Understanding by Design Unit Plan
Course/Grade Level: 7th grade – U.S. History
Unit: Civil War
Teacher: Kosters/Schmidt
Number of Lessons/Days: 21
DESIRED RESULTS (STAGE 1)
Understanding(s):
Students will understand…
1. The main ideas of the debate over slavery and states’ rights.
2. That compromises needed to be made to appease both
sides.
3. Major political and military events of the Civil War.
4. How economics and foreign and domestic politics affected
the outcome of the war.
5. The effects of the Civil War on all Americans.
Essential Question(s):
To understand, students will need to consider such questions as…
1. Why is there a debate over slavery and states’ rights
between sections of the United States?
2. What happens if our leaders fail to agree or compromise?
3. Why did the North win the Civil War?
4. What if the South would have won the war?
5. What challenges did our country face because of the Civil
War outcome?
State/District Standard(s) addressed:
Regional tensions around economic development, slavery, territorial expansion and governance resulted in a Civil War and a period
of Reconstruction that led to the abolition of slavery, a more powerful federal government, a renewed push into indigenous nations’
territory and continuing conflict over racial relations.
To understand, student will need to…
Be able to…
Know…
Causes of sectionalism and secession
Details of the Emancipation Proclamation
Bringing the nation back together through Reconstruction
Essential new vocabulary:
Common misunderstandings:
The Civil War started with the goal to end slavery.
ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE (STAGE 2)
Performance Task(s):
Quiz
Test
ABC Chart
Other Evidence:
LEARNING PLAN (STAGE 3)
Learning Activities
Soldier’s Heart Reading and Questions
“Glory” (54th Massachusetts)
Abraham Lincoln Case Studies