Eighth graders write about the physical hardships endured by soldiers of the Civil War. They compare the losses between two communities during the Civil War. They analyze personal letters to understand what a battle was like. They...

Students examine the contributions of African American soldiers during the Civil War. In pairs, they complete Civil War timeline worksheets. They use character cards to assume the identities of African Americans and determine whether or...

Students research, using the Internet, specified Civil War battles in order to prepare an oral presentation for the class. They, in small groups, present using images and maps. They take a quiz on the subject matter and evaluate the web...

Students explore the Civil War and the many emotions that emerged during this era. The teacher arranges students in groups of families and prepares them to simulate typical responses during this era. The Civil War and Gettysburg is...

Students investigate the Sacco-Vanzetti trial and develop a basic understanding of the issues involved. Then they write an essay taking a stance on the Sacco-Vanzetti trial: was the trial fair? were the two men falsely accused? Finally,...

Fifth graders examine excerpts from a diary of a Confederate soldier and his experiences in a Union prison camp. After receiving character cards, they write diary entries from the perspectives of their Civil War identity. As an...

Students assess the difficult position and decision Lincoln had to make. They determine that there were many conflicting opinions at that time. They pretend they are at a dinner table together discussing the current events. They...

Fifth graders create multi-media newscasts based on their knowledge of Civil War battles of the ironclad ships.

Students explore the concept of civil rights and the ways in which Dr. Martin Luther Kind and others utilized non-violent protests to achieve their goals. They participate in a variety of discussion and role play activities during this...

Design and construct buildings with rooftop gardens. Junior engineers work in groups to build two buildings and then perform experiments to determine whether or not a garden affects the building temperatures. They graph and interpret...

Students examine the changes that took place in the lives of Americans as a result of the Civil War in this simulation lesson.

Students dramatize a postwar reunion between people who held opposing views during the U.S. Civil War.

Young scholars discover racism and slavery by completing a role playing activity. In this U.S. history activity, students analyze documents from the Civil War era and describe the Fugitive Slave Law. Young scholars view a video on...

Fifth graders explore leaders of the Civil War. In this history lesson, 5th graders use picture puzzles, vocabulary, worksheets, WebQuest, a Venn Diagram and role play activities in order to learn who the Civil War leaders were, what...

Students discover one of the restrictions forced on women of the early 1900s. In this civil rights lesson, students investigate suffrage and why women were not allowed to vote in the early twentieth century. Students create a mock...

Students explore the roles of law enforcement officials, the news media, and civilians in crime prevention and criminal apprehension. They envision ways to build and strengthen community partnerships to address concerns about crime.

Young scholars write a first-person narrative from the perspective of a runaway slave, or a historical character of the period, and present their story orally.

Students examine history of slavery in United States, discuss abolitionists such as Frederick Douglass who worked to end slavery, listen to excerpts from Douglass' autobiography, and visit interactive Underground Railroad web site.

Fifth graders interview each other in the role of civil war personalities. In this Civil War lesson, 5th graders create a script and video of an interview with classmates who are portraying characters from the Civil War. Students are...

Young scholars participate in a scavenger hunt dealing with the Civil War in Illinois.

Students study the reasons so many immigrants returned to the South following the Civil Rights Movement. They examine how the former slaves influenced the cultural life in the Northern cities.

Students study the financing of the Civil War. They work in small groups taking on various roles including a Southern planter, yeoman, skilled wage earner, unskilled wage earner, and merchant. They analyze primary documents to determine...

Students perform a reader's theater based on the Civil War. In this dramatic arts history lesson, students review the purpose of reader's theater and are given a script to read. The script can be based on an important Civil War figure....

Middle schoolers are introduced to the life of Rosa Parks and her role in the civil rights movement. They role play the roles of reporters and they use the internet to read interviews she has given to other people during her life. They...