Presentation by: Helaine Berkowitz, Amanda Bowman,
Angie DeLeo, Brian Reddington and Nicole Vargas
Unit Overview
This activity packet is designed to give students a foundation in
the vocabulary and content they will be seeing and using in the
rest of the unit. Most ideas are not given the depth they will
achieve through further study and research but are introduced
to create familiarity and cohesiveness.
The purpose of the unit is to break down the causes into
useable parts. Teachers can take the activities and resources in
this unit to teach over 2-3 weeks or as a quick review.
The unit has been designed to be flexible for 7th grade teachers
who come across the Civil War at the end of the year and also
8th grade teachers who have limited time to teach the Civil War.
Causes of the Civil War
Essential Question:
What are the roots of rebellion?
Focus Questions:
1. What are the main differences between the North and the
South?
2. How did specific events and people shape history leading up
to the Civil War?
3. How did compromise postpone the Civil War?
Causes of the Civil War: Vocabulary
Vocabulary: Terms, Events, and People introduced in the Informational Text
Terms
Sectionalism
Commerce
Manufacturing
Slavery
Agriculture
Plantation
Cotton Gin
Slave Trade
Slave Codes
Popular Sovereignty
Abolitionist
Martyr
Insurrection
Secession
States’ Rights
Events
Missouri Compromise
Nullification Crisis
Compromise of 1850
Fugitive Slave Act
Underground Railroad
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Bleeding Kansas
Sack of Lawrence
Pottowatomie Massacre
Free Soil Party
Republican Party
Lincoln-Douglas
Debates
Election of 1860
Confederate States of
America
People
Eli Whitney
Henry Clay
Harriet Tubman
Frederick Douglass
Sojourner Truth
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Preston Brooks
Charles Sumner
Dred Scott
John Brown
Abraham Lincoln
Stephen Douglas
John Breckinridge
Four Parts
Part I: Unit Introduction
Part II: Compromises
Part III: Slavery
Part IV: Politics and Power
Part I: Introduction
Objective: SWBAT
 Activate prior knowledge and stimulate interest in the American Civil War
 the major causes of the American Civil War
Focus Questions:
1.
What are the main differences between the North and the South?
2.
How did specific events and people shape history leading up to the Civil War?
Procedure:
Pre-assessment – Gauge the level of knowledge your students have by compiling a class Know and Wonder list. Have students
brainstorm what they know about why we fought the Civil War and what they wonder about why we fought the Civil War.
A T-chart is best for the brainstorm activity but then you can make posters for the classroom for the duration of the unit
that has the things they know on one chart paper and the questions they have on another chart paper with room in
between the questions for the students to put up post-its as the learn the answers.
2. Informational Text and Questions – Is used to give students a foundation in the content that is going to be covered in the unit
and provides them with a handout they can use as reference as the class moves into deeper levels of complexity in
subsequent related activities.
Part II: Compromises
Objective: SWBAT
 Make connections to and analyze historical sectionalist compromises
Focus Question: How did compromise postpone the Civil War?
Procedure:
This lesson could be done over the course of multiple days or one class period. There are handouts
that give information about the 3/5ths Compromise, the Great Compromise, the Missouri
Compromise, the Kansas Nebraska Act, and the Compromise of 1850. Broken up over multiple
days, the handouts of the 3/5ths Compromise & Great Compromise may be given together as a
review and starter conversation. The next day students can work on the Missouri Compromise and
Compromise of 1850 handouts. For the last day of compromises, students may work on the
Kansas-Nebraska Act worksheets.
For the culminating discussion and wrap up, students fill out and discuss the Great Compromises
grid. This is where students synthesize the information they have been given and think about how
each compromise shows succession and how the compromises ultimately left room for more
discontent. The hand outs could be used as group, individual, jigsaw or station activities.
Part III: Slavery
Objective: SWBAT

Students will analyze primary sources in order to compare and contrast the different perspectives on slavery at the time
period.
Focus Question: What were the effects of Slavery on daily life?
Procedure: To analyze slave life and its affect on the people of the North and the South we decided to look at a variety of text
and media sources. Students use these sources to gain incite and to analyze different perspectives on slavery at the time
period.

Activity #1: analysis of Uncle Tom Cabin by: Harriet Beecher Stowe. Compare and contrast Uncle Tom’s Cabin and
Douglass’ narrative.

Activity #2: analysis of The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by: Frederick Douglass. Each table group will
read, paraphrase, and share the paragraph they read.

Activity #3: lyrics analysis of “Dixieland”

Activity #4: Newspaper critiques of the Dred Scott decision. Students write a letter to the editor explaining why you
agree/disagree with the critique you have read
Part IV: Politics and Power
Objective: SWBAT
Students will use biography in order to collect information about Bleeding Kansas
Focus Question: How did specific events and people shape history leading up to the Civil
War?
Procedure:

Students will create a timeline in order to sequence events and understand the
development of rebellion and violence.

Students will interpret maps to see political trends and public opinion in the election
of 1860.

Students will compare and contrast John Brown and Preston Brooks and how they
were perceived by Northerners and Southerners
Summative Assessment
Overview
Students will have an opportunity to demonstrate your
knowledge of the Civil War Causes in U.S. History through the
completion of this project.
Students have the opportunity to make this project look however
they want. From the project menu, they are to choose a variety
of projects that add up to 14 points.
Menu Options
2 points
6 points
Vocabulary Foldable
American History Theatre
Storyboard
Rap Song as a free black
Timeline
Letter from a slave owner
Illustrated chapter book
4 points
Draw a political cartoon
8 points
Write a speech as Abe Lincoln
Diary of a slave
Abolitionist Broadside
Textbook chapter
Newspaper Editorial
Broadcast
Board game
Rubric