TeachersFirst's Civil War
For over a century, America's Northern and Southern states had been in conflict over several issues, including cultural values, the federal government's power, slavery, and other economic interests. The bloodiest conflict in the history of our union was fought from 1861-1865 between the states that supported the federal union and the southern states that voted to secede and then form the Confederate States of America. This curated collection shares many resources and tools to help your students visualize what America was like during those tumultuous times.
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Evaluating Art as Historical Evidence - Digital Inquiry Group
Grades
9 to 12
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Studying art to understand history provides a means for understanding the past through visual representations. The Digital History Group shares this list of lessons and assessments...more
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Studying art to understand history provides a means for understanding the past through visual representations. The Digital History Group shares this list of lessons and assessments that use art to teach about a wide range of world and United States history topics. After creating a free account, select any of the provided links to access downloadable lesson materials and activities. The lessons include teacher and student materials; assessments include a printable assessment, rubric, and links to necessary primary documents.
tag(s): american revolution (81), art history (86), artists (77), assessment (147), china (62), civil rights (194), civil war (134), colonial america (95), comics and cartoons (53), declaration of independence (15), egypt (45), france (37), japan (56), mayans (10), mexico (29), native americans (91), nazis (8), thanksgiving (24), womens suffrage (44)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this list for use throughout the year with many different history lessons. Include these art activities to provide context and visual perspective to important events. Use a curation tool such as Padlet, reviewed here, to create an ongoing resource for students to use for review and as a guide for understanding history through a wider lens. For example, when using Padlet, choose the timeline feature and add a piece of art onto the timeline. Upload videos, text, and additional images to create an interactive timeline that tells a story through art. As a final project, ask students to share their learning using Sway, reviewed here, to write a reflective piece on the use of art throughout any period in time. Have students include student work, images, links, maps, and more in Sway projects.
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Thomas Nast's Political Cartoons - Digital Inquiry Group
Grades
9 to 12
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Using two cartoons created by Thomas Nast, students analyze the content to learn about northern attitudes toward freedmen during Reconstruction. Download this lesson that offers an...more
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Using two cartoons created by Thomas Nast, students analyze the content to learn about northern attitudes toward freedmen during Reconstruction. Download this lesson that offers an instructional plan that guides students through evaluating and discussing the messages found in each political cartoon. This lesson includes downloadable materials for teachers and students. Free registration is required to access the PDF materials.
tag(s): 1800s (72), civil war (134), comics and cartoons (53), politics (112)
In the Classroom
Use cartoons to engage student learners and as a resource for providing deeper context to complicated issues such as Reconstruction. Upload images of each cartoon onto an interactive whiteboard tool such as Whiteboard Chat, reviewed here, that provides many tools for sharing and creating digital annotations. Upload each cartoon and add student comments and use drawing tools to draw attention to specific portions of cartoons. As a culminating project, ask students to create political cartoons representing different views of Reconstruction. Use Canva's Comic Strip Templates, reviewed here, as a starting point for templates and ideas or have students create cartoons from a blank slide.
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Brother Against Brother: Books to Help Teach Civil War - TeachersFirst
Grades
4 to 12
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Share stories and events about the Civil War using the books, virtual field trips, and videos shared on this curated list. Each book includes a summary and suggested teaching activities....more
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Share stories and events about the Civil War using the books, virtual field trips, and videos shared on this curated list. Each book includes a summary and suggested teaching activities. In addition, browse through the extension activities to find additional suggestions to support student learning about the Civil War. Information is correlated to AASL National School Library Standards and ISTE Standards for students.
tag(s): book lists (161), civil war (134), underground railroad (12)
In the Classroom
Create a list of suggested books for students using Padlet, reviewed here. Encourage students to add comments in short book reviews for other students to use as a resource. Enhance learning by incorporating books found on this list into your other resources to create a learning unit using Curipod, reviewed here. Use Curipod to add videos, articles, quizzes, and more to create engaging multimedia lessons.
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RealClearHistory - RealClear
Grades
8 to 12
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RealClearHistory is a history buff's dream. This portion of the RealClear site focuses on history through a variety of different lenses. Begin with the current date in history to access...more
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RealClearHistory is a history buff's dream. This portion of the RealClear site focuses on history through a variety of different lenses. Begin with the current date in history to access articles from many other global resources relating to events on that date or use the dropdown arrow next to the date to go back a few days in time. Then, scroll further down the page to find multimedia, current news, the latest articles, and much more. If that isn't enough, browse the left sidebar to find history tidbits, biographies and memoirs, documents, and the map room. This site will keep history buffs and students engaged for a very long time!
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tag(s): biographies (93), civil war (134), constitution (87), history day (40), politics (112), presidents (121), religions (75), slavery (75), space (213), vikings (10), world war 1 (72), world war 2 (149)
In the Classroom
Make this site available in favorites on your classroom computers for students to refer to for history-related resources. You may want to list this link on your class website for students to access the page both in and out of class. Consider using the site as an icebreaker at the beginning of a class: pick one of the articles or short video clips (share it on your interactive whiteboard or projector) and discuss. After doing research, have cooperative learning groups create podcasts or video commercials highlighting an interesting historical event. Create FREE podcasts using a site such as Spotify for Podcastors, reviewed here. This is also a good resource for reading informational text per the Common Core Standards.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Ken Burns in the Classroom - PBS Learning Media
Grades
6 to 12
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Ken Burns' historical films are iconic; this collection gathers forty years of film history into one easy-to-use resource. Use the keyword search to find specific resources or browse...more
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Ken Burns' historical films are iconic; this collection gathers forty years of film history into one easy-to-use resource. Use the keyword search to find specific resources or browse by era or film name to find primary sources, images, videos, and more. Each collection includes a correlation to state and national standards and support materials, including discussion questions and classroom activities.
tag(s): 1700s (36), 1800s (72), 1900s (73), 20th century (59), authors (103), blues (22), civil rights (194), civil war (134), history day (40), industrial revolution (20), jazz (17), sports (77), vietnam (35), westward expansion (38), womens suffrage (44)
In the Classroom
Use this resource as a starting point to find many primary sources and videos of historical importance. Take advantage of the lesson ideas and activities to include with your current lessons and activities. Engage students in learning by asking them to watch videos and browse through images before teaching your lesson. Ask them to post their thoughts and questions on Google Jamboard, reviewed here, to help guide the focus of your lesson. Extend learning and help students visualize the order of events by creating a digital timeline using Knights' Lab Timeline JS, reviewed here. Add media from online sites to your timeline from YouTube, Vimeo, Google Maps, and more.
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Harriet Tubman: Abolition Activist - PBS Learning Media
Grades
3 to 7
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This lesson teaches students about the accomplishments of Harriet Tubman through the use of two primary sources. After watching a biographical video as an introduction to Tubman, students...more
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This lesson teaches students about the accomplishments of Harriet Tubman through the use of two primary sources. After watching a biographical video as an introduction to Tubman, students examine a photo and letter sent to her by Frederick Douglass to learn more about her life. As a culminating activity, students then compare and contrast Harriet Tubman to modern-day females who confronted risks as they helped others. The lesson includes all materials needed to teach the activity, including the video and a graphic organizer. The lesson is correlated to National Social Studies Standards.
tag(s): black history (123), civil rights (194), civil war (134), primary sources (115), women (137)
In the Classroom
This lesson provides an excellent starting point for lessons about Harriet Tubman, strong females, and the Underground Railroad. Use the provided links to assign to students within Google Classroom and other media tools. Take advantage of technology to enhance student learning beyond the basics of this lesson. Instead of using the printable graphic organizer, use an online tool such a Holt Interactive Graphic Organizers, reviewed here, to create diagrams, mindmaps, and other visual graphic organizers. Use the Venn Diagram feature to compare and contrast Civil War times to the present, use the flow chart to help students visualize the flow of events leading up to and through the Civil War, or use the diagramming features to organize Civil War information including events, people, and places. Use an online bookmarking tool such as Padlet, reviewed here, to organize and share online resources with students. Extend student learning even further by asking them to use a game-creation tool like Scratch, reviewed here, to create a game. Use facts, places, and events within the games to reinforce and teach about Harriet Tubman and her peers.
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The 1619 Project Curriculum - Pulitzer Center
Grades
5 to 12
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The 1619 Project Curriculum includes a comprehensive set of teaching materials to bring the 1619 Project into your classroom. The 1619 Project began with a special issue of the New...more
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The 1619 Project Curriculum includes a comprehensive set of teaching materials to bring the 1619 Project into your classroom. The 1619 Project began with a special issue of the New York Times suggesting that United States history begins with the arrival of the first enslaved African Americans in 1619. The curriculum includes lessons for all grades, including a Reading Guide with warm-up questions, discussion ideas, and extension questions correlated to Common Core Standards. Other materials on this site include a lesson plan based on the kids' section of the 1619 Project and an Index of Terms and Historical Events. Additionally, this site offers lesson plans contributed by other educators, and activities to extend student engagement.
tag(s): 1600s (20), american revolution (81), civil war (134), colonial america (95), slavery (75)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the wide variety of materials included in this curriculum as part of any lessons on slavery, civil war, and early American history. As you introduce the 1619 Project to your students, ask them to work with a partner or in groups to highlight and identify important information. Many of the student materials are available as PDF documents, have students work in groups to highlight important information or information that needs additional clarification. If you work with older students, use a digital annotation tool like Hypothesis, reviewed here, to add and share notes for discussion. As students become familiar with the content found in the 1619 Project, ask them to demonstrate their understanding of the materials through their choice of multi-media tools. Suggestions include asking students to create a newsletter with the arrival date of the first enslaved African-Americans using Smore, reviewed here, or use Preceden, reviewed here, to build and customize a timeline of events featured in the article. Use the information found on the site to extend learning further and help students make real-life connections to the material by asking students to use the information learned to direct and act out different events in history. Consider asking different groups to create a series on ongoing podcasts using Spotify for Podcastors, reviewed here, to tell the story of American history beginning in 1619 and share their podcasts using school social media accounts.
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Read. Inquire. Write. - University of Michigan
Grades
6 to 10
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Read. Inquire. Write. is a free curriculum using investigations to support middle school social studies learning through inquiry-based lessons; also, this site provides many supports...more
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Read. Inquire. Write. is a free curriculum using investigations to support middle school social studies learning through inquiry-based lessons; also, this site provides many supports for English Language Learners within the activities. Use the provided literacy tools to guide students in analytical reasoning and argument writing within the 5-day investigations. Each investigation includes all materials needed including teacher's guides, student packets, rubrics, student models, and a PowerPoint presentation. Also, all activities provide video models demonstrating methods to encourage student thinking and investigative responses. Each lesson includes correlation to Common Core Standards. Registration is required to download materials from this site. Videos reside on YouTube. If your school blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable.
tag(s): civil war (134), colonial america (95), concept mapping (17), debate (37), democracy (19), evaluating sources (28), greece (26), inquiry (24), maps (209), mexico (29), middle east (43), native americans (91)
In the Classroom
Instead of using paper documents, scan the included PDF or Word documents into Google Classroom or your school student/teacher platform to share and assign to students. Be sure to include mentor texts for student use. Enhance student learning by asking students to use highlighting and note-taking tools within their word document to provide documentation for their responses. Although this site includes many high-quality graphic organizers, create your own and using Diagramo, reviewed here to engage students and personalize for your classroom use. Have students use a digital portfolio tool to share their investigations. Spaces, reviewed here includes many resources for creating online portfolios and web pages. Consider sharing the activities found on this site with your peers as a model for redesigning lessons you already use in your classroom. Use Padlet, reviewed here to collaborate and share ideas, activities, and resources as you work toward incorporating inquiry lessons into your classrooms.
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Lincoln's Assassination - Ford's Theatre
Grades
5 to 12
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Take an in-depth investigation into the events of April 14, 1865, at Ford's Theatre and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln through eyewitness accounts and exploration of the evidence...more
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Take an in-depth investigation into the events of April 14, 1865, at Ford's Theatre and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln through eyewitness accounts and exploration of the evidence left behind using materials found on this interactive site. Begin with questions to consider during your investigation then continue to read about first-hand accounts provided by witnesses in different areas of the theatre. Finally, examine the physical evidence including Lincoln's clothing and items found in John Wilkes Booth's pockets. Complete the activity as you return to the original questions with evidence in hand to support your conclusions.
tag(s): civil war (134), lincoln (60), presidents (121), primary sources (115)
In the Classroom
Include this website with your Civil War unit, President's Day, or Abraham Lincoln lessons. Instead of gathering information from textbooks to learn about Lincoln's death, ask students to be the investigators and gather and analyze facts on their own. Begin by sharing the questions found on this site using Padlet, reviewed here. Create a column for each question in your Padlet, then have students add evidence found on this site and others to support their answer. To enhance learning and help students organize their thinking, use a timeline creator from ReadWriteThink, reviewed here, to understand the order of events. Transform student learning as a final activity, by asking students to share their findings including evidence in an explainer video created with Typito, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Civil War - Tale of Two Titans - War History Online
Grades
5 to 12
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Discover this interesting infographic comparing two leaders of the Civil War. Learn about Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee with comparisons of both their personal life and careers....more
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Discover this interesting infographic comparing two leaders of the Civil War. Learn about Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee with comparisons of both their personal life and careers. Information also includes famous battles during the Civil War and their careers following the war. Scroll past the infographic to view sources used and additional information.
In the Classroom
Use the provided embed code to insert the infographic into your class website. Have students use this as a starting point for further research on Civil War leaders. Enhance learning and use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to compare and contrast information. Challenge students to redefine their learning by creating Civil War timelines (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Timeline JS, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The American Civil War: Then and Now - The Guardian
Grades
6 to 12
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The American Civil War was one of the first major conflicts for which we have a photographic record. For the 150th anniversary of the war, photographer David Levene traveled to ...more
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The American Civil War was one of the first major conflicts for which we have a photographic record. For the 150th anniversary of the war, photographer David Levene traveled to the sites of 23 iconic Civil War photographs and captured the same view as it exists today. Using a simple slider button, shift watch as the scene transforms from the past to the present. Along with each photograph is a brief narrative, and an audio interview related to the scene with more detail about the changes over the last 150 years. Don't forget to click on the associated article for important background information from Levene about the project and his reflections on what he learned.
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tag(s): battles (18), civil war (134), photography (130)
In the Classroom
It is tempting to scroll through the photographs quickly, but each deserves time for study and reflection. What is pictured in the original photograph? What is being communicated to the viewer? Challenge students to predict what the modern photo will show (you will need to hold the slider button to keep the photograph from changing automatically). What would Civil War-era soldiers think if they could see the modern photograph? What responsibility do we have to preserve sites like these in their original condition?Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Ducksters - Technological Solutions, Inc. (TSI)
Grades
2 to 8
2 Favorites
1 Comments
Ducksters is a safe, extensive, educational portal for kids. Find a wide choice of content such as interactives, sports, movies, and music. Begin by choosing a category to explore choices....more
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Ducksters is a safe, extensive, educational portal for kids. Find a wide choice of content such as interactives, sports, movies, and music. Begin by choosing a category to explore choices. The study category includes extensive information such as world history, many biographies, science explanations, and information on all continents and many countries. Interactive subjects include math times tables, checkers, and guess the country. There is a TON here to explore.
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tag(s): addition (128), african american (109), american revolution (81), animal homes (56), animals (280), artists (77), biographies (93), china (62), civil rights (194), civil war (134), cold war (30), continents (32), countries (69), data (147), division (98), egypt (45), elements (32), energy (130), environment (240), explorers (64), fractions (159), friction (9), geometric shapes (136), greece (26), habitats (87), human body (93), inventors and inventions (71), keyboarding (28), mean (19), median (16), mode (13), multiplication (122), planets (111), presidents (121), puzzles (143), recycling (46), renaissance (32), rome (20), solar system (108), sound (74), sports (77), subtraction (109), sun (69), world war 1 (72), world war 2 (149)
In the Classroom
This site is a perfect addition for use with a biography unit. Explore and share information categorized by topics such as Civil Rights, the Cold War, Ancient Greece, and WWII. Extend student learning by having students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about a president, famous scientist, or nearly any other real or fictitious person. Be sure to create a link to the site on your class webpage or newsletter for students to explore at home. Create a link on classroom computers for students to use the interactives during center time.Comments
Very safe and reliable. Everyone else is my school thinks ducksters is stupid but I love ducksters.Ry, CA, Grades: 6 - 12
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Sixteen Months to Sumter - American Historical Association
Grades
8 to 12
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Advanced study of history requires increased attention to primary sources. Collected here are over 1,000 newspaper editorials written in the 16 months leading up to the start of the...more
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Advanced study of history requires increased attention to primary sources. Collected here are over 1,000 newspaper editorials written in the 16 months leading up to the start of the US Civil War. Along with a useful timeline of events during the same period, the site offers search either by the location of the publication or by the name of the publication. Editorials come from newspapers across the US, not just from those in states most often associated with the Civil War. The opinion expressed may offer a fresh perspective on what people were thinking just prior to the firing on Ft. Sumter. For example, we might view Abraham Lincoln as one of the greatest of American Presidents, but an editorial from the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Daily Patriot and Union concludes with the words, "We confess we shudder as we contemplate the future in the person of this weak and ignorant man." (February 21, 1861).
tag(s): civil war (134), newspapers (91), primary sources (115)
In the Classroom
This is a wonderful resource for adding primary source material to a study of the US Civil War. It is particularly useful for advanced students, or those doing research. Consider choosing a newspaper that is located near you, if possible, and introduce students to a perspective that's close to home. Or choose editorials from two newspapers--one from the North and one from the South--written at the same time and contrast the perspectives expressed. Compare and contrast using an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Authentic History Center - Michael Barnes
Grades
6 to 12
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The Authentic History Center provides a catalog of popular culture images and primary sources from the 1600's throughout American history (final timeframe is 2009 - 2020). Explore by...more
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The Authentic History Center provides a catalog of popular culture images and primary sources from the 1600's throughout American history (final timeframe is 2009 - 2020). Explore by time period: World War I, The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb, Great Depression, and more. Artifacts range from posters to magazine covers to cartoons. There are also audio and video recordings. You can "hear" what popular music was like in the lead-in to World War II, for example. Many topics include a great deal of text to read and explore. Choose a specific time period and category such as photographs, music, or technology to explore content. Most sections include a short overview of the time period with links to artifacts. What makes this collection especially useful is the sorting and grouping they have done for you so you can choose and experience an era. A few of the video clips are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable. Most of the materials are Creative Commons licensed, so they can be used in multimedia projects if you give proper credit. Click the CC icon on the page where you find a clip or source to see specific rights.
tag(s): 1600s (20), 1700s (36), 1800s (72), 1900s (73), 20th century (59), civil war (134), cold war (30), great depression (28), photography (130), vietnam (35), world war 1 (72), world war 2 (149)
In the Classroom
The Authentic History Center is excellent for making history real. Share this information on your projector or interactive whiteboard (or speakers) during lessons on any time period of US History. Play Bing Crosby singing "God Bless America" to help students feel the pre-WWII era or nationalism. Make the Angry era of McCarthyism real by letting student explore the collection. Include this entire collection on your class web page for students to access both in and out of class. Use the sources for students to experience a multi-sensory tour of any era in U.S. history and create their own project about it incorporating the artifacts (with proper credit) and their own explanations. You could modify student learning by having students create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Displayr, reviewed here. Or, have students create online posters about an era individually or together as a class using a tool such as Web Poster Wizard, reviewed here, or PicLits, reviewed here. Enhance learning by having students create timelines using Timeline JS, reviewed here. Timeline JS offers the option to upload and add photos, videos, audio, Tweets, and Google Maps making it interactive. If you participate in National History Day, this site is an outstanding start point. If you are the advisor for your high school play, bookmark this site as a great source for authentic era images and sounds. Need background music for a play (or video) set during WWII? Here it is!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Gettysburg by the Numbers - TeachersFirst
Grades
5 to 10
10 Favorites
1 Comments
Gettysburg by the Numbers (GBTN) is a web-based, interactive experience of the Battle of Gettysburg through numbers and infographics that raise questions and invite connections. Exploring...more
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Gettysburg by the Numbers (GBTN) is a web-based, interactive experience of the Battle of Gettysburg through numbers and infographics that raise questions and invite connections. Exploring Gettysburg "by the numbers" invites you to move beyond dates and facts to questions that make the battle more meaningful and real. Dig into the numbers to imagine the weather, the clothing, the communications, the people, the weapons, and--yes -- the cleanup from three devastating, pivotal July days in 1863. Delve into the infographics and accompanying questions to connect what was then with what is now. The site includes ideas for families and for teachers to use it in the classroom. Be sure to click on the large color image of the battle to get the "big picture." Teachers will want to explore the extensive "For Teachers" section that offers materials, lesson ideas, Common Core correlations, and much more.
tag(s): civil war (134), gettysburg (15)
In the Classroom
Gettysburg exemplifies many aspects of the Civil War experience and of U.S. life during the 1860s. Use this resource as a whole class introduction to the Civil War or specifically to the Battle of Gettysburg. Extensive teacher materials include downloadable and customizable handouts for students to "get the basics" about the battle or extend their understanding through small group or individual projects on battle-related topics that interest them. Coordinate with your math teacher to reinforce concepts of proportion, percent, ratio, and graphing with real data about Gettysburg. Differentiate for your students by helping them select from more concrete or more open-ended "questions" included with each detail about the battle. You can make this a one-day "quick tour" or a week long journey. Find project ideas included in these questions. There is even a customizable project rubric in the teacher materials. Be sure to share this link on your class web page for curious students (and families) to explore on their own outside of class!Comments
Excellent resource for researchArthur, TX, Grades: 0 - 12
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The Civil War - SonOfTheSouth.net
Grades
7 to 12
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The Civil War is a site full of original Civil War resources. Content includes photographs, newspaper articles, documents, and eye-witness accounts. View all of Harper's Weekly newspapers...more
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The Civil War is a site full of original Civil War resources. Content includes photographs, newspaper articles, documents, and eye-witness accounts. View all of Harper's Weekly newspapers throughout the Civil War period. Find them using links for each year from 1861-1865. Search the site using your own search terms. You can also explore options under categories such as Confederate or Union Generals, Civil War Medicine, or Lincoln Assassination.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): civil war (134), emancipation proclamation (11), gettysburg (15), gettysburg address (11), lincoln (60), slavery (75)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site as a wonderful resource for first-hand accounts and information about the Civil War. Share this site with students to use as a resource for Civil War material. Have students create an annotated image including text boxes and related links using a tool such as Thinglink, reviewed here to describe a person or event during the Civil War. Have students create maps about Civil War events using Have students collaborate to create maps using MapHub, reviewed here. Students can add icons, text, images, and location stops! This is also a good treasury of primary sources useful for History Day.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Field Musicians of the Civil War - tapsbugler (Jari Villanueva)
Grades
5 to 12
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Experience images of the Civil War musicians accompanied by authentic fife and drum music of the times. As the caption explains, "Fifers drummers and buglers provided the beat to everyday...more
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Experience images of the Civil War musicians accompanied by authentic fife and drum music of the times. As the caption explains, "Fifers drummers and buglers provided the beat to everyday life of the soldier." The creator of this video is a self-described Taps Historian and Bugler. If your district blocks YouTube, then this may not be viewable.
In the Classroom
Play the music and video during an intro to your Civil War unit to grab the attention of auditory learners. Inspire students to find out why music was far more than entertainment for soldiers. Challenge students to learn more about music and other communication tools during the Civil War in TeachersFirst's Gettysburg by the Numbers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Civil War 150 - Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery
Grades
4 to 12
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Civil War 150 is part of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery's commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and the presidency of Abraham Lincoln. The site includes...more
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Civil War 150 is part of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery's commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and the presidency of Abraham Lincoln. The site includes online exhibits, videos, educational resources, and blog posts. Choose from any topics to explore links that include images, photographs, and short essays.
In the Classroom
Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about a Civil War soldier or important person from that time. Enhance learning by having students create timelines of Civil War events (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Timeline Infographic Templates, reviewed here.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Civil War Interactive Poster - TeachingHistory.org
Grades
6 to 12
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The Civil War Interactive Poster uses historical images and primary source documents as an entry point for conversation about this period in American History. Click on any of the four...more
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The Civil War Interactive Poster uses historical images and primary source documents as an entry point for conversation about this period in American History. Click on any of the four quadrants to view items up close. Click on any asterisk within a quadrant for links to further images, related learning, and teaching resources. Each asterisk also contains a question to begin thoughtful conversations about the images.
tag(s): civil war (134), emancipation proclamation (11), gettysburg (15), history day (40), lincoln (60), slavery (75)
In the Classroom
This site is perfect for students to emcee on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Open up each quadrant to view images and documents provided. Have students discuss their reactions and thoughts on each of the representations before clicking on the asterisk to find specific information. Use the teaching resources and ideas provided to add context to Civil War lessons. Challenge students to create a talking avatar using a photo or other image (legally permitted to be reproduced). The avatars can be used to explain information provided by one of the images. Use a site such as Blabberize, reviewed here. Blabberize allows you to add speech and annotate images. To find Creative Commons images for student projects (with credit, of course), try Vecteezy, reviewed here. Challenge your students to use a site such as Timeline Infograhics Templates, reviewed here, to create an interactive timeline of information from this interactive poster along with other information learned during your Civil War unit. With Timeline Infographics Templates you can include text, images, and collaboration.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Gettysburg School Bus: The Civil War in the Classroom - Barbara Sanders
Grades
7 to 12
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The Gettysburg School Bus is a blog for educators all about the Civil War created by an Education Specialist at Gettysburg National Military Park. Her stated purpose is to tell...more
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The Gettysburg School Bus is a blog for educators all about the Civil War created by an Education Specialist at Gettysburg National Military Park. Her stated purpose is to tell stories, answer questions, and provide information that creates interest in learning about the Civil War along with the people living through those times. Search the site through tags, recent posts, or archives. Be sure to check out the lesson plans for many classroom ideas.
tag(s): 1800s (72), battles (18), civil war (134), gettysburg (15), gettysburg address (11)
In the Classroom
This is an excellent site to bookmark and save for many Civil War resources including lesson plans, first hand information on Gettysburg, and Civil War articles. Have students choose one of the blog posts from the site then create magazine covers of information included using Magazine Cover Maker reviewed here. Have students create an online presentation on the Battle of Gettysburg using Prezi (reviewed here). Use lesson plans included on the site to supplement your current Civil War unit.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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