the South think about Lincoln?" (Show second bullet point) "How soon before the war started was he elected?" (Show third bullet point) Fourth Slide: "What does this image depict?" "What part of the country used slave labor?" "What was the main economic generator of the South?" (Bullet 1) "What was the main cash crop of the South" (Bullet 2) "What do you think it was like for those who were under slave labor?" (Bullet 3) Fifth Slide: "What is secession?" "Why would the Southern states want to secede?" "Why do you think the Northern states would oppose secession?" (Bullet 1) "Which state led the way and seceded first?" (Bullet 2) "Are you surprised that Florida seceded from the Union? Why?" Sixth Slide: "What does the flag represent?" "Does the flag look familiar to you? Where have you seen it before? (Georgia state flag)" "What was the name of the country formed by the Southern states?" (Bullet 1) "What is a Confederation?" "Who is the gentleman in the photograph?" "What was his role in the Southern government?" (Bullet 2) "What was the Confederacy's policy regarding slavery?" (Bullet 3) Seventh Slide: "Who is the man in the picture? What did he do?" (Bullet 1) "Who composed the Confederate army? Were there any groups of minorities in the Confederate army? Which ones?" "Is it surprising that there were minorities (Blacks, Latinos, etc.) in the Confederate army? Why?" (Slide 2) Eighth Slide: "Who are the men in the photographs?" "What was their role in the war?" (Bullet 1) "What was Sherman's policy to subdue the South?" (Bullet 2) Ninth Slide: "What was the document that freed the slaves called?" "Who issued it?" (Bullet 1) "What are some of the effects of the Emancipation Proclamation?" "What do you think life was like for a freed slave in the South?" Tenth Slide: "In what year did the war end?" "Where did the war officially end?" (Bullet 1) "Who surrendered? Why?" (Bullet 2) "What do you think life was like in the South after the war?" "Who led the reconstruction of the South?" "Why do you think they were called 'carpetbaggers'?" |
Practice: | Students will each be given a sign with a word or phrase and a picture/sketch of term/figure mentioned during the lesson. As the final slide of the PowerPoint is shown, students will be asked to move to the side of the room (north or south) corresponding with the sign they are holding. |
Accommodations: | Large images will be provided using the overhead projector for students with special needs. ELL students will be accommodated by the realia and pictures. Signs with only one or two words will be available. |
Checking For Understanding: | Once students have moved to the side of the room corresponding with their sign, they will be asked to give a brief 1-4 word description of the figure/term on the sign. Students will be assessed based on their ability to identify the term with the North/South and their ability to describe the significance of it. |
Closure: | "What do you think life would be like if the South had won the war?" "What do you think life would've been like in this country had there been no Civil War?" |
Evaluation: | Students will be asked to write an essay using key vocabulary terms from the lesson to describe why the Civil War started and who they believe benefited the most as a result of the War and why. |
Teacher Reflections: |
| Create New Lesson Plan | Lesson Plan Center |