Lesson Plan : The Union Breaks Apart

Teacher Name:
 Julia Light
Grade:
 Grade 7-8
Subject:
 Social Studies

Topic:
 The union breaks apart chapter 12 section 3
Content:
 secede, republic, Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Douglas
Goals:
 to teach the students how the civil war started and also how slavery was an issue
Objectives:
 The election of 1860 further divided the U.S.
Materials:
 worksheets, eggs, game clues, game props
Introduction:
 In the 1850's, new national leaders, such as Abraham Lincoln, began to speak out against slavery. Abe lincoln was not an abolitionist, but he did not like slavery. He hoped that if slavery could not spread, it would no longer become an issue and it would eventually die out.
Development:
 Abe Lincoln was named after his grandfather who was a friend of Daniel Boone. Abe was born in a log cabin in 1809. The Lincoln's moved from Kentucky in 1816 and moved to the Indiana Territory. They left because many people there owned slaves. Since slaves did most of the work there were not many jobs available. Abe Lincoln studied law. In the 1830's he became a lawyer and opened a law office in Illinois. In 1834 Lincoln was elected inot the U.S. congress, where he served a term in the House of Representatives. After moving back to Illinois Lincoln was concerned about slavery spreading to the west. So he joined a new political party to fight the spread of slavery. This new party was called the Republican party. In 1858 decided to run again for government office. On June 17, Lincoln was chosen by the Republican Party to be its candidate for the U.S. senate. In his acceptance speech Lincoln stood behind an american flag which was painted on the stage. Abe ran against senator Stephen A. Douglas, who had written the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Lincoln and Douglas were very different. Because Douglas was serving in the senate, he was well known across the country. Few people had ever heard of Lincoln. Both Douglas and Lincoln were great public speakers. When speaking to many stated Douglas argued that the newly formed states should decide the slavery issue themselves. LIncoln responded that "the framers of the Constitution intended and expected" slavery to end. Although Douglas won the reelection to the senate for another term, people over the country now know Lincoln. Two years later, in 1860, the two men faced each other in another election. This election was for the President of the United States of America. Lincoln represented the Republican party. Some states said that they would secede from, or leave, if lincoln became president. One election day, On November 1860, Lincoln did not expect even one vote. But he won enough states to win the position of the President of the United states of america. On December 20, South Carolina seceded from the Union. Five other states-Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi seceded from the union. Together these states formed a confederacy. On April 12, 1861 the confederate leaders demanded the Union forces surrender. When major Anderson refused, confederate troops fired their cannons on fort Sumter. The bombarded the fort for the next 34 hours. Finally the Union surrendered. Learning of the fall of fort sumter, Lincoln called for 75,000 troops to join an army to stop the southern rebellion and preserve the U.S. Four more states-Arkansas, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia seceded and joined the confederacy. This brought the nember of confederate states to 11. Tensions between the Union and Confederate states-the north and the south-had reached their breaking point. The Civil War had begun.
Practice:
 Scavenger hunt, maze, word find
Accommodations:
 
Checking For Understanding:
 quiz
Closure:
 well that is how the civil war started and how the union broke apart
Evaluation:
 
Teacher Reflections:
 

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