The American Civil War

Seventh Grade
United States History

Claire Williamson

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STAGE I GOALS
Unit Overview:

The American Civil War has already been introduced to the students when they
were in Third Grade and Fifth Grade. In their Third Grade year they learned about main
issues that lead to the Civil War such as Slavery, State’s Rights, and the Secession of the
South, and important people like Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis. During Fifth Grade
they learned about Westward Expansion, the Underground Railroad and the efforts of
Abolitionists, Sectionalism between the North and South, the Emancipation Proclamation,
and the surrender at Appomattox.
It is important to learn about the Civil War because of the lasting impacts it has had
on our nation as a whole. Families were broken apart and fought each other on the
battlefields. Without learning about the causes that lead to the Civil War, we could end up
repeating history.
During this unit the students will learn about key events such as the Dred Scott
decision, Missouri and 1850 compromises, and Kansas-Nebraska Act that lead our country
toward the Civil War. They will also learn about the important leaders throughout the Civil
War such as Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, and Thomas
“Stonewall” Jackson. Students will study the major battles of Bull Run, Antietam, Vicksburg,
and Gettysburg. The unit will end with the Surrender at Appomattox.

Enduring Understanding:

The American Civil War changed people’s lives because of the end of slavery, many lost
their jobs, families were broken apart, and a lot of people died.

Essential Question:

In what ways were everyday people’s lives so drastically changed during the Civil War?

Key Concepts:

● Abolish: ​To put an end to, do away with (an institution, custom, or practice); to
eradicate, destroy (something prevalent); to annul or make void. Formerly also: †to
destroy, demolish, annihilate, efface (something concrete); to destroy the power of (a
person). Formerly occasionally with from, out of (a place).
(Source:​http://www.oed.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/view/Entry/451?redirectedFro
m=Abolish#eid​ )
● Emancipation: ​Setting free, delivering from intellectual, moral, or spiritual fetters.
(Source:​http://www.oed.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/view/Entry/60721?redirectedF
rom=Emancipation#eid​ )
● Sectionalism: ​Confinement of interest to a narrow sphere, narrowness of outlook, undue
accentuation of minor local, political, or social distinctions.

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 (Source:​http://www.oed.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/view/Entry/174596?redirectedFrom
=Sectionalism&​ )
● Secede: ​To withdraw formally from an alliance, an association, a federal union, a
political or religious organization.
(Source:​http://www.oed.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/view/Entry/174464?redirected
From=Secede#eid​ )
● Slavery: ​The condition or fact of being entirely subject to, or under the domination of,
some power or influence.
(Source:​http://www.oed.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/view/Entry/181498?rskey=Uw
njeZ&result=1&isAdvanced=false#eid​ )
● Manifest Destiny: ​Clearly revealed to the eye, mind, or judgement; open to view or
comprehension; obvious.
(Source:​http://www.oed.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/view/Entry/113483?redirected
From=Manifest+Destiny#eid38423606​ )
● Conventional Warfare: ​Organized military forces fight on battlefields, the targets of
attacks is the opposing military, soldiers wear uniforms or distinctive markings.
● Perpetual Union: ​Forever unchanging joining of two or more things/states/persons.

Additional people and events:

● Dred Scott Decision

● Kansas - Nebraska Act
● Abraham Lincoln
● Jefferson Davis
● Robert E. Lee
● Ulysses S. Grant
● Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson
● Bull Run
● Antietam
● Vicksburg
● Gettysburg
● Appomattox

Standards:

Arizona Standards for Social Studies​:

Grade 7
Concept 6: Civil War and Reconstruction
Po1​ - Analyze the factors leading to the Civil War:
A. Role of abolitionists and Underground Railroad
B. Sectionalism and States’ Rights
C. Westward Expansion
D. Missouri and 1850 Compromises
E. Dred Scott Decision
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 F. Kansas-Nebraska Act
Po2​ - Determine the Significance of the following events of the Civil War:
A. Firing on Fort Sumter
B. Major Battles - Bull Run, Antietam, Vicksburg, Gettysburg
C. Enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation
D. Sherman’s March
E. Surrender at Appomattox
Po3​ - Describe significance of the following individuals or groups in the Civil War:
A. Political Leaders (i.e., Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis)
B. Military Leaders (i.e., Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, William Tecumseh
Sherman, Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson)
C. Role of African-Americans
D. Role of Women
Po4​ - Analyze the impact of the Civil War on the following personal, social, and
economic aspects of American life:
A. Americans fighting Americans high casualties caused by disease and the type
of warfare
C. Change in status of freed slaves

AZ Career & College Readiness Standards:

Grades 6-8
6-8.RH.9.​ Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on
the same topic.

Objectives:

1. Explain the impact of the Civil War for freed slaves.

2. Determine the role of Sectionalism throughout the Civil War.
3. Analyze the importance of Manifest Destiny before and during the Civil War.
4. Interpret the significance of the Missouri and 1850 compromises.
5. Distinguish the differences in the Bull Run, Antietam, Vicksburg, and
Gettysburg battles.
6. Determine the value of abolitionist movements, such as the Underground
Railroad.
7. Interpret what the Emancipation Proclamation stated.
8. Analyze the results of the Surrender at Appomattox.
9. Compare and Contrast Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis.
10. Explain the role of Women throughout the Civil War.

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STAGE II ASSESSMENTS
Formative Assessments:
1. Quiz
o Students will take 1, 10 question quiz throughout the Unit to gauge their
understanding of the content. Quizzes will be made up of True/False,
Multiple Choice, and short answer questions.
o This quiz would be assigned near the end of the American Civil War unit, for
Seventh Graders in United States History. By this time, the students would have
learned: why the Civil War started, key people of this time period, what groups of
people participated in the war, and major battles that took place.
o This quiz is aligned with the Unit Objectives: 5. ​Distinguish the differences in
the Bull Run, Antietam, Vicksburg, and Gettysburg battles, 6. Determine the
value of abolitionist movements, such as the Underground Railroad, 9.
Compare and Contrast Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, and 10. Explain
the role of Women throughout the Civil War.
2. Bell Work
o Each day of the unit the students will have a short writing prompt to start or
end the class.
o Sample Question: “What do you predict the Emancipation Proclamation
achieved?” Objective 7: Interpret what the Emancipation Proclamation
stated.

Achievement Test Description:

Students will take an end of Unit exam, the exam will be broken up in two parts. The exam
will meet all 10 objectives.
Part 1.
This first part will be 12 multiple choice and 8 fill in the blank questions. Objective 1
through 10, except for 9.
Part 2.
This second part will be an essay question. The students will write a minimum of 1
paragraph (6 sentences). Objective 9.
An example question: “Write a 3 paragraph essay about Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson
Davis. One paragraph should be about Lincoln, One paragraph should be about Davis, and
One paragraph should be your argument for which man you would want to be Vice
President too, and why.”

Performance (Authentic) Assessment Description:

The instructions for this unit project will be given out during the first week of the unit. The
students will work on this project within class, and at home.
● Pick a famous person or make up a common person (Woman/Free African
American/Slave/Soldier, etc.)

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 ● Make a journal of at least 10-15 entries. Journal entries will be of the daily activities
the person would have done during the time of the Civil War, and their feelings and
reactions to the events that took place before/during/after the Civil War.
● Dress up as person on given presentation date.
● Give a 3-5 minute presentation on who the person is, where they are from, what
their lives were like during the civil war, and the journal entry for April 9th, 1865
(Surrender at Appomattox).
● This project will cover objective 1, 6, 9, and 10.

GRASPS​:
Goal: ​Explain the effects of the Civil War in people’s everyday lives.
Role: ​Famous person, or common person from the Civil War era.
Audience: ​People living during the time period (Journal)
Situation: ​Write “your” feelings and reactions of the”current” events taking place and what
is going on in “your” everyday life.
Product: ​Journal of 10-15 entries, and 3-5 Presentation.
Standards for student success: ​6:1:A, 6:3:A, 6:3:B, 6:3:C, 6:3:D, 6:4:A, 6:4:C

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STAGE III LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Unit Calendar:

Day Topic(s) Unit Brief Listing of Assessments

Objective(s) Activities

Day 1 Abolition 6 Introduction, Lecture, Exit Ticket

Movement Exit Ticket
Day 2 Sectionalism/We 2, 3 Concept Formation Worksheet from
stward Expansion Lesson on Sectionalism. Concept
Formation Lesson
Day 3 Compromises 4 Class Debate for or Class Debate
against the compromises
Day 4 Sumter, and 5 Group “Centers” - folders Notes taken
Major Battles are passed every 5-10 during “Centers”
minutes from each
group, and in each folder
is a reading or picture
that is on Sumter, and
each Major Battle.
Day 5 Emancipation 7 Introduction, DBQ DBQ
Proclamation Answers/Essay
Day 6 Political/Military 9 Mini Lecture, Video Visual Notes
Leaders about Political and
Military Leaders, and
visual notes after video
Day 7 African 1, 10 Introduction, Analyze a Filled in graphic
Americans/Wom few photos of Women organizer
en and African Americans
as a whole class, and
then students work in
pairs to analyze the
remaining pictures, with
a graphic organizer.
Day 8 Quiz 5, 6, 9, 10 If students finish Quiz Unit Quiz
early, they can work on
their Unit Project.
Day 9 Surrender at 8 Introduction, Virtual 1-3 Paragraphs
Appomattox Tour of the Courthouse,
Students write 1-3
paragraphs about the
significance of the
Surrender

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Day 13th Amendment 9 Lecture about Timeline Re-written
10 of passing the Amendment and
Amendment, Students Picture
read 13th Amendment,
and rewrite it in their
own words, and draw a
picture that represents
the Amendment
Day Independent 1-10 Students can either
11 Work Study for the Test, or
work on their Unit
Project.
Day Test 1-10 If the students finish Achievement Test
12 their Test early, they can
work on their Unit
Project.
Day Project 1-10 Each Student will give Performance
13 Presentations their Presentation on Assessment
their Person from the
Civil War.

Catalog of Lessons:

Day 1

Lesson title: ​Abolition Movement

Unit objectives​: Determine the value of abolitionist movements, such as the Underground
Railroad.

Activities​:
Introduction​: I will have a slide with bullet points about what was going on in the United
States from 1850-1860, important people, and fun facts. Students can ask questions, and
take notes if they would like.
Lecture​: Using Nearpod, I will have a presentation that has short video clips and
interactive multiple choice and short answer questions. Students will be required to take
some notes throughout the presentation, as well as participate in the interactive questions.
Some of the topics that will be covered throughout the presentation are:
● Harriet Tubman
● The Underground Railroad
● Frederick Douglas
● Sojourner Truth
Exit Ticket​: see assessment.

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Assessment​: Exit Ticket: “Imagine if you were a slave of a Southern plantation owner. Would
you have risked using the Underground Railroad for freedom, or would you have stayed?”

Day 3

Lesson title: ​Compromises

Unit objectives​: Interpret the significance of the Missouri and 1850 compromises.

Activities​: ​Class Debate​ for or against the compromises.

Assessment​: Class Debate; each student will be expected to speak for 2-3 minutes defending
their position of for or against the 1850 compromise and the Missouri compromise.

Day 4

Lesson title: ​Sumter and Major Battles

Unit objectives​: Distinguish the differences in the Bull Run, Antietam, Vicksburg, and
Gettysburg battles.

Activities​: ​Group “Centers”​ - folders are passed every 5-10 minutes from each group, and
in each folder is a reading or picture that is on Sumter, and each Major Battle. While
reading or analyzing the pictures, students will take notes, and have a group discussion.
Fort Sumter Picture:
https://www.nps.gov/common/uploads/photogallery/akr/park/fosu/3225D450-1DD8-B
71C-0762D65B8E556A17/3225D450-1DD8-B71C-0762D65B8E556A17-large.jpg
Battle of Bull Run:
https://www.civilwar.org/learn/civil-war/battles/battle-bull-run-facts-summary
Gettysburg Address:
http://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/gettyb.asp

Assessment​: Notes taken during “Centers”.

Day 5

Lesson title: ​Emancipation Proclamation

Unit objectives​: Interpret what the Emancipation Proclamation stated.

Activities​:
Introduction​: I will give a quick overview with a Graphic Organizer that each student will
receive, with the dates the Emancipation Proclamation was put into effect, who wrote the
Emancipation Proclamation, and a short description of what the Proclamation did. Students

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will be encouraged to highlight certain facts and write notes on the graphic organizer, and
then I will hand out the DBQ.
DBQ​:
http://housedivided.dickinson.edu/sites/emancipation/files/2012/07/Emancipation-DBQ
-by-Dan-McNamara.pdf
I would use Documents 1, 2, 3, 6, and 9.
● Document 1: I will have students analyze the body language and facial expressions
in document 1 by describing what they see.
● Document 2: Students will read the entire Emancipation Proclamation and write in
their own words what each paragraph is stating.
● Document 3: Students will describe what they see in the image, and will be asked
“What point of view did the Artist have when making this image?”, and they will
write their answer to the question.
● Document 6: Students will fill out a Venn Diagram with the differences of the boy in
the two pictures, and in the middle students will write about why this boy is
significant and what the Emancipation Proclamation did or did not do for him.
● Document 9: Students will read this letter, and write down their reaction to this
soldier’s feelings about the Emancipation Proclamation.

Assessment​: DBQ Answers/Essay.

Day 9

Lesson title: ​Surrender at Appomattox

Unit objectives​: Analyze the results of the Surrender at Appomattox.

Activities​:
Introduction: ​I will give students a quick overview of the activities they will be doing in
class. Then I will give them a few facts about the Surrender at Appomattox, such as: the
date it took place, who was present, and what took place. After going over these quick facts
I will show the excerpt of the Lincoln movie about the Surrender:
https://youtu.be/BAunpxS8GXo?t=1m30s
Virtual Tour of the Courthouse:
https://www.nps.gov/apco/learn/photosmultimedia/virtualtour.htm
I will hand out, and go over the Directions for Writing Assignment.
Independent Study: ​Students will be given time to work on, and hopefully finish the
writing assignment. If they do not finish, they may take it home to work on for Homework,
and bring it back the next class period.

Assessment​: 1-3 Paragraphs written about the significance of the Surrender.

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CITATIONS
Battle of Bull Run Facts & Summary. (n.d.). Retrieved December 03, 2017, from
https://www.civilwar.org/learn/civil-war/battles/battle-bull-run-facts-summary

Emancipation DBQ​ [PDF]. (2012). Carlisle: Dickinson College.

http://housedivided.dickinson.edu/sites/emancipation/files/2012/07/Emancipation-DBQ-by-Dan-
McNamara.pdf

[Fort Sumter under fire in 1861]. (n.d.). Retrieved December 3, 2017, from
https://www.nps.gov/common/uploads/photogallery/akr/park/fosu/3225D450-1DD8-B71C-0
762D65B8E556A17/3225D450-1DD8-B71C-0762D65B8E556A17-large.jpg

Gettysburg Address. (2008). Retrieved December 03, 2017, from

http://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/gettyb.asp

Sandweiss, M. (n.d.). John Gast, American Progress, 1872. Retrieved December 03, 2017, from
https://picturinghistory.gc.cuny.edu/john-gast-american-progress-1872/

Who was Harriet Tubman? (n.d.). Retrieved November 21, 2017, from
https://share.nearpod.com/vsph/EIp8khG6Oz

Virtual Tour. (2017, January 19). Retrieved December 03, 2017, from
https://www.nps.gov/apco/learn/photosmultimedia/virtualtour.htm

(2016, February 16). Retrieved December 03, 2017, from

https://youtu.be/BAunpxS8GXo?t=1m30s

ATTACHMENTS
Nearpod- Who was Harriet Tubman?
https://share.nearpod.com/vsph/uSczTPorgI

Emancipation DBQ
http://housedivided.dickinson.edu/sites/emancipation/files/2012/07/Emancipation-DBQ
-by-Dan-McNamara.pdf

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