The Civil War...8th Grade
California Content Standards:
8.10 Students analyze the multiple causes, key events, and complex consequences of
the Civil War.
1. Compare the conflicting interpretations of state and federal authority as emphasized
in the speeches and writings of statesmen such as Daniel Webster and John C.
Calhoun.
2. Trace the boundaries constituting the North and the South, the geographical
differences between the two regions, and the differences between agrarians and
industrialists.
3. Identify the constitutional issues posed by the doctrine of nullification and secession
and the earliest origins of that doctrine.
4. Discuss Abraham Lincoln’s presidency and his significant writings and speeches and
their relationship to the Declaration of Independence, such as his “House Divided”
speech (1858), Gettysburg Address (1863), Emancipation Proclamation (1863), and
inaugural addresses (1861 and 1865).
5. Study the views and lives of leaders (e.g., Ulysses S. Grant, Jefferson Davis, Robert E.
Lee) and soldiers on both sides of the war, including those of black soldiers and
regiments.
Common Core Literacy Standards:
Writing
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1b Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant, accurate data and evidence that demonstrate an understanding of the topic or text, using credible sources.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.4Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas clearly and efficiently.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
Reading
CCSS.ELA.LITERACY.RH. 6-8.1 Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA.LITERACY.RH. 6-8.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.
Big Ideas/Essential Historical Questions
1.The election of Lincoln
2. The start of the war in 1861
3. The two main theaters of war
4. Antietam
5. Emancipation Proclamation
5. The Battle of Gettysburg and Lincoln’s Address
6. Life during wartime
7. The end of the war
8. Assassination of Lincoln
Was the war inevitable with the election of Lincoln?
Why did the war go badly for the North at the beginning?
What were the key turning points militarily?
What would Reconstruction been like had Lincoln not been assassinated?
Unit Goals
1. The students will understand the immediate causes of the Civil War.
2. The students will learn about the major battles of the war and be able to identify their effect on the course of the war.
3. The students will recognize major political and military figures on both sides of the conflict.
4. The students will understand the political, military, and literary significance of Abraham Lincoln.
Unit Formative Assessments
Bell Work Questions to stimulate interest and gauge prior knowledge
Quick-Writes on "driving historical questions"
Class and group discussions
Unit Summative Assessments
Timeline of important events of the Civil War.
Poster/Map Project: students will make a poster or map on an aspect of the Civil War that interests them (battle, biography, issue, etc.)
Essay: Using both primary and secondary sources, the students will write a 1000 word essay on one of four main topics.
Lesson 1 – The Election of Lincoln
Student Learning Objective:
They will analyze why the election of Lincoln was vehemently opposed by the South and how it led to war.
Acceptable Evidence – Formative and/or Summative Assessment:
Class and group discussion. Quick-write.
Lesson 2 – The Men Who Fought the War
Student Learning Objective:
Students will learn how soldiers lived and died during the Civil War through the careful examination of photographs. They will be able to identify why pictures are considered a primary source and what can be learned from them.
Acceptable Evidence – Formative and/or Summative Assessment:
Assessment Worksheet
Lesson 3 – Equal rights for African-Americans: Are we there yet?
Student Learning Objective:
The students will evaluate civil rights milestones in the 149 tears since the end of the war and be able to discuss whether African-Americans are "free at last."
Acceptable Evidence – Formative and/or Summative Assessment:
Formative assessment will be made throughout the lesson based on their group and whole class discussions. Summative assessment will be their quick write/exit ticket at the end of class.
Lesson 4 – Abraham Lincoln
Student Learning Objective:
The students will be able to evaluate the leadership of Lincoln, and learn about his life by playing an interactive game.
Acceptable Evidence – Formative and/or Summative Assessment:
T/F worksheet based on the "real" President Lincoln's answers will be completed by partners after the presentation of "To Tell the Truth: Abraham Lincoln."
Lesson 5 - Emancipation Proclamation and the Gettysburg Address
Student Learning Objective:
The students will explore the historical importance of these two critical documents as well as their immediate effect on the conduct of the war.
Acceptable Evidence – Formative and/or Summative Assessment:
Formative assessment will be group and monitored class discussion.
Summative assessment will be journal entry on the merits and differences to be found in the two documents.
8.10 Students analyze the multiple causes, key events, and complex consequences of
the Civil War.
1. Compare the conflicting interpretations of state and federal authority as emphasized
in the speeches and writings of statesmen such as Daniel Webster and John C.
Calhoun.
2. Trace the boundaries constituting the North and the South, the geographical
differences between the two regions, and the differences between agrarians and
industrialists.
3. Identify the constitutional issues posed by the doctrine of nullification and secession
and the earliest origins of that doctrine.
4. Discuss Abraham Lincoln’s presidency and his significant writings and speeches and
their relationship to the Declaration of Independence, such as his “House Divided”
speech (1858), Gettysburg Address (1863), Emancipation Proclamation (1863), and
inaugural addresses (1861 and 1865).
5. Study the views and lives of leaders (e.g., Ulysses S. Grant, Jefferson Davis, Robert E.
Lee) and soldiers on both sides of the war, including those of black soldiers and
regiments.
Common Core Literacy Standards:
Writing
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1b Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant, accurate data and evidence that demonstrate an understanding of the topic or text, using credible sources.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.4Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas clearly and efficiently.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
Reading
CCSS.ELA.LITERACY.RH. 6-8.1 Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA.LITERACY.RH. 6-8.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.
Big Ideas/Essential Historical Questions
1.The election of Lincoln
2. The start of the war in 1861
3. The two main theaters of war
4. Antietam
5. Emancipation Proclamation
5. The Battle of Gettysburg and Lincoln’s Address
6. Life during wartime
7. The end of the war
8. Assassination of Lincoln
Was the war inevitable with the election of Lincoln?
Why did the war go badly for the North at the beginning?
What were the key turning points militarily?
What would Reconstruction been like had Lincoln not been assassinated?
Unit Goals
1. The students will understand the immediate causes of the Civil War.
2. The students will learn about the major battles of the war and be able to identify their effect on the course of the war.
3. The students will recognize major political and military figures on both sides of the conflict.
4. The students will understand the political, military, and literary significance of Abraham Lincoln.
Unit Formative Assessments
Bell Work Questions to stimulate interest and gauge prior knowledge
Quick-Writes on "driving historical questions"
Class and group discussions
Unit Summative Assessments
Timeline of important events of the Civil War.
Poster/Map Project: students will make a poster or map on an aspect of the Civil War that interests them (battle, biography, issue, etc.)
Essay: Using both primary and secondary sources, the students will write a 1000 word essay on one of four main topics.
Lesson 1 – The Election of Lincoln
Student Learning Objective:
They will analyze why the election of Lincoln was vehemently opposed by the South and how it led to war.
Acceptable Evidence – Formative and/or Summative Assessment:
Class and group discussion. Quick-write.
Lesson 2 – The Men Who Fought the War
Student Learning Objective:
Students will learn how soldiers lived and died during the Civil War through the careful examination of photographs. They will be able to identify why pictures are considered a primary source and what can be learned from them.
Acceptable Evidence – Formative and/or Summative Assessment:
Assessment Worksheet
Lesson 3 – Equal rights for African-Americans: Are we there yet?
Student Learning Objective:
The students will evaluate civil rights milestones in the 149 tears since the end of the war and be able to discuss whether African-Americans are "free at last."
Acceptable Evidence – Formative and/or Summative Assessment:
Formative assessment will be made throughout the lesson based on their group and whole class discussions. Summative assessment will be their quick write/exit ticket at the end of class.
Lesson 4 – Abraham Lincoln
Student Learning Objective:
The students will be able to evaluate the leadership of Lincoln, and learn about his life by playing an interactive game.
Acceptable Evidence – Formative and/or Summative Assessment:
T/F worksheet based on the "real" President Lincoln's answers will be completed by partners after the presentation of "To Tell the Truth: Abraham Lincoln."
Lesson 5 - Emancipation Proclamation and the Gettysburg Address
Student Learning Objective:
The students will explore the historical importance of these two critical documents as well as their immediate effect on the conduct of the war.
Acceptable Evidence – Formative and/or Summative Assessment:
Formative assessment will be group and monitored class discussion.
Summative assessment will be journal entry on the merits and differences to be found in the two documents.