Unit Plan: Final Version (May 9)

Mike Gesario
Spring 2009
Unit Plan
http://mikegmsu.blogspot.com/


I. The Civil War

In this unit, students will examine events, people, and issues associated with the American Civil War. The unit is designed for 10th-grade students in American history classes, but can be modified for students of other ages and abilities.

Using primary and secondary sources, photographs, films, audio recordings, and a mock trial exercise, students will use their higher-order thinking skills to gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter. Students will look at the complex series of events leading up to the war. They will experience the era through the eyes of various men and women. Students will be encouraged to make connections between the time period being studied and their world today. Students will also learn about the nature of history. They will have to investigate primary source material, as well as secondary sources, and evaluate the validity and credence of those sources.


II. New Jersey Core Curriculum Standards

Numerous standards will be realized during this unit. Among them are the following:

6.1;A1-3
Students will use historical thinking, problem solving, and research skills to maximize their understanding of the Civil War. They will analyze the historical events through primary and secondary documents, photographs, maps, and film. While using primary sources, they will investigate multiple perspectives and analyze and reconcile this information in order to evaluate the sources’ credibility.


6.4;G1
Students will demonstrate knowledge of the Civil War in order to understand life and events of the past. They will analyze key issues, events, and personalities of the period. The effects and issues surrounding John Brown’s raid, the experience and contributions of African-Americans and women during the war, and the lasting effects of the issues and events will be highlighted.

III. Historical Significance

The Civil War has been called the “most written about war in history.” It still defines the nation. There are numerous reasons students still need to be familiar with the events, people, and issues of the war.

The numerous “causes” of the war provide students with an opportunity to weigh the credibility and validity of different sources and arguments. They provide an opportunity to appreciate different points of view, while also showing the difficulty researchers and writers face while “doing history.” The contemporary reaction to John Brown’s raid and the way Brown has been taught up through recent years are examples.

The personal narratives of those who lived through the Civil War also provide an exceptional opportunity to relive history through the points of view of people from different social, racial, and geographic backgrounds. Students will see heroic episodes, but they will also see the uncertainty, violence, and sadness of the Civil War. Students will be able to see how these different stories come together to form a more accurate and complete picture of the nation’s history.

The Civil War has been romanticized in books and images ever since the opening shot was fired. Yet, the war, particularly Sherman’s March to the Sea, provides a different point of view. It provides an opportunity to discuss the concept of “total war.” Students can see the reasons for Grant’s and Sherman’s actions, while also witnessing the devastation of the operation. This example is still relevant in today’s world.

The lasting effects of the war still have a profound impact upon the face of the country – and on the way Americans think about their country. By discussing some of the lasting impacts – from the fate of the former slaves, to the nature of warfare, to the issue of war crimes, to the idea of the South’s Lost Cause – students will get a truer sense of how much or how little progress has been made since the 1860s. The Civil War provides a way to discuss some of these more complex issues.

For more, visit “Why the Civil War Still Matters” at http://hnn.us/articles/23230.html.

IV. Unit Plan

Day 1: The Civil War, Introduction and Causes

Day 2: John Brown’s Raid (Primary Source Lesson)

By reading and listening to John Brown’s final speech to the court and reading letters and editorials written either immediately before or after his execution, students will better understand the events that triggered the Civil War. By examining these sources students will also see the difficulties historians encounter while trying to write about the past.

Essential Questions:
1. How does John Brown’s story reflect the causes of the Civil War?
2. How did Americans feel about John Brown? How should history remember him now?

Day 3: The People – Life of a Soldier

Day 4: The People – The African-American Experience (Film Lesson)

The movie Glory will be used to examine the role African-American soldiers played in the Civil War. Students will examine the contributions these soldiers made, while also recognizing the difficulties they faced. Students will also have to investigate the validity of the sources being used in the lesson.

Essential Questions:
1. What was life in the army like for an African-American soldier during the Civil War? How was this experience similar to or different than the experience of a white soldier?
2. How can we use primary and secondary sources to evaluate the information presented in the movie “Glory?”

Day 5: The People – Women & The Civil War (Jigsaw Lesson)

Students will examine the lives and roles of different women during the Civil War. Each group will be assigned one woman. They will discuss the significance of these women within their groups of three or four students. The students will then share what they’ve learned about their woman with the rest of the class. Possible subjects include Bridget Divers, Mary Boykin Chesnut, Mary Ann Ball “Mother” Bickerdyke, Cornelia Hancock, Nancy Hart, Jennie Hodgers, Lucretia Coffin Mott, Susie Baker King Taylor, and Loreta Janeta Velazquez. These women represent different social, economic, geographic, and racial backgrounds.

Essential Questions:
1. How did the Civil War affect women living in different areas of the United States?
2. What contributions did women make during this time period? What concerns did they have?

Day 6: The People – Abraham Lincoln and Habeas Corpus

Day 7: The People – Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation

Day 8: The War (Geography Lesson)

Students will use photographs and illustrations, primary and secondary sources, and the Ken Burns’ Civil War documentary, to examine the reasons, motivations, and effects of Sherman’s March to the Sea and the North’s greater willingness to take the war to the heart of the Confederacy in 1864. Students will need to understand the economic, demographic, and geographic differences between the North and the South. To tie the past to the present, students will conclude the lesson by discussing if, and when, “total war” is acceptable.

Essential Questions:
1. Was Sherman’s March to the Sea justified?
2. What were the geographic, economic, and demographic similarities/differences between the North and South during the Civil War?
3. When is “total war” or “hard war” acceptable?

Day 9: New Jersey in the Civil War

Day 10: Lee’s Surrender

Day 11: Andersonville Prison (Mock Trial Lesson)

Students will reenact the trial of Henry Wirz through a mock trial. The students will analyze the testimony of each witness to determine the validity of the testimony. Students will evaluate the sources and formulate a verdict based on their judgment. The students will be asked to synthesize all of the testimony and prioritize the witnesses in order of importance. The students will relate the trial to the context of the time period. An emphasis will be placed on how the issues brought up in the trial are still relevant today.

Essential Questions:

1. What is the credibility of the evidence and sources presented in the trial? What criteria do we use to assess the value of a particular source?
2. Why was Henry Wirz the only Confederate officer put on trial after the Civil War?
3. How does society today view or define war crimes and torture? What is acceptable?


Day 12: Lasting Effects & Closing