THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG
JULY1-3 1863
THE TURNING POINT OF THE CIVIL WAR
Despite a larger, better supplied army, the North had suffered
defeat after defeat at the hands of the South. President Lincoln
was very upset with the leadership of the Union Army and once
again replaced the commander of the Army of the Potomac at the
end of June, 1863. Gen. George Meade took command of the
Union Army only days before the pivotal battle of the war.
The Army of Northern Virginia, under the command of Robert E.
Lee was seeking to bring the fight up north to Pennsylvania.
Virginia had been ravaged with two years of fighting and Lee
believed the time was right to launch an assault on the North in
their own territory. The two armies clashed in a small town named
Gettysburg.
TASK
You work for a small newspaper in the town of Gettysburg. The
world is caught by surprise as the two armies come together for a
major clash right in front of your eyes. You and your staff have
the responsibility of accurately reporting the events as they unfold
for the rest of the nation. You must give an accurate and complete
account of the battle over a four day period. This will include the
events leading up to the battle and the aftermath. You must answer
the following questions:
1. What brought both the Union and Confederate armies to
Gettysburg?
2. What event started the battle?
3. What was the battle strategy for both sides?
4. Who were the major leaders in the battle?
5. What were the major events for each day of the battle?
6. What human interest stories were of significance? You
should have 2 feature articles on this.
7. How did the battle end?
8. What were the end results of the battle? Casualties, etc.
9. What was the town like after the battle?
10.
Why is this battle considered the turning point of the
war?
PROCESS
1. Get into groups of three to four students to form your new
staff.
2. As a staff, you must decide on the following jobs:
-editor (edit and approve all reports…responsible for final
draft)
-one or two news reporters (lead in gathering info)
-head of graphics and photography (will supply photos,
sketches, paintings, and graphics that will give a better
understanding to the readers of the events that took place.
Also must write captions and headlines)
3. Search the internet sources as well as books to find the
answers to the given questions about the Battle of
Gettysburg.
4. Decide on what type of articles each person is going to write.
You need 4 days of news articles dating from July 1st to July
4th. In addition you need two feature articles about human
interest stories taking place outside of the news realm. These
could be bios or editorials, etc.
5. You should include eyewitness accounts and interviews in
your articles.
6. Type your articles in the word processing program to make it
look like a newspaper article.
7. Add graphics, photos, maps, etc to enhance your project.
RESOURCES
http://www.pbs.org/civilwar/war/map12.html
http://www.nps.gov/gett/home.htm
http://www.nps.gov/gett/
http://www.state.me.us/quinn/Gettysburg/
http://www.gettysbg.com/battle.shtml
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/gtburg.htm
http://www.historyplace.com/civilwar/battle.htm
http://www.gb1863.com/
http://www.brotherswar.com/index.html
-This site even
gives the weather for each day of the battle. A must see!
http://www.us-civilwar.com/gettysburg.htm
http://www.swcivilwar.com/ChamberlainReportGettysburg.ht
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http://www.searchspaniel.com/index.php/Battle_of_Gettysburg
EVALUATION
Each news team member will be graded based on the following
criteria:
*Content of the news articles. All questions must be answered
completely and accurately. Grammar, spelling, and creativity
will be counted.
-A total of 6 articles worth 10 points each
*Graphics, layout, and photography.
-A total of 20 points
*Each staff member will assess the performance of the other
members in the group as well as themselves. This will be typed
on a separate sheet of paper and turned into the teacher.
-A total of 20 points will be given for this.
***note that your grade may be affected by others evaluation of
you.***
CONCLUSION
The Battle of Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle in American
history. The conclusion of this battle not only helped preserve
the Union, but also showed the world that our democracy could
endure. Both sides fought valiantly for their causes and
thousands of lives were sacrificed in order to preserve our great
Union. Hopefully you have gained a greater understanding and
appreciation of this pivotal event in American and World
history.