the country goes to war lesson
TRANSCRIPT
The Civil War Curriculum | Elementary Civilwar.org/curriculum
GOAL 2 | LESSON PLAN | ELEMENTARY
1861: The Country Goes to War
GRADES: Elementary
APPROXIMATE LENGTH OF TIME: 55 minutes
GOAL: Students will be able to describe the state of the nation and sequence the first events of
the Civil War.
OBJECTIVES:
1. Students will be able to create a timeline of events from the election of Lincoln to the First Battle of Manassas.
2. Students will be able to complete a map identifying the Southern states, Northern states, and border states.
3. Students will be able to read and summarize portions of Abraham Lincoln’s and Jefferson Davis’s first inaugural addresses.
MATERIALS:
1. The Country Goes to War PowerPoint 2. Timeline Activity Sheet 3. Blank Map of the U.S. in 1860 4. Labeled Map of U.S. in 1860 (for teacher use) 5. Presidential Inaugural Addresses 6. Exit Passes
PROCEDURE:
Print out the PowerPoint with notes prior to class. There are notes included with the slides that
can be on the printed slides, but won’t be seen by your students during the presentation.
Activity 1
1. Using The Country Goes to War PowerPoint, review events leading up to the bombardment of Fort Sumter.
The Civil War Curriculum, Goal 2
1861: The Country Goes to War
The Civil War Curriculum | Elementary Civilwar.org/curriculum
2. Have students complete the Timeline Activity Sheet, filling in events as they appear in the PowerPoint.
Activity 2
1. Using the Blank Map of the U.S. in 1860, create an overhead or project the blank map for classroom viewing.
2. Hand out the Blank Map of U.S. in 1860. 3. As a group, color the Union states blue, the Confederate states grey, and the border states green.
4. Draw in or highlight major physical features such as the Mississippi River and the Appalachian Mountain Range.
Activity 3
1. Hand out the Presidential Inaugural Addresses to each student. 2. Read through the excerpts as a class. 3. Go over the questions as a group, and have students answer independently or as a group.
CLOSURE:
1. On an Exit Pass, have students write how they think citizens felt as the country
approached going to war.
ASSESSMENT IN THIS LESSON:
1. A completed timeline of the events leading up to the Civil War.
2. The presidential inaugural addresses have been read and summarized and the related
questions are answered.
3. An Exit Pass discussing how citizens felt about the approaching war has been
completed.
The Civil War Curriculum, Goal 2
1861: The Country Goes To War
Name: _________________
Date: _________________
The Civil War Curriculum | Elementary Civilwar.org/curriculum
Timeline Activity Sheet
Cut out the pictures and text. Then glue the pictures and text in the correct order
on the timeline of events leading up to the Civil War.
South Carolina secedes
Lincoln elected president of the United States
Shots fired at Fort Sumter
Shots fired at the Star of the West
Jefferson Davis chosen as president of the Confederate States of
America
The Confederate Constitution is approved
The Civil War Curriculum, Goal 2
1861: The Country Goes to War
The Civil War Curriculum | Elementary Civilwar.org/curriculum
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1861: The Country Goes To War
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The Civil War Curriculum | Elementary Civilwar.org/curriculum
How did many citizens feel as the war was about to begin?
How did many citizens feelas the war was about to begin?
How did many citizens feel as the war was about to begin?
How did many citizens feel as the war was about to begin?
Exit Pass