Ms. Kamburov
11th grade U.S. History
Major Civil War Battles
Essential “Guiding Questions” of the Lesson
Where and when did major battles of the Civil War take place? Who were the leading Generals from the
Union and from the Confederacy during the Civil War? Who was the victor in each battle?
Sunshine State Standards Addressed in the Lesson
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SS.912.A.1.3: Utilize timelines to identify the time sequence of historical data.
SS.912.A.2: Understand the causes, course, and consequences of the Civil War and Reconstruction
and its effects on the American people.
Learning Objectives
 Students will identify & describe major battles of the Civil War.
 Students will chronologically organize major Civil War battles and identify each outcome.
 Students will identify major generals from the Union and the Confederacy.
Lesson Content
The Civil War began at the Battle of Fort Sumter on the 12th of April, 1861 and conclusively ended with
the Battle of Appomattox in 1865. Generals Grant and Sherman led most of the Union between the start
and end of the Civil War, while Generals Lee and Jackson led most of the Confederacy. The major battles
covered in this lesson are: Battle of Fort Sumter, 1st Battle of Bull Run, Battle of Fort Henry, Battle of Fort
Donelson, 2nd Battle of Bull Run, Battle of Antietam (the bloodiest day of the Civil War), Battle of
Chancellorsville (where Stonewall Jackson dies), the 3-day Battle of Gettysburg including Pickett’s Charge,
the Siege of Vicksburg, Sherman’s March to the Sea, and the Battle of Appomattox.
Student Grouping
Students will work individually on all tasks during this lesson. Students will have options as to which
assignment to choose to demonstrate their learning and thus it is better that students are uninfluenced by
peers in this decision, especially because students will be evaluated on individual work accuracy and
completion.
Methods
PowerPoint Lecture – used in Option A to complete handout. Provides a relatively simple but
comprehensive overview of major battles.
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Textbook Outline – to be completed for Option B, in which students read through the textbook to fill out
the blanks in the handout.
Guided Online Research – to be completed for Option C, the advanced level reading option. Students who
choose this are capable of very independent work to complete the handout.
Timeline Creation – assignment for Option 1, where students create a digital timeline through
www.dipity.com.
Perspective Letter – assignment for Option 2, where students write a creative letter home, speaking as if
one of the generals detailing the battles.
Historical Narrative – students write an objective narrative of the major battles for Option 3, which
provides a more traditional assignment.
Activities
Opening
Briefly introduce students to the background leading up to the Civil War, asking the “important questions
to ask” from the section below. Allow about 5 minutes for brief discussion.
Main Activity
Students will select 1 of 3 options to attain the learning objectives, including which Generals were involved
in each battle and each battle’s outcome. Time allotted should be that of at least the remainder of 50minute class period, roughly 40-45 minutes.
o Option A: View the instructor’s Civil War PowerPoint and complete the chronological handout of
major battles.
o Option B: Read through the Civil War chapter in the textbook and complete the chronological
handout of major battles.
o Option C: Use the events section of the site http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war
to complete the chronological handout of major battles. For this option, students may be sent to
the school library or computer lab if the classroom is not equipped with a set of computers.
Closing
Students will select 1 of 3 assignment options and use the grading rubric to successfully complete all
criteria. This will be assigned at the end of the class period and begun for homework. Students should also
be given the next 50-minute class period to complete the assignment.
o Option 1: Use the handout completed during class to create a timeline of the major battles in the
Civil War using www.dipity.com and Matthew Brady’s photography of battle sites from the battle
places section of http://www.archives.gov/research/civil-war/photos/.
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o For each battle along the timeline, students must include the date, the victor (Union or
Confederacy), a summary, and military generals involved.
o Option 2: Write a “letter home” from the perspective of one of the generals, either from the
Union side or the Confederate side, the major battles they fought in – including date, fellow
generals, summary of the battle and the outcome.
o Option 3: Compose a 2-page narrative of major battles of the Civil War listed in the handout. For
each battle, name the generals involved, include the date of the battle, a brief overview and the
outcome.
o All assignments due at the end of the start of next class period to provide time at home to
finish.
Important Questions to Ask
1. What were the economic differences between the North and the South? How may this have
influenced the start of the Civil War?
2. How did the North view the issue of slavery as opposed to the South? Did the North use slaves?
3. Why would the South oppose the election of President Lincoln?
Materials
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U.S. History class textbook(s)
Civil War PowerPoint presentation
Major Civil War Battles handout
Projector (or Smartboard)
Battle
places
section
of
photography
by
Matthew
Brady,
available
at
http://www.archives.gov/research/civil-war/photos/
The site www.dipity.com for timeline option
Events section of http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war for guided research option
Access to computers and internet
Evaluation & Rationale
This lesson is part of a unit covering the Civil War and Reconstruction. Students will be evaluated on
accurate completion of the Civil War Battles handout. It is essential that students complete this handout
accurately because it is used in the second part of the lesson where students choose which assignment to
complete. There are 3 different ways to complete the handout so that the students are differentiated based
on reading comprehension level and learning style (guided viewing of a PowerPoint with extensive visuals,
reading the grade-level textbook or guided research of the major battles on a specific advanced reading
history site.) Students will also be evaluated on the accurate completion and creativity of the assignment
they choose (timeline, letter or narrative). All three options use the handout to accurately and
chronologically depict historical events. All of the options in this lesson cover the same content using
different methods and learning styles. Some students will choose the more creative assignments, visual or
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composition-wise while others choose a more traditional writing assignment. There is a unit test at the end
of the unit to determine retention of accurate information, but students are also assessed on the quality of
the work they submit.
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Civil War (1861 – 1865)
Union: North
Confederacy: South
Led by President Abraham Lincoln
Led by Jefferson Davis
Major battles
Battle
Details
Victor
Battle of Fort Sumter
Confederate Beauregard fires on Fort Sumter, begins the Civil War
Confederacy
The Union army assaulted the Confederates. The battle raged back
and forth, but finally the arrival of additional Confederate troops
forced the Union to retreat
Confederacy
Union’s Grant takes Fort Henry and gains control of the Tennessee
River
Union
Union’s Grant takes Fort Donelson & accepts surrender of
Confederate army. Union gains control of Cumberland River
Union
April 12, 1861
1st Battle of Bull Run
1861
Battle of Fort Henry
1862
Battle of Fort Donelson
1862
2nd Battle of Bull Run
Confederacy
1862
Battle of Antietam
Union
1862
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Battle of Chancellorsville
Confederacy defeats Union army, Stonewall Jackson dies
Confederacy
Confederates’ Pickett’s Charge fails, many casualties & bloodiest
battle
Union
1863
Battle of Gettysburg
1863
Siege of Vicksburg
Union
1863
Sherman’s March
Union
1864
Battle of Appomattox
Union
1865
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