SS5H1: The student will explain the causes, major events, and consequences of the Civil War.

Start by asking students what they think a day in the life of the president would be like today. What kinds of activities or meetings would the president schedule or attend? What kinds of issues would cross his or her desk? What room would there be for a personal life? What kind of decisions would need to be made?

Tell students that they are going to look at a variety of documents written by Abraham Lincoln, or sent to him, during the Civil War to see how many "hats" or roles he played. (They will also look at some photographs.)

Divide the class into groups such that each group looks at a minimum of two of the documents. These can be downloaded and printed (one copy each), or students can work directly on their computers.

Next, encourage students to imagine a "Week in the life of President Lincoln." How many pressing issues might he have to address at once? Which would have priority? What about his family? Pick a date during the Civil War years and ask students to research what was happening at that time. Then assign students to write a diary entry for each day of that week, either as President Lincoln or his secretary. We will be putting all the diary entries onto dable board so others can see the interperetaion of the President.

This part of the lesson is a role play during which Lincoln’s cabinet will hold a hearing on the Proclamation of Amnesty, listen to a variety of people who have written to Lincoln on this matter, and then consider adapting revisions to Lincoln’s proclamation. Seven students will play letter writers. Each one in turn will present an issue to Lincoln’s cabinet based on a request or complaint expressed in one of the primary source documents below. A portion of the class will play Lincoln’s cabinet. They will hear and discuss the letters. Five students will listen to the letters and the cabinet session and then write amendments to Lincoln’s Proclamation of Amnesty which they will propose to the cabinet. The teacher can play Lincoln, or appoint a student to do so.

Give students a hand out on the life of Robert E Lee to gain an understanding of how he grew up and the man he became before and during the civil war.

Create an online timeline titled "The Life of Robert E. Lee in which each group of students gets a decade of his life and must create parts of the timeline with significant events before during and after the Civil War.

Give handouts and have the students read letters from Lee to understand what he went through during the war and what his inner most thoughts were.

Role play the last battle and Robert E. Lee surrendering to the union army. Have students read Lee's surrender documents to the class.

Students will look at memiors of Ulysses S. Grant.

Analyze a primary source.

Explain the role of historians and archivists in preserving history.

Determine the significance of using primary sources to understand historical events.

Construct mulitmedia presentation about one of the key events in President Grant’s political career.

Read articles about the life and times of Jefferson Davis.

Understands military events that influenced the outcome of the Civil War (e.g., the "hammering campaigns" of Generals Grant and Sherman, the wartime leadership of Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln).

Presume you’re a Confederate General, asked by President Jefferson Davis to develop a Southern strategy to combat McClellan’s. What advice could you give the Confederate leadership in developing a battle strategy of its own?

Have studnets read a short summary of John Brown's raid so they can get adequate background and context of the raid.

Have studnets write a paragraph about why they think this is realted to the civil war.

Have studnetns watch three videos pertaining to John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry from the Historychannel.com

Students will be able to answer questions related to the use of primary documents in the study of history.

Students will be able to explain possible causes of the raid and the state of the country leading up to the 1859 raid.

Students will be able to answer the question, “Was John Brown a Hero or Traitor,” citing specific content from primary sources.

We will set up a timeline marker on Dipity to show the series of events geographically and time wise.

Have studnets read a copy of Uncle Tom's Cabin so they can understand what it is about.

Students will be able to read a historical novel or excerpt and answer 4 related questions with 80% accuracy.

Using Glogster from the scavenger hunt tab student will break up into groups in their pod and create a multimedia book report they will share with the class.

Have the students write one paragraph about how they think this novel is related to the civil war.

At the end of the unit the notes will be posted onto Pegby so that students will have a copy and be able to study. Two nights before the test I will have a last minute study session on DabbleBoard and if they still have questions or concerns about the test then I will be happy to make a Skype appointment.

Assign Vocabulary to students before the unit begins to familiarize them with the language of the unit.

Detail the geographic history of slavery in the United States, and recognize that slavery was present in the North as well as the South for much of American history prior to the Civil War

Explain what drove some Northern slaves to run away from their owners, as well as why slave owners were reluctant to let their slaves run away, and how they prevented it.

Describe how and why black soldiers fought in the American Revolution, including the role of Colonel Tye

Describe how "choosing sides" in the American Revolution is difficult when considering multiple perspectives and points of view

Describe the conditions and situations faced by runaway slaves throughout the history of American slavery

Write creatively from different historical perspectives, including slave, runaway slave, slave owner, and British soldier

Identify which states belong to the Union and which states belong to the Confederacy

Identify three reasons of the North and three reasons of the South for the Civil War

Identify and comprehend feeling experienced by both northern and southern states

Identify the qualities of exceptional leaders regardless of their patriotic affiliation

Feel compassion for participants in the Civil War regardless of their side.