The Battle of Gettysburg
Goals & Objectives
Students will learn about the Battle of Gettysburg. Students will analyze and explain why
the Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in the war.
California State Content and Common Core Standards
8.10 Students analyze the multiple causes, key events, and complex consequences of the
Civil War.
8.10.4. Discuss Abraham Lincoln’s presidency and his significant writings and speeches and
their relationship to the Declaration of Independence, such as his “House Divided” speech
(1858), Gettysburg Address (1863), Emancipation Proclamation (1863), and inaugural
addresses (1861 and 1865).
8.10.5. Study the views and lives of leaders (e.g., Ulysses S. Grant, Jefferson Davis, Robert E.
Lee) and soldiers on both sides of the war, including those of black soldiers and regiments.
8.10.6. Describe critical developments and events in the war, including the major battles,
geographical advantages and obstacles, technological advances, and General Lee’s
surrender at Appomattox.
CCSS Reading Literacy in History-Social Science 6-8.1. Cite specific textual evidence to
support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
CCSS Reading Literacy in History-Social Science 6-8.7 Integrate visual information (e.g., in
charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital
texts.
CCSS Writing Literacy in History-Social Science 6-8.1. Write arguments focused on
discipline-specific content.
CCSS Writing Literacy in History-Social Science 6-8.4. Produce clear and coherent writing
in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and
audience.
Lesson Introduction
The teacher will pass out a battlefield map of Gettysburg. The teacher will then show a
short video describing the Battle of Gettysburg and the major offensives. The students will
follow along with the video with their maps to gain an understanding of the fighting.
Vocabulary
The teacher will define each of these vocabulary words with the class during content
delivery, and the students will write the definitions down on their handouts. Key terms
include:
 Siege
 Cavalry
 Offensive
 Collision course
 Rebel
 Yankee
 Troops
 Turning point
 Casualty
 Hallowed
 resolve
Content Delivery
The teacher will pass out copies of the background essay “The Battle of Gettysburg: Why
Was It a Turning Point?” and the accompanying handout with questions. The teacher will
call on students to read each paragraph. After each paragraph, the teacher will ask the class
questions from the handout that are relevant to each paragraph. The teacher and class will
also work together to define the vocabulary words in each paragraph. Students will write
their answers on the handout as the class answers them.
The teacher will pass out the four documents to the students and explain that they will be
analyzing these documents and then writing an essay answering the question, “Why was
the Battle of Gettysburg a turning point in the war?” The teacher will ask the students to
discuss with their partner what the question means and what might be some possible
answers based on the video and background essay.
Student Engagement
Day 1: The teacher will ask the students to pull out Document A and quietly examine it for a
few minutes. The teacher answer the questions for the document with the whole class,
calling on volunteers to share their answers and elaborating answers for the students so
they understand the level of detail expected in their answers.
For homework, the students will analyze and answer the questions for Document B on
their own. Before the students leave class, the teacher will define the word casualty for the
students and explain that Confederate casualty numbers are often less exact than Union
numbers.
Day 2: The teacher will check to see that the students have completed Document B, and
then the whole class will go over the answers together. Students are encouraged to add or
change to their answers.
The teacher will introduce Document C, two letters written by Robert E. Lee after the Battle
of Gettysburg. The teacher will tell the students to pay special attention to the mood of the
letters. The students will work in pairs to analyze the document and answer the questions.
After students have spent some time working on Document C, the teacher will ask the
students to stop and get out Document D, The Gettysburg Address. The teacher will play a
short (about 5 min) video that describes Abraham Lincoln’s purpose behind making the
speech and ends with a reading of the speech itself. Students are encouraged to follow
along with their documents. Once the video is over, students will work with a partner to
answer the questions for Document D.
Before class ends, the teacher will tell the students that it is time to start thinking about
their essays. For their homework, the students will need to come up with three themes that
they feel address the question of why Gettysburg was a turning point. They also need to
indicate which documents best support each theme (documents can be used more than
once). The students will also answer any questions about Documents C and D that they did
not finish in class.
Day 3: Students will take out the paper on which they wrote their themes and documents
for support. In class, the students will with a thesis for their paper based on their themes.
The thesis should argue that Gettysburg was a turning point and include three reasons to
support their argument. The teacher will provide students with an essay outline guide to
help them structure their paper. The paper should be five paragraphs with three body
paragraph; each body paragraph should address one of the three reasons stated in the
thesis. Students will spend the class organizing and writing their essay with help from the
teacher.
Lesson Closure
Students will have two days to work on their paper at home before bringing in a rough
draft. On that day, students will peer review their papers. Students will then have an
additional two days to revise and proofread their papers before turning in a final draft. On
the day students turn in their final draft, the teacher will have students do a whip-around
where each student states what they think was the most important reason that Gettysburg
was a turning point.
Assessment
Formative: The questions that students answer about the documents on their own and
with partners will be assessed by the teacher to make sure students are understanding the
main points made by each document. The teacher will walk around the room while
students are working on their theses/rough drafts and ask questions and guide students if
they need help with either the content or the writing process. The rough drafts of their
papers will also be informally assessed by their peers.
Summative: The final draft of their essay will be graded and returned to the students with
feedback to improve both their understanding of the content and their writing skills.
Accommodations for English Learners, Striving Readers and Students with Special Needs
The two videos are an accommodation for ELs, striving readers, and students with special
needs because they provide a way for students to engage visually with the material. The
vocabulary definitions done during the background essay activity will be especially useful
for ELs and striving readers. These students will be paired with mainstream students
during the document analysis activities. The essay outline guide will help ELs and students
with special needs organize their essay. When grading the final draft of the essay, less
weight will be given to writing skills for ELs and some students with special needs.
Lesson Resources
“The Battle of Gettysburg,” The History Channel website, http://www.history.com,
http://www.history.com/videos/the-battle-of-gettysburg (accessed Sep 30, 2013).
“The Civil War: The Gettysburg Address,” PBS website, http://www.pbs.org,
http://video.pbs.org/video/1832543419/ (accessed Oct 1, 2013)
The DBQ Project: Mini-Qs in American History Volume 1, Unit 7 “The Battle of Gettysburg:
Why Was It a Turning Point?”