Objectives/Learner Outcomes and Assessments (formal and informal)

What knowledge, skills, and dispositions are students expected to demonstrate as a result of
the lesson?
Students will learn how to read form primary sources to gain a better understanding of
the causes of the Civil War.
Students will read documents about the causes of the Civil to gain a better understanding
of it.
For each of the above outcomes, what DATA or EVIDENCE will you use to evaluate each of
your learning outcomes (be sure to address this for each outcome)? (Give brief description)
I will evaluate students as they answer discussion questions. I will also evaluate students
KWL charts, specifically the learn column to see what they have learned about the
Civil War from the readings.
Standards AddressedDPI model academics standards (Science, Social Studies, Foreign
Language) are specifically addressed in the lesson?
Historical Eras and Themes
While studying United States history, students in grades 5-12 will learn about:
the Civil War and Reconstruction, 1861-1877
Materials/Resources/Technology-- What materials/resources/technology needed to support
instructional procedures in this lesson.
Copies of the readings
Smartboard
iPads/computers

Content/Procedures/Sequence (Includes estimated time for each activity)

http://sp.rpcs.org/faculty/BryantZ/Readings/A%20People's%20History/A%20Young%20People's
%20History%20of%20the%20United%20States%20Vol.%201/Chapter%209.pdf

Content outline

Before the
lesson (5
minutes)

Instructional strategies/learning tasks/sequence of activities (include what you and

the students will be doing that supports diverse student needs)

Watch the Lincoln Trailer to capture their attention and then assign reading
for the night.
Students will read the first section (Slavery in the American South and the
Abolition Movement) of Zinns a Young Peoples History of the United States
from chapter nine (see link above) about the events leading up to the Civil
War. They will fill out a KWL Chart during the reading. Students will come
to class prepared with questions and ideas to discuss the Civil War for the
following lesson.

Activity
(1 hour)

You read about the events leading up to the War last night. Lets discuss what
you learned and some of your questions.
What did you already know about the war?
What did you learn?
What are your questions so far? What confused you in the reading?
What did you know about Lincoln before this reading?
Does he sound like a hero in your reading?
What were the events leading up to the war?
Next read the section The Civil War and Slavery
Were some of your questions from the KWL chart answered?
Was the War truly about slavery? What was it initially about?
How did the war evolve into something else?
How did Northern peoples feelings change towards African Americans?
How were African Americans treated in the North?
Next we will read a single sentence from Georgias declaration of the Civil
War. We will do this as a class as it is a very dense sentence to help clarify
what it means. As a class we will write a translation of it on the board The
students will dictate how to phrase it and teacher will write it on the board.

Georgia
They [the North] have endeavored to weaken our security,
What do they mean by weaken our security?
What did Zinn mention about the Southern economy and the Northern
economy?
to disturb our domestic peace and tranquility,
What do they mean?
What does domestic mean?
What does tranquility mean?
and persistently refused to comply with their express
constitutional obligations
Okay this is a long phrase lets break it down.
What does persistently mean?
What does obligation mean?
How can we put this in simpler terms?
Everyone write this phrase in their own words.
to us in reference to that property,
Do they mean land in terms of property?
What does property mean to them?
and by the use of their power in the Federal Government
What do they mean here?

Wrap Up
(5 minutes)

have striven to deprive us of an equal enjoyment of the

common Territories of the Republic.
What does deprive mean?
What is this equal enjoyment they are talking about, i.e. who are they talking
about?
Why does the North want to abolish slavery?
Is it for moral reasons?
Is war justified in this instance? Use evidence from the
reading to justify you answer. Write it down. Over the course
of this unit your opinions may change or they may not. But
we should keep a record of them and the reason why.

Closure
Summary of lesson
Today we learn about the main disputes between the North and South that caused the succession
of the Southern states. We will continue learning about the causes and other aspects of the war to
determine if this war was justified.
Assignment What independent work will be assigned?
Students will go to the website http://www.civilwar.org/education/teachers/curriculum/civil-warcurriculum/middle-school/disunion/ and complete the worksheet about the timeline of events
leading up to the Civil War. This will reinforce the events leading up to the War.