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Introducing Civil War Battles: A Sample Lesson Plan

© Kathryn Morse

Time Allotment: 50 minutes

War! (Lesson 1 - Placing the War in Time)

I. Goals: The goal of today's lesson is student acquisition of knowledge about the battles and campaigns of the Civil War in Louisiana.

II. Objectives: As a result of this lesson students will be able to list Louisiana's Civil War battles and their locations. Students will also see the vastness of the devastation of the war on all parts of the state. (G-1A-M1, H-1A-M1, H-1B-M12, H-1D-M3)

III. Teaching/Learning Process:

A. Motivation/Introduction: "Who are these people?" In the front of the room where everyone can see will be a turn of the century photograph of my Great-Uncle Bob Thetford and his family. Mr. Thetford served in the Civil War. The students can enjoy guessing, hear how he was related to me and understand how close some people feel to the Civil War. (10 minutes)

B. Teaching/Learning Activities:

1. Pass out maps (reproducible page.) Go over the map with students. Now for a board exercise, write the years 1860, 1861, 1862, 1863, and 1864 across the top of the board. Assign a work team for each year and have them list chronologically the events for that year using the map information. When the students are finished, go over each year elaborating on important events. The students should copy these lists to their notebooks. (10 minutes)

2. As a review, the students can work in teams of three on a timeline. Suggests that they use symbols for fire, cannons, boats, #dead, etc. (15 minutes.) The timelines are to turn in for a team grade.

C. Closure: The work teams can now compare notes and help each other fill out any material than another team member may have missed. This time can also be used to put final touches on the team timeline or to ask questions about the events. (5 minutes)

IV. Media/Materials/Equipment: Maps, chalk, blank paper, colored pencils and markers.

V. Supplemental Activities: None

VI. Assignment(s): Assign some students reports on some of the places battles were fought. Include those sites of current Civil War commemorative areas, e.g., Mansfield and Vicksburg. These short reports will be given tomorrow in a lesson concentrating on the battle places rather than times.

VII. Assessment:

A. Formal: Timelines are for a grade. To be graded gently because of time constraints.

B. Informal: Daily responsibility grade for coming to class prepared and being well-behaved.

VIII. Professional Reflection: A lot of material was presented to the students today. Tomorrow it will be presented again in a different fashion to give them more OTL (opportunity to learn) this material.

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