What Was the Civil War’s
Biggest Impact on Kentucky?
Jean Wolph, Louisville Writing Project Director
and Kentucky Writing Project Director
Based on resources available at
http://4thgradeky.wikispaces.com/Lesson+9+The+Civil+War+in+Kentucky
Mini-Unit Overview
Writing
Argument
MINI-UNIT
Emphasis
ARGUMENT SKILLS
PRODUCT
ELEMENTS OF
ARGUMENT
Reading
CLOSE READING
STRATEGIES
RESPONSE TO
READINGS
Close reading strategies
Writing & talking to
develop knowledge on
topic or issue
TOPICS
# of Lessons
Draft, Feedback, Revise,
Reflect
Researching
to Make an
Argument of
Value
6 Lessons
Entering Skills:
• Sharing ideas in a
small group
discussion
Foundational Skills:
• Exploring evidence
to make a judgment
• Introduce topic
clearly, state an
opinion
• Group related ideas
• Provide reasons
that are supported
by facts and details.
• Link opinion and
reasons using
transitions
• Provide a
concluding section
related to the
opinion presented.
Product: Article
Researching to
make an
informed
opinion
Claim
Evidence
Studying texts
to form an
opinion
Categorizing
evidence
Scaffolded
claim writing:
The Civil War’s
biggest impact
on Kentucky
was ____
because _____.
What was the
Civil War’s
Biggest Impact
on Kentucky?
4 shared
Readings
2
Standards Emphasized in the Mini-Unit
READING STANDARDS FOR INFORMATIONAL TEXT
Key Ideas and Details
1. Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
2. Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.
3. Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
Craft and Structure
4. Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
5. Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.
6. Compare and contrast a firsthand and secondhand account of the same event or topic; describe the differences in focus and the information provided.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
7. Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how
8. Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.
9. Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
10. By the end of year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 4–5 text complexity band proficiently, w
Fluency
4. Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. WRITING STANDARDS
Text Types and Purposes
1. Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.
a. Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which related ideas are grouped to support the writer’s purpose.
b. Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details.
c. Link opinion and reasons using words and phrases (e.g., for instance, in order to, in addition).
d. Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented.
Mini-Unit Instructional Sequence
Day 1
•
Introduce
research
question
(inquiry)
•
Gather our
knowledge about
4 selected
presidents on a
class chart
•
Study text 1,
excerpted
material from
text on George
Washington.
Focus on the
qualities or
characteristics of
the man, based
on his actions.
•
Class charting of
qualities
Day 2
•
•
Study text
2,
excerpted
material
from text
on
Abraham
Lincoln.
Focus on
the
qualities
or
characteris
tics of the
man,
based on
his
actions.
Class
charting of
qualities
Day 3
•
•
Study text 3,
excerpted
material from
text on
George
Washington.
Focus on the
qualities or
characteristics
of the man,
based on his
actions.
Day 4
•
Class charting
of qualities
•
Study text
4,
excerpted
material
from text
on Barak
Obama.
Focus on
the
qualities or
characteris
tics of the
man,
based on
his actions.
Class
charting of
qualities
Day 5
•
Claim
writing
•
Four
Corners
Debate
Day 6
•
Drafting of
letter or
poster to
share
opinions
about the
qualities
we need in
our next
president
Inquiry Question:
What Was the Civil War’s
Biggest Impact on Kentucky?
Social
Political
Economic
What do we think we know about the
Civil War?
Let’s list our ideas on a class chart.
What We Think We
Know About the Civil
War
Confirmed or
Disconfirmed
Source
Let’s Explore the Civil War
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNPEZRTpwPw
• http://www.history.com/topics/american-civilOR
war/american-civil-war-history/videos/confederatevs-union-soldiers
Watch the video clip. Listen for social, political,
or economic impacts of the war on Kentucky.
Gathering Evidence
Social
Political
Economic
What did we hear and see?
Reading and Researching
Research will
help us decide
the biggest
impact of the
Civil War on
our state.
Social
Political
Economic
North versus South: A House Divided
Resource
A, A House
Divided,
http://4thgradeky.
wikispaces.com/Le
sson+9+The+Civil+
War+in+Kentucky
Abraham Lincoln
Jefferson Davis
Northerners believed slavery was
cruel and immoral. Many
abolitionists in the North fought
for an end to slavery.
Many Southerners supported
the use of slave labor and
defended the practice of
slavery.
The North supported more
involvement by the national
government in decision making
and less power in the hands of
state government.
The North wanted territories (not
yet states) to enter the Union as
free states.
The North did not support
slavery due to the increased
manufacturing work in factories
that was largely done by
immigrants.
The South believed each state
should be allowed to make its
own decision about most
issues (including slavery).
The South wanted territories
to enter the Union as slave
states.
The South supported slavery
due to the need for workers on
plantations and farms in the
South.
What big
issues did
Kentuckians
have
different
opinions
about
during the
time of the
Civil War?
North versus South: A House Divided
Consider what it was like to live in Kentucky during the time when
our nation was divided over these issues. What problems do you
think Kentuckians faced?
Resource A
A House
Divided,
_________
Northerners believed slavery was
cruel and immoral. Many
abolitionists in the North fought
for an end to slavery.
Many Southerners supported
the use of slave labor and
defended the practice of
slavery.
The North supported more
involvement by the national
government in decision making
and less power in the hands of
state government.
The North wanted territories (not
yet states) to enter the Union as
free states.
The North did not support
slavery due to the increased
manufacturing work in factories
that was largely done by
immigrants.
The South believed each state
should be allowed to make its
own decision about most
issues (including slavery).
The South wanted territories
to enter the Union as slave
states.
The South supported slavery
due to the need for workers on
plantations and farms in the
South.
Gathering Evidence
Social
Political
Economic
What can we conclude? What
were the social, political, and
economic impacts the Civil War
had on Kentucky?
Reading and Researching
We’ll read several
articles to gather
more evidence:
• Kentucky and
the Civil War
• $100 Reward
Social
Political
Economic
Kentucky and the Civil War
SEPTEMBER 03, 1861 : CONFEDERATE FORCES ENTER KENTUCKY
Kentucky was heavily divided prior to the war. Although slavery was common in the state, nationalism was strong. Unionists
stopped legislators from calling a convention to consider secession after the firing on Fort Sumter, South Carolina, in April
1861.
Governor Beriah Magoffin refused to send troops to either side. A special session of the legislature in the summer of 1861 sent
a warning to both the Confederate and Union armies not to deploy forces in the state. Union and Confederates alike
recognized the folly of entering Kentucky into the war, as it would tip the delicate political balance to the other side.
President Abraham Lincoln, a Kentucky native, was well aware of the state’s neutrality. He soon realized that the Confederates
were getting resources and troops from the state. However, in three special elections held that summer showed more and
more Kentuckians were favoring the Union.
Kentucky’s location made staying neutral nearly impossible. The major rivers of the upper south drained into the Ohio River
through Kentucky, and the state had the country’s ninth largest population.
Troops from both sides began to build fortifications along the border in the first months of the war. The Confederates made a
critical blunder when General Polk occupied Columbus, Kentucky, on September 3. This move proved costly for the
Confederates. Kentucky’s Unionist legislature then invited Federal troops in to drive away the invaders. On September 6,
Grant occupied Paducah and Southland, at the mouths of the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers, respectively. These were vital
positions that allowed the Union a huge advantage in the contest for Kentucky and Tennessee.
During the war, about 50,000 white and 24,000 black Kentuckians fought for the North, while 35,000 joined the South.
Adapted from THE HISTORY CHANNEL / HTTP://WWW.HISTORY.COM/THIS-DAY-IN-HISTORY/CONFEDERATE-FORCES-ENTERKENTUCKY/PRINT
Gathering Evidence
Social
Political
Economic
What can we conclude? What
were the social, political, and
economic impacts the Civil War
had on Kentucky?
PRIMARY SOURCE DOCUMENTS
• A Primary Source is a piece of history. It was
created at the time (in this case, during the Civil
War).
• Each group will read, discuss, and share one
document:
–
–
–
–
–
John Fee
Samuel K. Cox
John Jackman
Thomas James
John Fee / Women and Children
Adapted Primary Source Analysis
Document: _________________________________
When was this document written?
How do you know?
Who wrote this document?
List THREE things the author(s) said that you think are important:
Why do you think these documents were written?
List TWO things the documents tell you about life in Kentucky during the time
they were written:
Write a question to the author(s) that is left unanswered by the documents:
Gathering Evidence
Social
Political
Economic
As each group shares, we’ll chart
the social, political, and economic
impacts the Civil War had on
Kentuckians.
Time to Make a Claim!
Was the Civil War’s biggest impact on Kentuckians
social, political, or economic?
The Civil War’s biggest impact on Kentuckians
was ___________ because ____________.
Three Corners Debate Time!
Social, Political, or Economic?
• Gather your evidence.
• Go to the area of the room assigned to the kind of impact you think the war most
affected Kentucky.
• Talk as a group. What is your best point? What facts and details support it?
• Pick one student to talk for the group.
• Each group will share.
• Listen carefully. If you change your mind, move to that corner.
• Talk again. What is another good point? What is your evidence?
• Repeat the sharing process. Move if you now change your mind.
• Repeat for one last piece of evidence.
Writing Time
Write an article for 4th and 5th-graders that
explains which effect of the Civil War—the social
impact, the political impact, or the economic
impact—had the most effect on Kentuckians.
You might focus on the impact at the time
(during and right after the Civil War) only or you
might want to also consider the impact on us
today.
Planning an Opinion Piece
• Introduction: What is the issue?
• Claim: What is your opinion?
• Evidence: What reasons support your opinion?
What details help explain your thinking?
• Conclusion: What do you want your reader to
think or do?
Now draft your introduction!
• A good introduction catches the reader’s
attention.
• A good introduction lets us know what the
issue is. What do we need to know about the
topic?
• A good introduction often includes your claim.
Let’s PQP our introductions!
• PRAISE: Did your partner do each of these things?
• QUESTION: Was there something you didn’t
understand?
• POLISH: Is there something your partner could add or
improve?
• A good introduction catches the reader’s attention.
• A good introduction tells what the issue is. What do we
need to know about the topic?
• A good introduction often includes your claim.
Drafting the Body of Our Opinion
Pieces
• Evidence: What ideas support your opinion?
What details help explain your thinking?
• Let’s go back to our charts and notes. Which
evidence fits your claim? Which facts will help
you convince readers to think as you do?
• Write a paragraph for each idea you select.
Explain to the reader how the evidence helps
prove your claim.
Working on Conclusions
• Writers give readers a signal that the piece of
writing is ending. Here are examples:
What you want readers to think or do
goes in the blank:
It is important to remember that ____________.
In conclusion, ___________________________.
Therefore, ______________________________.
All in all, we can see that ______________.
For this reason, __________________________.
Unless you want ___________, you should _________.
• Think about what you want your readers to
do or believe. Now try an ending paragraph.
References