Activity Title- Lincoln and the Civil War

Goal/Objective

The students will be able to analyze material and identify causes of the Civil War.

Lesson Outline/Introduction

Discuss the facts of the Civil War with the students. Have them pinpoint the date in history and who was president at the time.

Activity

The students should be divided into groups. Each group should do research to find the causes of the Civil War. They may use encyclopedias, Internet, or other resources. Have them list the causes that they find.

Debriefing/Evaluation Activity

Have the students share their lists with the class. Make a new master list of the main things that helped cause the Civil War to take place. Your list should consist of answers such as: trade, tariffs, slavery, and doctrine of states' rights.

Materials, Texts, Realia, Handouts

Extension Activity

Give the students a blank U.S. map. Have them color the southern states red and the northern states blue. These would be the states that fought in the Civil War.

ESE Accommodations

Have students pair off. Let them make flash cards with questions and answers about the Civil War. Have them quiz one another using the flash cards.

Real-Life Connection

Ask the students if we still have differences between sections of our country today. Have the students write a paragraph about differences that still exist between sections of our country today.

Activity Title- Lincoln and the Civil War

Introduction

Say: The Civil War was an important event in U.S. History. Abraham Lincoln was President of the United States from 1861-1865. He helped preserve the Union during the American Civil War and brought about the emancipation of the slaves. We are going to research and find what the causes of the Civil War were.

Main Activity

Divide the class into groups. Have each group elect one person to write down their answers.

Say: Each group needs to use our research materials to find reasons why the Civil War was fought. Have the person you elected write down the reasons that you find.

Closure/Conclusion

Ask: How many causes did you find for the Civil War? Let's make a master list of causes by combining the best answers from all the groups.

Discuss the causes they found and have the students agree that each one is a correct answer.

Follow-up lessons/Activities

Discuss with the students what a compromise is. Have them decide what compromise might have been reached to prevent the Civil War. Have them write a paragraph telling about this compromise and how it may have been able to prevent the Civil War.