Civil War Unit for 3rd grade
Civil War Unit Brainstorming Web
"Resident
Experts"
Research in
small
groups
KWL chart/
Civil War
timeline
Historical
Fiction
Preparing
to find out
Family
Tree
Interview
Finding
Out
Ways of Life in the
North and South
During the Civil War
Tuning In
Taking
Action
What
would you
like to have
abolished in
your life?
Making
Connections
Sorting Out
Going
Further
Civil War
classroom
"Museum"
Research an
important
person-speech/
debate
Write about the Civil
War from the
perspective of someone
else, i.e. a slave, soldier,
woman
Key Perspectives
1) Thinking critically: Students will be asked to look behind and beyond the surface of
the issue of slavery versus freedom during the Civil War. They will be asked to
examine how people living back then felt and compare that to how they would
feel today if that were happening in our country.
2) Living with uncertainty: Students will learn more about how people lived with
uncertainty during the Civil War. They will also think about how we live with
uncertainty today and how they can grow into confident citizens.
3) Justice, rights and responsibilities: Students will look back at what rights people had
during the Civil War compared to today. They will be asked to consider what is
just or right in our society today and how they can be a part of making our
country a better place to live in.
Background Information
We talked with several teachers who were surprised to hear that this might be
taught at this age level. It is usually taught in 5th grade. They felt that it would have to be
taught in a different way in order for third graders to understand it. [One of us]
interviewed her father, a retired social studies teacher, who expressed some surprise at
teaching civil war concepts to third graders. However, he did agree that it could be done
if the appropriate essential questions were asked. The general feeling was that it could be
a great way to begin to talk with children about inequality and racism issues. At this age
level, the unit would need to focus more on the people living during the Civil War rather
than on the battles, dates and other particulars of the war.
We also looked at what some of our academic readings have said about teaching
history to children. Takaki talks about what mirror we want our students to see
themselves in. We can teach our students that we are constantly redefining who we are
as Americans by learning about our past and how it has influenced where we are today.
Zinn also emphasizes the importance of finding connections between our past and the
present day. He encourages critical thinking and the need to address issues of diversity.
We believe that both of these authors would want students in 3rd grade to explore the
Civil War as an issue of how our nation dealt with conflict in the past and how that
conflict influenced the lives of the common people. Students at this age can explore the
topic by looking back through their family history and by putting themselves in the shoes
of the people who lived during the Civil War.
Based on the background information obtained and upon our own brainstorming,
we have developed the following questions:
1) Enduring Understanding:
a) Why do people disagree and what are ways to deal with conflict?
b) How did families deal with national conflict in the past and how do
families deal with it today?
2) Essential Questions:
a) How does conflict on a national level affect our daily lives?
b) How did the Civil War affect the lives of the people living in the North
the South?
Rationale
A unit on the Civil War is not usually introduced at the third grade level, but
within the proper context, third graders can gain a great deal from this topic. Our goal in
creating a third grade unit on the Civil War is to expose them to the general atmosphere
of the United States during this time period. We do not want the students to come away
from this unit with only a rote memorization of important dates, memorable speeches,
and body counts. This topic is a great way to open up discussion and inquiry about the
different ways that people lived their lives in our country and how this contributed to a
time of war. Third grade students are able to examine different lifestyles and ask
questions about why people lived this way and how it probably made them feel. The
concepts of diversity and changing times are very present in the lives of third grade
students today.
This topic brings out many of the goals of a quality social studies unit. The
National Council for the Social Studies asks the question, How do we achieve excellence
in social studies? They came up with three answers: Supporting the common good;
adopting common and multiple perspectives; and applying knowledge, skills, and values
to civic action. This unit on the Civil War touches each of these goals in multiple ways.
We want students to see and understand the multiple perspectives that started the conflict.
During wartime, every citizen is somehow involved in civic action to support his or her
idea of the common good. Students will benefit from this exploration of the Civil War
because the ideas behind it are critical issues they will see in social studies topics
throughout their schooling.
Right now in the world of social studies education, there is a high value placed on
teaching students the other side of the story. This could be looking at Columbus through
Native American eyes or examining the cotton trade in a slave’s perspective. The Civil
War era gives many opportunities to look at many sides of an issue. Lifestyles in the
North and south have many stereotypes that the students will explore. They may find that
some are true, while others are exaggerated. Hopefully, the students will see that there
are groups of people that are left out of the Civil War story. These people deserve to be
studied. Through this Civil War unit, students will have a feel of what everyone's life
was like, not just the people who are famous from this period of time.
Historical Fiction Activities: Instructional Strategy-Learning Logs
Purpose:

To assist students to reflect on their own learning

To provide a source of data for assessment

To provide teachers with an insight into students’ understandings and attitudes as
well as their perceptions of their own strengths and weaknesses.
Procedure:
Learning logs are designed to allow students to reflect on what they are studying or a
particular activity they have engaged in by using a structured format. In the learning log,
students may be prompted with questions to focus their writing, or may be allowed to
“free-think” during their journaling. In essence, the students should be providing the
reader with a glimpse of what he or she learned in the lesson or activity that day, how
they felt about the activity and what questions they have. For the purposes of the unit on
the Civil War, students will be given a series of historical fiction books over the course of
the entire unit. For each book, the student should try to keep a daily or weekly learning
log (depending on the length of the book) about a particular character within the text.
The student should reflect on the character’s feelings as well as their own feelings while
reading the text. The student should also consider how the text relays the time period
around the Civil War and what perspective it offers about the war itself as well as the
lifestyles and customs of that time. The teacher will provide written feedback for each
student’s learning log and should encourage the student to share their feelings with other
students in the class, particularly those reading the same book (i.e. gauge different
perspectives from different peers). The learning logs might also be used at the end of the
unit as cumulative reflection of what the students felt they have learned throughout the
unit and what aspects they liked and disliked and questions they might have about the
topic.
Why Learning Logs?
Learning logs are a great way to analyze how the students in your class are
learning without directly eliciting a response from them orally. In a journal-type format,
students are given more freedom to express their thoughts in an unrestricted manner and
are encouraged to be as honest and forthright as possible. Learning log entries are a great
way to get the students’ thoughts down on paper and truly capture their feelings for each
character in a book. They provide not only an insight into the knowledge base the
student already has on the subject matter, but also provides information on what the
student is learning, how they feel about it and what they’d like to learn in the future. By
reading historical fiction, students are taking into alternate mindsets during the same time
period and are privy to a multitude of different perspectives. We feel that by giving the
students the chance to read historical fiction texts about the Civil War from a variety of
perspectives, the students will ultimately reflect more on the time period and begin to
consider multiple points of view. We feel this would be an interesting dynamic to
witness in the learning logs and would be intriguing to see how perspectives and voices
change after reading different texts. As students become more comfortable in their
writing and ability to express themselves in written form, hopefully the transition into
speaking their opinions in front of the class or participating in group discussion or
debates will improve. Learning logs, in essence, are a means of supporting the students’
reflective skills and encourage creativity, multiple perspectives and can create dialogue
between student and teacher that may not have existed otherwise.
In many elementary classrooms these days, students are encouraged to keep
something similar to a learning log in their everyday academic activities. In most of our
cooperating classrooms, students keep a journal and are allowed to write about daily
events, things that they have learned in science, mathematics and reading as well as a
means for students to express themselves creatively. Often times in science students can
keep a field study journal, which is quite similar to a learning log in that most field study
journals have prompts to guide the students in their studies and data collection and
provide a format for student discovery. In our experiences in the classrooms, as well as
outside of the classroom, learning logs and journals provide a means to reflect on the
activities and events we engage ourselves in as well as an opportunity to voice our
opinions and truly analyze our world. Learning logs are a great way to develop student
reflective skills as well as promoting good writing techniques and structure as well as
creativity. In our experiences, students have really enjoyed having a say in their studies
and always look forward to recording their world in journal form. As adults, written
responses and reflections often provide a means to pose questions and frustrations as well
as a way to reflect on our growth and development in specific areas. In terms of what
other teachers feel about learning logs, the results conclude that they are successful and
appropriate tools to engage students in the material and a great way to assess them at the
same time.
According to teacher forums in school districts across the country, learning logs
and journals are useful methods for assessing student progress. In most classrooms that
implement learning logs, they are most commonly used in assessing literacy but there are
many crossovers into content areas other than those associated with reading and writing.
When properly understood and used, learning logs have been known to become a vehicle
for exchange among parents, teachers, and students. Learning logs and journals are said
to be wonderful tools for formative forms of evaluation and assessment. Teachers can
assign letter grades or point values on a variety of scales. Since learning logs are not
confidential, they can provide an open record, which although subjective is not random.
Moreover, teachers feel that learning logs are less personal than a journal and focus on
recording learning as it occurs. Of the teachers spoken to, the use of logs is a great way
to determine what and how a student is learning.
According to the National Education Association, learning logs provide a means
of “teaching around the circle” such that learning logs provide a style which
“accommodates a variety of learners and allows them to track their growth developing
observations about the experience through learning logs and journal fosters learning by
discovery and allows students to excel in some aspect of the class.”
Literacy Link
The primary focus on literacy in this unit will be to read aloud Across Five Aprils,
by Irene Hunt. This is a novel set in Southern Illinois during the Civil War. The story
centers on a young boy who can only watch as all of the men in his life leave to go fight
in the War. This book would be read as a read aloud because the novel is geared towards
a slightly more mature age group. When read aloud, the teacher can determine the pace
and the amount of story read at one time. The teacher will also be able to control the
discussion of the novel, as well as pick out and focus on the important parts of the story
that many children in third grade would miss on their own.
At [a local] Grade School, [name], a third grade teacher, reads a loud to her
children on a regular basis. She believes that reading aloud allows the children to
concentrate on the story better because they are not worrying about making mistakes
while they are reading. They do not see the activity as learning, but as a fun time to listen
to the teacher read. She also discusses what they read in both formal and informal ways,
from asking about what they read or what questions they have to making charts on the
board to compare and contrast characters.
Another aspect of literature that would be incorporated is having various books on
the topic of the Civil War in the classroom library for the children to read during silent
reading or free time. They would not be read as a class, but would be available for all of
the children to read if they desired. Having a classroom library with books centered on
the Civil War will allow the children to dig deeper in to the subject and have books from
many genres to choose from. Some books will be nonfiction, some will be historical
fiction, some will be picture books, etc. The books will also cover many different
character perspectives during that time period. A classroom library is a good way to
expose children to books that might not be appropriate to read as an entire class, but still
are quality literature and should be available in case a child has the desire to learn more
about a subject.
Unit Sketch
Enduring Understanding:
a) Why do people disagree and what are ways to deal with conflict?
b) How did families deal with national conflict in the past and how do
families deal with it today?
Essential Questions:
a) How does conflict on a national level affect our daily lives?
b) How did the Civil War affect the lives of the people living in the North
the South?
This unit will be based upon the following standards:
1) Illinois state goal 16A, which says that students will apply the skills of historical
analysis and interpretation.
2) Illinois state goal 16D, which says that students will understand Illinois, United States
and world social history.
3) Illinois state goal 18B, which says that students will understand the roles and
interactions of individuals and groups in society.
4) NCSS standards of “culture” and “time, continuity, and change”
Ways of Life in the North and South During the Civil War Activities
I.
Tuning In
A. Family Tree Interview
This activity is meant to pull students into the topic of the Civil War by
relating it to their own lives. Many families are able to trace their
ancestry back to the 1800's. For this activity, the students would
interview their family about where their ancestors lived during the time of
the Civil War. Families may even know what certain ancestors'
occupations were or if ancestors fought in the war themselves. Students
will draw as extensive a family tree as possible. Then, the students will
predict what their ancestors lives were like. They can compare it to their
own lives. This will only be short paragraphs annotating the family tree.
If students do not have the resources for this interview in their own
family, they are welcome to ask an acquaintance or work in pairs and use
one family's information.
II.
Preparing to find out
A. KWL chart/Civil War timeline
This activity gives the class a good idea of what to expect to see during
the unit. The teacher will map out the first two parts of a KWL chart:
what the students think they already know, and what they want to learn.
It is important that the teacher encourage students to share broad ideasthey shouldn't be expected to know specific dates or names. From the
information the students share, the teacher can transition into a general
timeline of events. Again, for third graders this timeline will be very
general. It should be an easy visual for students to grasp how long the
war lasted and what major events occurred.
III.
Finding Out
A. Historical Fiction
In this activity, students will read a variety of trade books and will be
asked to take on the role of different characters within those books.
Students will be asked to write a series of journal entries about the
characters using the voice of those characters, write a speech expressing
their views and discuss with their peers the perspectives of the Civil War
era.
B. "Resident Experts" Research in small groups
This activity requires the students to break into small groups and research
a Civil War topic of their choice. The teacher may want to come up with
a list of ideas that has a variety of broad topics: famous people, typical
occupations, government events, important battles... The purpose of this
activity is that each group will become an expert on this topic. This is a
chance for the students to gain practice in research strategies. They will
need to know all about the topic and how it changed people's lives during
the Civil War era.
IV.
Sorting Out
A. Civil War classroom "Museum"
This is an extension of the Resident Expert activity. The groups will take
the topic they researched and make a presentation for the classroom Civil
War Museum. This is a student-centered project, so the students can
decide how they want to share their information with the class. Along
with creating a group presentation of their Resident Expert topic, the
students will each create a smaller presentation individually. This will be
on a much more specific topic like a food that people ate during the war,
a weapon the soldiers used, or an invention that was created during this
time. All these presentations will be compiled on a special museum day
so the students can walk around and learn about broad and specific topics
that affected the Civil War period.
V.
Going Further
A. Research an important person's speech or debate
This activity asks the students to look at some of the speeches and
debates that went on over the topic of slavery and the war. These words
were important enough to have survived over a century to still be read
today. The teacher should let the students know that they may not
understand exactly what they speaker meant because people talked
differently 100 years ago. The students should use their research skills to
find out which side of the conflict the speaker was on. The students
should also reflect on why he thinks the speaker wrote this speech.
Students will present a portion of the speech to the class (to work on
public speaking skills) and explain what he thinks the speech is really
about.
VI.
Making Connections
A. Write about the Civil War from the perspective of someone else, i.e. a
slave, soldier, woman
This activity is pretty self-explanatory. It is also student centered, so the
students will have a choice about how they will write about the "other
side of the story." Students can use information they learned from the
Civil War Museum, or they may need to do some independent research
on their own. Some students may be inspired to write a speech after
studying some of the famous words of that time. Others might write a
story or a fake diary.
VII. Taking Action
A. What would you like to have abolished in your life?
This question ties the conflict of the Civil War to the students’ personal
lives. Students will brainstorm ideas about what they would like
abolished in their own lives. They will also have to consider who can
help make these changes - their parents, the principal, the city council.
The students will write a persuasive letter to this person explaining what
the student wants abolished. The students should ask for a letter in
response, too.
Unit Bibliography
(Note about the bibliography: All books are for the 3rd-6th grade reading level except for
those marked with an * which indicates it is for a younger reading level)
Fiction:
Civil War On Sunday by M. Osborne (Random House; New York. 2000)*
With Every Drop of Blood by J. Collier & C. Collier (Delacorte Press; New York.
1994)
Shades of Gray by C. Reeder (Macmillan; New York. 1989)
Bull Run by Paul Fleischman (HarperCollins, 1993)
Now Let Me Fly: The Story of a Slave Family by Dolores Johnson (Macmillan, 1993)
The Drinking Gourd: A Story of the Underground Railroad by F.N. Monjo (Harper
& Row, 1993)
Charley Skedaddle by Patricia Beatty (Morrow, 1987)
Eben Tyne, Powdermonkey by Patricia Beatty and Phillip Robbins (Morrow, 1990)
Jayhawker by Patricia Beatty (Morrow, 1991)
Turn Homeward, Hannalee by Patricia Beatty (Morrow, 1984)
Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (Follett, 1964)
The Boys' War by Jim Murphy (Clarion Books, 1990)
Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco (Philomel, 1994)
Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringgold (Crown
Publishers, 1992)
Biography:
Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman (Clarion Books, 1987)
Escape from Slavery: The Boyhood of Frederick Douglass in His Own Words edited
by Michael McCurdy (Alfred A. Knopf, 1994)
The Story of Booker T. Washington by Patricia and Fred McKissack (Children’s Press,
1991)
Harriet Tubman by M. W. Taylor (Chelsea House Publishers, 1991)
Informational:
Outrageous Women of Civil War Times by M.R. Furbee (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.;
New Jersey. 2003)
The Civil War: Strange & Fascinating Facts by Burke Davis (Holt, Rinehart and
Winston, Inc.; 1960)
Civil War A to Z: A Young Reader’s Guide To Over 100 People, Places and Points
of Importance by Norman Bolotin (Dutton Children’s Books, 2003)
A Separate Battle: Women and the Civil War by Ina Chang (Lodestar Books, 1991)
Unit Assessment Plan
The different types of assessment that will be used are described in the section
describing the different types of activities. There is also more information about the
assessment plans in the lesson plan that follows.
Lesson Plan: Historical Fiction
The Civil War
Grade Level: 3rd
Standards Addressed:
16. A.1a Explain the difference between past, present and future time; place themselves
in time.
16. A.1b Ask historical questions and seek out answers from historical sources (e.g.,
myths, biographies, stories, old photographs, artwork, and other visual or electronic
sources).
16. A.1c Describe how people in different times and places viewed the world in different
ways.
Student Objectives:
o Students will be able to discuss some of the social, political, and personal issues
that Americans confronted during the Civil War era.
o Students will be able to use the Internet to locate resources related to the Civil
War and incorporate information from these resources into their own writing.
o Students will be able to define historical fiction and identify some of the
techniques writers use to create good historical fiction.
o Students will be able to discuss the central issues of the Civil War from a variety
of different perspectives.
o Students will be able to share their personal reactions to what they have learned in
both small group and whole-class discussions.
Rationale:
Given the nature and duration of the Civil War it would almost be impossible to provide
only one perspective of the motives and true-life accounts as there were so many different
people involved and much too many important events experienced to let slip by. As
such, the focus of this lesson will be on historical fiction written from the multiple
perspectives of persons both fictional and non-fictional during the Civil War era. Each
student will be responsible for reading a variety of historical fiction texts and will
hopefully gain new insights and perspectives on the Civil War in doing so. By allowing
the students to engage in reading such historical fiction texts the focus of this lesson
revolves more around the stories, memories and hardships of the Civil War as seen
through the eyes of a younger audience and as such is catered towards students in the mid
to upper elementary grades. In exploring the more “basic” foundations of the Civil War
including the ways of life for those living in both the North and the South, students will
diversify their understanding of the Civil War in that it was more than just battles, and
important dates; the Civil War was about the relationship between the North and South
and how that relationship affected daily life. This lesson is also designed to stray away
from the more traditionalized Civil War lesson plan in that it does not incorporate the use
of textbooks as the sole basis for learning but rather incorporates a variety of small novels
and texts for the students to expand upon their prior knowledge of the Civil War and
adopt a new understanding and appreciation of the multiple accounts and viewpoints
expressed about this era as seen through different eyes.
Materials:
o
o
o
o
Butcher block paper
Bound journals
Pencils
Civil War based historical fiction texts (see list below)
Procedure:
o The unit will begin with a KWL chart of what the students know, what they want
to know, and what they have learned at the conclusion of the lesson. The
instructor will first initiate a discussion about what the students know, or think
they know, about the Civil War and will thereafter extend to what the students
would like to know or discover about the Civil War era.
o The instructor may choose, at this point, to direct students to a timeline of events
that occurred during the Civil War period or direct the students to an online
version of the Civil War timeline provided by the Library of Congress at:
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cwphtml/tl1861.html
o The class may generate their own list of people or a timeline of events that they
would like to learn more about and record those people and events on a piece of
butcher block paper to be displayed in the classroom as a “learning goal” or what
the class would like to learn about as part of the “W” of the KWL chart.
o Thereafter, students may engage in a series of “resident expert” activities where
they will research and important battle, event or person from the Civil War era
and prepare a brief explanation of what they have learned to their peers. Some
ideas for researching may include:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
the Harpers Ferry raid
Abraham Lincoln
the Battle of Bull Run
the Battle of Gettysburg
the Battle of Shiloh
General Robert E. Lee
General William Sherman
the Underground Railroad
o After the “resident expert” activities, students will engage in a discussion about
historical fiction. In the discussion, the instructor should elicit responses about
what historical fiction is as well as some examples of modern day historical
fiction or examples the students can think of that they may have read in the past.
Thereafter, discuss the definition of historical fiction with the class.
o Historical fiction is a literary genre or type of story that is based on events
that actually occurred in history. A historical fiction author may base his
or her book on a battle or event that occurred during the Civil War, but
fictionalizes or makes up the main characters in the story as well as what
happens to those characters throughout the book. Historical fiction
authors will research the specific event that they would like to write about
for quite some time to find the setting before they write their book and will
later add in relatable characters to help students, like you, identify more
with the book.
o The students will then engage in reading a series of historical fiction texts, which
they will use to write about in their Civil War journals. The students will be asked
to comment on a variety of prompts including:
o Writing about one of the “lesser heroes” in a book that you have read and
write a series of journal entries using their voice. In your journal, write
about the experiences they have had, how they felt about different events
during the Civil War as well as how they related to the other characters in
the book, both major and minor.
o Have the students separate into two groups: abolitionists and antiabolitionists. Have the students in each group write a short speech from
the viewpoint of one of these two groups discussing how the effects of the
war have changed their lifestyle and why their group’s side should prevail.
Encourage students to think about their intended audience and practice on
a few of their peers or family members prior to delivering the speech as
part of a class debate later on in the unit.
o Have the students imagine that they have been magically transported to
the Civil War era. Encourage them to think about where they are,
geographically, who they might meet, what they might eat, what music
they might enjoy as well as what happened on their visit (i.e. historic
events or battles?) Allow the students to share their stories in small groups
and/or present them to the class.
Adaptations:
o For students who need more of a challenge within this lesson, encourage them to
write a small paper comparing the viewpoints expressed in two different books.
These books, ideally, should share different perspectives such as an abolitionist
versus an anti-abolitionist; a woman’s perspective versus a man’s perspective; a
white man’s perspective versus an African American man’s perspective, etc.
Encourage students to reflect upon the feelings and emotions expressed within the
texts and prompt them to discuss the differing attitudes and viewpoints in their
paper. The students may then choose to read what they have written in a brief
oral presentation to the class.
o For students who may struggle with reading extended passages or large amounts
of text, selected chapters or passages may be taken out of the historical fiction
texts such that the students may focus on one particular aspect of the story.
Students who may struggle with reading may be assigned to pick out historical
language of the time within a piece of text such as “git” for “get” or “’taters” for
“potatoes” etc., and talk about how the language of the Civil War is different from
the language used today.
o For students who may struggle with writing, adaptations may be made to include
an audio-transcribed journal where the student may record his or her thoughts on
a particular text rather than writing it out. Students might also draw pictures or
represent their feelings and emotions about a piece of literature pictorially.
o As an extra activity or incentive, students may be allowed to watch historical
videos about the Civil War period as well as listen to music derived from that
time period. The music may be part of a listening center where students can read
the lyrics as they listen to the audio cassette. This would be an excellent
adaptation for students who may have visual difficulties as well as students who
are more auditory learners. The video clips or segments may be used to further
express a certain viewpoint and enhance the overall feeling of the era.
Assessment/Wrap-up:
o To conclude the unit, students will have an opportunity to fill out the “L” aspect
of the KWL chart for what they have learned throughout this unit. The students
may discuss:
o Characters in the books they have read: interesting facts, relationships,
attitudes about the Civil War, perspective/viewpoints, etc.
o Did either side (North or South) have a more convincing stand? Which
side would your favorite character identify with? Why? Did their feelings
change throughout the books you’ve read? What events or experiences
may have changed their viewpoint?
o Did your opinions or viewpoint of the Civil War change after reading
these historical fiction texts? Why or why not?
o Students will be assessed by formative and summative means throughout the unit
and will include assessment formats such as:
o Formative assessment will include:
 Students to discuss some of the social, political, and personal
issues that Americans confronted during the Civil War era.
 Students use the Internet to locate resources related to the Civil
War and incorporate information from these resources into their
own writing.
 Students define historical fiction and identify some of the
techniques writers use to create good historical fiction in a one-onone assessment with the instructor.


Students discuss the central issues of the Civil War from a variety
of different perspectives in both small and large-group discussions.
Students will share their personal reactions to what they have
learned in both small group and whole-class discussions.

o Summative assessment will include:
 Civil War journal: Each student will be assessed on completeness
and organization of his or her journal entries. Students should be
able to discuss their journal entries and how they reflect a certain
viewpoint of the Civil War era.
 Students should be able to write their own story about the Civil
War from a historical fiction perspective.
Suggested Book List:
o Bull Run by Paul Fleischman (HarperCollins, 1993).
o Now Let Me Fly: The Story of a Slave Family by Dolores Johnson (Macmillan,
1993).
o The Drinking Gourd: A Story of the Underground Railroad by F.N. Monjo
(Harper & Row, 1993).
o Charley Skedaddle by Patricia Beatty (Morrow, 1987).
o Eben Tyne, Powdermonkey by Patricia Beatty and Phillip Robbins (Morrow,
1990).
o Jayhawker by Patricia Beatty (Morrow, 1991).
o Turn Homeward, Hannalee by Patricia Beatty (Morrow, 1984).
o Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman (Clarion Books, 1987).
o Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (Follett, 1964).
o Escape from Slavery: The Boyhood of Frederick Douglass in His Own Words
edited by Michael McCurdy (Alfred A. Knopf, 1994)
o The Story of Booker T. Washington by Patricia and Fred McKissack
(Children’s Press, 1991).
o The Boys' War by Jim Murphy (Clarion Books, 1990).
o Harriet Tubman by M. W. Taylor (Chelsea House Publishers, 1991)
Lesson Source:
Small Planet Communications (2000)"Lesson Plan: The Civil
War." Retrieved from
http://www.smplanet.com/civilwar/civilwar.html
Reflections
In working with other teachers, we all had something different to contribute from
our placement experiences. The task of obtaining information was easier because we
could each contribute ideas and then expand on those ideas. It was easy to come up with
one big idea but harder to get the smaller details.
Initially, it appeared to be too hard of a subject to do with this grade level. We
then realized we needed to help the students see this subject from a personal perspective,
rather than worrying about teaching 3rd graders dates and battle names. We were
pleasantly surprised to find that there are reading materials that could be used with this
age level. The book we used for the main focal point of the lesson has to be used as a
read aloud for this age group. We realized that if a content area book appears to be too
hard for students to read independently, it could still be used as a read aloud or as a
resource book for students.
We have realized that we may have to teach topics that we feel uncomfortable
teaching. Some topics may not appear to be age appropriate but can be adjusted to fit the
needs of the students we will work with. By looking at this content in this way, teaching
this subject will allow students to have a good conceptual foundation to work from when
they study this topic again later.
We have discovered that inquiry based teaching is a lot more interesting for us as
teachers and for the students we teach. Students can enjoy this type of learning more
than just memorizing facts and hopefully will retain the knowledge they gain for a longer
time.