UNIT OVERVIEW
Content area:
Unit Title:
Audience:
Length of Unit:
U.S History
The Civil War: Causes, Conflicts, and Consequences
12th grade AP U.S. History class of 16 students
10 days
Explanation of importance/relevance of topic for audience:
The Civil War was the bloodiest and most divisive war in American history. Initially
fought as a war to save the union of our country, the war eventually led to the destruction of the
Old South and the end of the institution of slavery. It had many consequences which effected the
development of the U.S in the 20th century and its current position in the world.
We now live in an era of divisive politics and the U.S. faces many economic, domestic,
and international challenges. Students could apply their knowledge gained from this unit to the
current state of politics in the U.S. Students will be able to compare how different life was
during the Civil War as opposed to the current wars the U.S. is involved in. Students will also
gain a deeper understanding and awareness of the current status of African Americans in our
society by examining the consequences the war had on free and enslaved blacks.
Unit’s connection to standards or goals:
NCSS Standard, Theme 6: POWER, AUTHORITY, AND GOVERNANCE
One essential component of education for citizenship is an understanding of the historical
development and contemporary forms of power, authority, and governance. Through this
theme, learners become familiar with the purposes and functions of government, the
scope and limits of authority, and the differences between democratic and nondemocratic political systems. In schools, this theme typically appears in units and courses
dealing with government, history, civics, law, politics, and other social sciences.
NCSS Standard, Theme 2: TIME, CONTINUITY, AND CHANGE
Through the study of the past and its legacy, learners examine the institutions, values, and
beliefs of people in the past, acquire skills in historical inquiry and interpretation, and
gain an understanding of how important historical events and developments have shaped
the modern world. This theme appears in courses in history, as well as in other social
studies courses for which knowledge of the past is important.
Key concepts explored throughout unit:
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The differences between the political and economic climate in the northern and
southern United States prior to the war
Various attitudes and beliefs about slavery
The role of African-Americans before, during, and after the war
Attempted political compromises to avoid war
The justifications for secession
-
Important battles and military tactics used throughout the war
The decision behind the Emancipation Proclamation and the ways in which it affected
the war
The lives of ordinary soldiers during the war
Consequences of the war; immediate and long-term
Prior knowledge and skills necessary for students to meet unit outcomes:
Prior to this unit, students demonstrated their comprehension of the major topics learned
during our unit on the antebellum period. Students learned about the emergence of
industrialization, free-markets, and new transportation systems available in the United States
during the first half the 19th century. Students learned about Westward Expansion, the MexicanAmerican War, and the problems Native Americans faced as a result. Students understood the
rise of slavery as the leading economic system in the southern U.S. Students began to become
aware of the growing tensions in the country as a result of these themes during the antebellum
period.
List of formative and summative assessments:
-
Formative
Journal entries addressing the topics of each class
Take-home quiz
In-class participation: Group and class discussions
Class debate
Exit tickets
Handout covering key facts to be learned during unit (completed daily)
-
Summative
Unit test
Mid-unit homework project creating the front-page of a newspaper article
UNIT CALENDAR
Day 1
Objectives
- Students will be able to identify key dates during the Civil War.
- Students will be able to describe the difference between the cultures, economies, and
politics of northern and southern states prior to the war.
Activities
- As a class, we will complete a “Know/Want to Know” chart about the Civil War and
write it on the chalkboard.
- Students will receive a handout containing all the people, places, dates, and important
events that will be covered throughout the unit which could appear on the unit
exam. Students will use the handout to take notes throughout the unit.
- A timeline will be placed on the chalkboard containing the dates of events that we
will examine during the unit.
- A PowerPoint presentation will be given concerning the differences between the
culture and economy of the north and south before the war.
- An interactive class discussion will occur throughout the PowerPoint.
Assessments
- Exit ticket: Write the exact dates of the start and end of the war.
- Homework will be a journal entry that asks students to write two paragraphs
answering these questions: Would you rather have lived in an urban city of the north
or on a small farm in the south before the war? Why?
Day 2
Objectives
- Students will be able to identify the moral and economic arguments for and against
the institution of slavery.
- Students will be able to understand the motives and beliefs of the leading
abolitionists.
- Students will refine their ability to articulate and debate in front of their peers.
Activities
- Students will chose a debate partner at the beginning of class and each pair will be
given excerpts from a different primary source. Attached to the primary source will
be a summary of the author’s views concerning slavery.
- Four of the pairs will be given one of the sources from these supporters of slavery:
o George Fitzhugh, Sociology for the South, or the Failure of Free Society.
o John Breckenridge, excerpts from diary and speeches.
o David Rice Atchinson, speech excerpts.
o John C. Calhoun, speech on Senate floor, 1837.
- The other four pairs will be given one of these sources from anti-slavery abolitionists:
o William Lloyd Garrison, The Liberator.
o Frederick Douglas’ autobiography.
o Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
o Lewis Tappan, co-founder of the American Anti-Slavery Society.
- Students will examine sources and prepare to debate another pair of students.
- Each pair will debate one other pair in front of the class by utilizing and summarizing
the views expressed by the author of the primary source.
- The class will be expected to take notes during the debate presentations.
Assessments
- Formative assessment based on debate participation.
- For homework, students will be asked to make a list of arguments against the
institution of slavery to cite the person who articulated that argument.
Day 3
Objectives
-
Students will be able to identify the key political factors leading up to the secession of
southern states.
Students will be able to describe the major attempts at compromise before the war
and their effects on the eventual secession.
Students will be able to identify key Supreme Court decisions regarding slavery prior
to the war.
Activities
- PowerPoint presentation on the Compromise of 1820 and 1850, the Kansas-Nebraska
Act of 1854, and the Dred Scot Case.
- Students will be given a map and asked to identify the slave states and free states on
the eve of the war.
- Students will view 10 minutes of Ken Burns’ The Civil War.
Assessments
- Students will be given a take-home quiz which asks them to identify the key concepts
and consequences of each attempted compromise discussed in class.
- Students will be asked to write in their journal and address the following question: If
you were a politician before the Civil War, what idea would you have presented as a
means to avoiding rebellion and war?
Day 4
Objectives
- Students will be able to describe the views of Abraham Lincoln and the reasons why
his election led to the secession of southern states.
- Students will be able to describe the reasons why states seceded from the Union..
- Students will be able to identify which states seceded from the Union.
Activities
- Students will be broken into groups of four.
- Each group will be given different excerpts from one of the following sources:
o The Declaration of Causes of Seceding States.
o Jefferson Davis’ inaugural address to the Confederate Congress.
o Lincoln’s inaugural address to Congress.
o New York Times editorials from the early moments of secession
- Students will be asked to present their information to the other classmates.
- We will have an open discussion (with a PowerPoint) emphasizing key concepts. We
will discuss whether the states had the right to secede and if they were justified in
doing so. We will discuss the journal entry from the previous night and talk about
whether or not the war could have been avoided, and what could have been done
differently by both sides. Students will be told that participation will be graded.
Assessments
- Formative assessment of the participation in the class discussion.
- Journal entry: Based on everything we have discussed so far, which side do you think
was to blame for the war and why?
Day 5
Objectives
- Students will be able to identify key battles during the war through 1863.
- Students will be able to describe the military tactics employed by both sides.
- Students will be able to describe the Battle of Antietam, its importance, and why it
was a turning point in the war.
Activities
- We will view a map of these major battles, from Ft. Sumter through Antietam.
- We will view 10 minutes of Ken Burns’ The Civil War concerning military tactics
- Brief discussion/PowerPoint about Antietam and its importance.
- Students will break into groups of four to examine correspondences from reporters on
both sides of the battle of Antietam.
- Students will receive instruction on their weekend homework which will be the midunit assessment.
Assessment
- Students will be asked to create an article for the front page of a major newspaper. It
can be from either a Confederate or Union paper. It must include a picture or
illustration that depicts the battle of Antietam and a one page article intended for the
average reader of the time. It will include statistics from the battle and a paragraph
about what the student thinks will be the effects of the battle on the war effort.
Day 6
(See full lesson plan attached)
Day 7
Objectives
- Students will be able to describe the role African Americans played in the Union war
effort.
- Students will be able to identify with and compare/contrast the lives of Union
soldiers, Confederate soldiers, and black soldiers during the war.
Activities
- We will view 10 minutes of the PBS film Africans in America and discuss the
attitudes of African Americans before and after the Emancipation Proclamation.
- Students will be split into three groups.
- Each group will either examine letters written by black soliders, Confederate soldiers,
or Union soldiers.
- The class will work together creating a diagram on the board which describes the
similarities between the perspectives given in each group and the major differences
between each group.
- Students will then be assigned a number (1, 2, or 3) and told what type of soldier they
are based on the number assigned.
- The night’s homework will then be explained.
Assessments
-
Journal entry: Based on what number you were assigned, write a one page letter to a
loved one pretending you are a soldier during the war. Express your fears, thoughts
on the war, and the reasons you are fighting.
Day 8
Objectives
- Students will be able to identify the reasons why the south surrendered.
- Students will be able to describe the atmosphere in the north and the south following
the end of the war and Lincoln’s assassination.
Activities
- PowerPoint and class discussion about the last major battles of the war
- Students will examine the surrender of the Lee at Appomattox, VA by viewing
correspondences between Gen. Lee and Gen. Grant
- Two volunteers will read the correspondences aloud to the class.
- Two different volunteers will read correspondences between Lincoln and Gen.
Sherman discussing the surrender.
- Students will pair up and examine various newspaper articles from the north and
south following the end of the war.
Assessments
- Exit ticket: List three reasons why the south was forced to surrender and give the
date of the end of the war.
Day 9
Objectives
- Students will be able to describe the immediate effects the war had on the American
economy, society, and political system.
- Students will be able to identify the key components of the 13th, 14th, and 15th
amendments.
Activities
- Students will view the final segment of The Civil War.
- Students will break into four discussion groups. In group, they will address this
question: How did the Civil War affect the America we live in today?
- I will observe each group, but also instruct the students that they will be grading each
other on their peers’ participation in the group discussion.
- A brief PowerPoint will be given that highlights the dates and provisions of the 13th,
14th, and 15th amendments.
Assessments
- Exit ticket: Describe the key issue in each of the three amendments to the
constitution we discussed today.
- Homework: Come up with one question that you will ask the class during our unit
review tomorrow. The question must be analytical, not just a one-word answer.
Day 10
Objectives
- Students will be able to summarize the key concepts, events, people, and places
discussed in the unit.
- Students will be able to analyze the importance of the Civil War in American history.
Activities
- The class will participate in a review for the unit test the following day.
- I will ask knowledge-based questions to the class first, and offer extra credit on the
exam if the class, as a team, can answer every question correctly without any notes on
their desk.
- After collecting the homework, I will break the students into two groups of eight.
- I will select questions that the students came up with and ask each group to discuss
the same questions.
- I will inform the class that one of the questions discussed will be on the essay portion
of our exam.
- I will leave time at the end for any further questions the students have.
Assessment
- The unit test will occur the following day.