Civil War

5th Grade
McKel Gurney

Table of
Contents
Page 3 Content Outline
Previous Knowledge/Vocabulary

Page 4 Rationale
Why is it important?

Page 5-6 Objectives

Page 7- Lesson Plans

Lesson
Lesson
Lesson
Lesson
Lesson
Lesson
Lesson

One Page 7 - 9
Two Page 10 - 12
Three Page 13 - 14
Four Page 15 16
Five Page 17 18
Six Page 19 20
Seven Page 21 - 22

Page 23 Unit Closure

Page 24 Assessment
Page 25 Bibliography
2

Content Outline
Previous Teacher Knowledge:
Prior to teaching this unit teachers should understand
the key events that took place during the Civil War. They
should also know the causes and events that took place in
order to help the students understand why mistakes were
made and why the Civil War happened the way it did.
Teachers should also research multiple sources before
teaching the topic for the day to get multiple perspectives to
allow for deeper conversations with the students. History is
accounts of individuals experiences and everyone
experiences events differently this is why it is important to
look at multiple perspectives. Lastly, be excited to teach this
subject because then the students will pick up on that
excitement and have a better learning experience.
Unit Vocabulary:
Abraham Lincoln
Arsenal
Cash Crop
Confederacy
Democratic Party
Republican Party
Federal
Slavery
Surrender
Union
Expansion
Civil War

Abolition/Abolitionist
Underground Railroad
Compromise
Emancipation
Reconciliation
Free-market system
Industrial revolution
Blockade
Declaration
Liberty
Tariffs

Unit Rationale
Why is this important for my students to
know this information?
The American Civil War is a major event in our history.
Therefore, as citizens of the United States it is our role to
understand the events of the Civil War. Students will learn a
number of skills during this lesson such as leadership,
equality, and freedom. During this unit students will come to
appreciate the people who fought for our freedom and learn
to appreciate the freedom they have now. The Civil War has
many lessons to be learned from the mistakes that took
place that will allow students to be better problem solvers
and come up with ideas that might have worked better.
Thus, students will be engaged and excited to learn about
history that affected their life.

Unit Objectives
Social Studies
Standard 4
Students will understand that the 19th century was a time of
incredible change for the United States, including geographic
expansion, constitutional crisis, and economic growth.

Objective 2
Assess the geographic, cultural, political, and economic
divisions between regions that contributed to the Civil War.
Objective 3
Evaluate the course of events of the Civil War and its impact
both immediate and long-term.
Objective 4
Understand the impact of major economic forces at work in
the post-Civil War.

Language Arts
Reading: Informational Text Standard 3
Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more
individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or
technical text based on specific information in the text.
Writing Standard 3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or
events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear
event sequences.
Writing Standard 7
Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build
knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
Speaking and Listening Standard 1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (oneon-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on
grade 5 topics and texts, building on others ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
Language Standard 2

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English

capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Theater

Standard 2

 Acting: A student will cooperate, imagine and assume roles,

explore personal preferences and meanings, and interact in
classroom dramatizations.
Objective 1
o Develop body awareness and spatial perception through
movement and pantomime. (See Dance Core.)
Objective 2
o Develop expressive use of the voice.
Objective 3
o Develop emotional recall to strengthen mood in a scene.
Objective 4
o Develop ability to give and take focus in classroom
dramatizations.

Music
Standard 3
Creating: The student will create music through improvising,
arranging, and composing.
Standard 4
Listening: the student will listen to, analyze, and describe music.

Physical Education
Standard 1
Students will value physical activity for health, enjoyment,
challenge, self-expression, and/or social interaction.

Introductory Lesson
Length of Lesson: 45 minutes
Core Curriculum Objectives:
- Students will get an introduction into the Civil War and understand the impact
of slavery.
Common Core Objectives (ELA or Math): If subject other than ELA or Math,
please show how the content could be integrated with the Common Core.
ELA
- Reading: Informational Text Standard 3
o Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more
individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or
technical text based on specific information in the text.
Social Studies
- Standard 4
o Students will understand that the 19th century was a time of incredible
change for the United States, including geographic expansion,
constitutional crisis, and economic growth.
ELL Considerations:
- Having pictures books allows for ELL students to look at pictures to help
them understand what is happening instead of reading where they might have
a hard time understanding what is happening.
- Students will work in pairs as well during debate and projects that allows for
collaboration and peer language support.
Vocabulary Development:
Abolition/Abolitionist
Slavery
Civil
Disagreement
Debate
Harriet Tubman
Preparation: What materials will be needed?

Henrys Freedom Box

Picture Books about Civil War
Pre-Test
K-W-L Paper

TIME:
0 5 minutes

LESSON:
Administer Pre-Test

5 15
minutes

Intro:
Ask a series of questions for students to discuss as tables.
- What do you know about slavery?
- What kind of work did slaves have to do?
- How did their masters treat them?
- Did they get married?
- Were they happy or sad?
- Did slaves try to escape?
Turn and talk to your table about what you know about slavery and fill
out the K column on the paper that stands for Know
Discuss some of the ideas students know about slavery as a class.
Next have the students fill out the W part of the paper as a table so we
can begin to answer some of the questions they have.

15-25
minutes

After students have filled out the K and W part of the worksheet, read
the book Henrys Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground
Railroad by Ellen Levine
Discuss ideas of what happened in this book.
Fill out L column on worksheet as a table of what they learned about
slavery.

25-40
minutes

Explain next activity. Students will be traveling around the room to see
different books about the Civil War. Each student will have a sticky note
and they will write one fact and one question they have about the Civil
War.
After students complete this activity we will discuss some of the ideas
students wrote down.

40 45
minutes

Closure:
To wrap the lesson up I will have a few students share what they learned
about slavery today. I will also have a few students share what they
learned about the Civil War. I will then tell the students we will learn
more about the Civil War the next few weeks and how it has affected

their life today.

Assessment:
K-W-L chart
Sticky Note Reflection
Pre-Test

Adaptations:
-

Working in groups
Picture books
Reflection Time

Integration:
-

Create a picture of the Underground Railroad

Act out books and events
Use Google Earth during book

North and South Differences

Length of Lesson: 45 minutes
Core Curriculum Objectives:
- Students will look at differences and events leading to the Civil War.
- Students will learn about the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the conflict that arose
from it.
- Students will see the role slavery played during all the events.
Common Core Objectives (ELA or Math): If subject other than ELA or Math,
please show how the content could be integrated with the Common Core.
ELA
- Reading: Informational Text Standard 3
o Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more
individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or
technical text based on specific information in the text.
Social Studies
- Standard 4
o Students will understand that the 19th century was a time of incredible
change for the United States, including geographic expansion,
constitutional crisis, and economic growth.
ELL Considerations:
- allow students to read and research in native language.
- Allow students to work in partners
- Be very descriptive when it comes to vocabulary and the resources in the
regions
Vocabulary Development:
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Civil War
Northern
Southern
Plantations
Trade
Tariffs

10

Preparation: What materials will be needed?

Map of States
Article on Kansas-Nebraska Act
Computers to access information of the North and South
TIME:
0 10
minutes

10-35
minutes

LESSON:
Introduction:
Show a map of our classroom on the elmo. We will fill in the resources
we have in the classroom. Then we will determine the north and the south
of our classroom. This will activate students background knowledge and
move us into our lesson.
Content/Activity:
Students will be given a map of the states. However, nothing is filled in.
We then will start to discuss where most people are living and the
difference between the north and the south.
Students will draw on their map the state lines and start mapping out
what resources they had in each area.
- Students will begin to research on laptops their resources.
Next we will have a classroom discussion about the differences of each
region.
North:
- Few plantations/most farms were small and did not require
many workers. Not a lot of slaves because of work.
- Diverse economy and more industries.
South:
- Big plantations that grew cotton and tobacco. Lots of slaves.
- Lots of money and owners bought land, which met more
slavery.
Next, we will discuss the conflicts that are arising because of these
resources and the slavery issue.
Trade
- High taxes were set on imports which benefited the northern
factories because their goods were cheaper then the imported
ones. Southerns were upset because it was expensive and they
were used to getting their items from Europe.
Government
- President Andrew Jackson started setting tariffs.
- Vice President John C Calhoun argued against the tariff
because states should have the final say on laws that affect
them, not the national government.
Slavery

11

North: against
South: for

Read article about the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the affects it had.
Closure:
Students will write a short paragraph based on this question. Using
RACE (restate, answer, cite, edit/end)
Using information that you learned today answer the following
question Why is conflict arising in the United States?
Assessment:
Closing Paragraph

Adaptations:
- Have students recite what they have learned instead of writing it down. For
those that are slower have them work on it during one of our small group times. For those
that finish early have them which with a partner to edit their work.
Integration:
-

We are using technology to research information about the north and south.
Teachers could also make it more hands on bringing in tobacco/cotton. Also,
watching video clips could also be beneficial.

12

Songs of the Slaves

Length of Lesson: 45 minutes
Core Curriculum Objectives:
Students will be able to understand music in relation to history and culture.
Common Core Objectives (ELA or Math): If subject other than ELA or Math,
please show how the content could be integrated with the Common Core.

Music

Standard 3
Creating: The student will create music through improvising,
arranging, and composing.
Standard 4
Listening: the student will listen to, analyze, and describe music.
ELL Considerations:
- Lyrics in different languages
- Preview lyrics before song is played
- Group work
Vocabulary Development:
Symbolism
Slavery
Lyrics
Expression
(certain words from songs that students might not understand)
Preparation:
Internet YouTube
KNaan Waving Flag Song
Let Us Break Bread Together
Follow the Drinking Gourd
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
TIME:

LESSON:

13

0 10
minutes

Introduction:
Play a song that is currently popular. Show lyrics on the screen while
song is playing. Then have a discussion of what this song could possibly
mean.

10 40
minutes

Content/Activity:
Play one of the songs above. Have lyrics printed out for students or show
them on the board so they can follow along. After the song discuss these
three questions:
What does this song portray?
How is the mood of this song?
Why do you think the author wrote this song?
Repeat this for the other songs.
After the songs are done it is the students turn to create their own slave
song. They can use any of the tunes they heard from the previous songs.
Or they can create a rap of their own. The types of words they are using
should be related to this time period.
Closure:
Have students share their songs and attempt to sing them as a whole
class. After this we will reflect back on what we have learned today about
slaves and how they felt throughout life.
Assessment:
The conversations being held during our discussions about the songs that
are being played.

Adaptations:
Working in pairs.
Lyrics in other languages
Integration:
This lesson incorporates writing as well when it comes to song writing and rhyming. If
the classroom has the opportunity to use musical instruments as well for their songs it
would add a little more fun to the creating aspect of this lesson.

14

Divided Nation
Length of Lesson: 45 minutes
Core Curriculum Objectives:
Students will be able to discuss the beginning of the American Civil War
Students will be able to write some of these ideas in their journals
Students will be able to recognize conflicts and discuss different ways to approach these
problems.
Common Core Objectives (ELA or Math): If subject other than ELA or Math,
please show how the content could be integrated with the Common Core.

Social Studies
Standard 4
Students will understand that the 19th century was a time of
incredible change for the United States, including geographic
expansion, constitutional crisis, and economic growth.

Objective 2
Assess the geographic, cultural, political, and economic
divisions between regions that contributed to the Civil War.
Objective 3
Evaluate the course of events of the Civil War and its impact
both immediate and long-term.

ELL Considerations:
- Allow students to read and research in native language.
- Allow students to work in partners
- Be very descriptive when it comes to vocabulary and the resources in the
regions
Vocabulary Development:
Economics
Abolition/Abolitionist
Underground Railroad
Civil War
Confederacy

15

Democratic Party
Republican Party
Federal
Slavery
Compromise
Preparation:
- Text to discuss the conflicts that started the Civil War.
TIME:
0 5 minutes

LESSON:
Introduction:
What conflict do you see or hear about in the news right now?
How did it happen?
What key events took place?
What did we do to solve it?

5 30
minutes

Content/Activity:
This is what started to happen leading up to the Civil War. Many people
started arguing with each other about social and economic issues that
began to divide our country. Conflict is not anything new, it happened
back then and it is currently happening today.
Read articles/books about key events that started the war.
After students get a deeper understanding of conflicts that are taking
place, have a classroom discuss about these conflicts. Have students be
problem solvers and think of ideas that could have changed the outcome.

30 40
minutes

Closure:
Students will pick a side (North or South). What would be your initial
strategy for a war that is going to start?

40 45
minutes

Assessment:
KaHoot Quiz

Adaptations:
Speak the writing at the end of lesson.
Readings in different languages
Show lots of pictures

16

Integration:
If there is extra time you could incorporate some role playing.
Have students create a drawing of all the different conflicts happening.

Civil War Major Events

Length of Lesson: 45 minutes for about a week.
Core Curriculum Objectives:
Students will understand the significance of the main events of the Civil War.
Common Core Objectives (ELA or Math): If subject other than ELA or Math,
please show how the content could be integrated with the Common Core.

Social Studies
Standard 4
Students will understand that the 19th century was a time of
incredible change for the United States, including geographic
expansion, constitutional crisis, and economic growth.

Objective 2
Assess the geographic, cultural, political, and economic
divisions between regions that contributed to the Civil War.
Objective 3
Evaluate the course of events of the Civil War and its impact
both immediate and long-term.

ELL Considerations:
Working in partners
Pictures
Different language texts
Vocabulary Development:
Emancipation Proclamation
The Battle of Antietam
Abolition/Abolitionist
Civil War
Confederacy
Democratic Party
Republican Party
Federal
Slavery
17

Compromise
Preparation: What materials will be needed?
- YouTube Video on The Battle of Antietam
- Texts/personal experiences during the war
- Emancipation Proclamation
- Graphic Organizer
TIME:
0 5 minutes

LESSON:
Introduction:
What is it like for you living in a time where our country is at war right
now? How did it relate to a time back in the day during the Civil War
with children your age?

5 - 20
minutes

Content/Activity:
Read about what was happening at the beginning of the war. Where was
the setting? How did the war take place, etc?
What are advantages of the north vs the south?
How might the war strategies change as the war goes on?

20-40
minutes

-- First Battle of Bull Run

--Battle of Shiloh
-- Second Battle of Bull Run
--The Battle of Antietam
-- Preliminary Emancipation
-- Fredricksburg
--Emancipation Proclamation

40 45
minutes

Closure:
Discuss how the war is going and what is going to happen next?
Anything someone would have done different if you were president?
Assessment:
Sticky Note Assessment write a fact that you learned about today about
the Civil War

18

Adaptations:
Speak the writing at the end of lesson.
Readings in different languages
Show lots of pictures
Integration:
If there is extra time you could incorporate some role-playing as if you were president or
a solider.
Have students create a drawing of all the different events happening in the war.

Gettysburg Address
Length of Lesson: 45 minutes
Core Curriculum Objectives:
Students will understand the impact the Gettysburg Address had on
the Civil War.
Common Core Objectives (ELA or Math): If subject other than ELA or Math,
please show how the content could be integrated with the Common Core.

Social Studies

Standard 4
Students will understand that the 19th century was a time of
incredible change for the United States, including geographic
expansion, constitutional crisis, and economic growth.

Objective 2
Assess the geographic, cultural, political, and economic
divisions between regions that contributed to the Civil War.
Objective 3
Evaluate the course of events of the Civil War and its impact
both immediate and long-term.

ELL Considerations:
Working in partners
Pictures
Different language texts
Vocabulary Development:
Emancipation Proclamation
Abolition/Abolitionist
Civil War
Confederacy
Democratic Party
Republican Party
19

Federal
Slavery
Compromise
Gettysburg Address
Preparation:
Gettysburg Address in multiple languages
Worksheet to fill out during lesson
Journal
Time:
0-10 minutes

Lesson:
Introduction:
Talk about some of the battles we learned about the previous week.
Predictions of what is happening next.

10-35
minutes

Content/Activity:
The battle of Gettysburg
-YouTube Video
Students break into groups and read the Gettysburg Address and fill out
worksheet with questions on it.
- What did Lincoln say about those soldiers who died during
that battle?
- What kind of government did Lincoln want?

35-45
minutes

Closure:
In students journals have them write ideas of what they would of said if
they were President Lincoln. In their journals have students write about
the importance of the Gettysburg address as well.
Assessment:
Journal Entries

Adaptations:
-- Texts in multiple languages
-- Groups based on teacher decisions
-- Differentiate the questions for different groups to create deeper thinking for the more
advanced students.
Integration:

20

-- Publish the students Gettysburg Addresses as if they were the President.

-- Act out the battle of Gettysburg.

Civil War Ends

Length of Lesson: 45 minutes for about a week
Core Curriculum Objectives:
Students will understand how the Civil War ended and what life was like in the South
after the war.
Students will also learn about Lincolns death and about slavery being abolished.
Common Core Objectives (ELA or Math): If subject other than ELA or Math,
please show how the content could be integrated with the Common Core.

Social Studies
Standard 4
Students will understand that the 19th century was a time of
incredible change for the United States, including geographic
expansion, constitutional crisis, and economic growth.

Objective 2
Assess the geographic, cultural, political, and economic
divisions between regions that contributed to the Civil War.
Objective 3
Evaluate the course of events of the Civil War and its impact
both immediate and long-term.

ELL Considerations:
- Allow students to read and research in native language.
- Allow students to work in partners
- Be very descriptive when it comes to vocabulary
Vocabulary Development:
Liberty
Declaration
Blockade
Reconciliation

21

Free-market system
Industrial revolution
Compromise
Confederacy
Democratic Party
Republican Party
Federal
Slavery
Surrender
Union
Expansion
Civil War
Preparation:
Internet access
Poster
Markers
Post Test
Time:
0 10
minutes

Lesson:
Introduction:
How does a war end discussion?

10 40
minutes

Content/Activity:
-- Have students use laptops to go back and review big key events of the
civil war.
-- Students will create a poster that has a timeline of all the major events
all the way up to the ending of the war. (First lesson of the week should
be on how the war comes to an end and Lincolns death then let students
start to complete the posters)
Create a Rubric of the key events you would like on the posters.
Also, along with the key events have students include deaths and
information about each event and why it was important.

40 45
minutes

Closure:
-- After students complete their posters at the end of the week have a
gallery walk so everyone can see everybodys posters.
Assessment:
Assess the students by the work they completed on their posters
and the importance of the events. Also administer the posttest.

22

Adaptations:
-- Texts in multiple languages
-- Groups based on teacher decisions
-- Differentiate rubrics based on students and what they can complete.
Integration:
-- Art Project with the posters.
-- Students could also create their timelines on computers in
PowerPoint or other
technologies.
-- Create an upbeat musical piece for the war ending.

Unit Closure
Celebration
Food
Hard Tack
Johnny Cakes
Other food during the Civil War
Games
Croquet
Squeak Piggy Squeak
Other games during the Civil War
Students also get to put in their input for what we should
have during our celebration. Let students research games,
food, and other things that would relate to the Civil War
times.
Review of Civil War and the impacts of what happened after
the Civil War that affects us today.

23

Assessment
http://www.civilwar.org/education/teachers
/curriculum/civil-warcurriculum/elementary/finalassessment.pdf
A lot of questions will come from this
assessment. I really like the open-ended
questions at the end. Also, I will create my
own assessment using this as a resource
to pull questions from.
Pre-test will contain some of the same
questions as my post test except no open
ended questions to show the students the

24

growth from the beginning of the unit till

the end.

Bibliography
Civil War Trust. (2014). Retrieved November 28, 2015, from
http://www.civilwar.org/education/students/
Davis, K. C. (2011). Don't know much about history: Everything you
need to know
about American history but never learned (20th ed.). New York:
Harper.
DeVries, E., Griess, L., Kraayenbrink, A., & Jones, B. (2011, November
15). 5th
Grade Civil War Unit. Retrieved November 28, 2015, from
https://fifthgradeemancipators.wordpress.com
Jones, D. (1995). Games children played during the civil war. Retrieved
November
28, 2015, from http://www.ehow.com/
list_5801131_games-played-during-civill-war.html
Panchyk, R. (2009). Keys to American history: Understanding our most
important
historic documents. Chicago, Ill.: Chicago Review.

25

Picture Books
Civil War on Sunday by Mary Pope Osborne
Who is Harriet Tubman? By Yona Zeldis McDonough
Escape to Freedom by Barbara Brook Simon
Ghosts of the Civil War by Cheryl Harness
The Boys War by Jim Murphy
Soldiers Heart by Gary Paulsen
Bull Run by Paul Fleischman
My Last Skirt: The Story of Jennie Hodgers, Union Soldier by Lynda
Durrant
Henrys Freedom Box by Ellen Levine
-- Other books from city library and school library about the Civil War to
help do research.

26