American Civil War Major Battles & Events, Life as a Soldier & Reconstruction
Your next social studies unit is planned for you! This complete social studies unit on the American Civil War teaches students about the causes and effects of the Civil War. Students will learn about the differences between the North and the South, slavery in the South, political decisions made during the Civil War as it relates to slavery, major battles and events of the Civil War, as well as the Reconstruction era. Resources include a teacher guide, hands-on students activities (printable or digital), learning centers, review game, and unit assessment.
It's no secret - teaching history in the elementary classroom can be a struggle. Teachers are faced with the challenge of making people and events of the past relatable to young students who have a hard time even remembering or caring about the events and people of last week, let alone last century!
That's why making history come alive in your classroom is so crucial to making students care about what they are learning.
But - lucky for you - I love a good challenge! I've created a unit that will make you the hero in your next social studies lesson (bonus if it happens to be a lesson you're getting observed on!)
HOW IT WORKS:
Each lesson has 3 components to help you structure your instruction effortlessly.
Introduction - During this portion of the lesson you'll review previously learned content and add on or introduce new concepts and content vocabulary that students will be working on that day. You'll start as a whole group using anchor slides before breaking out into small groups for hands-on practice.
Lesson Activity - During this time of your lesson students will interact with you and each other as they explore history through varied hands-on activities, often in partners or small groups. They'll record their learning all in one place in their students activity packet.
Lesson Reflection - Bring students back together at the end of the lesson to review, share, and discuss what they have learned during the lesson activity. Students reflect on what they've learned through journal questions right in their student activity packet.
WHAT'S INCLUDED:
Detailed Teacher Guide: Find 10 complete detailed lesson plans for teaching each day with everything you need for each lesson. All needed resources are downloadable directly from the guide making prep a breeze! The teacher guide includes a unit overview and detailed daily lesson plans. The lesson plans include easy-to-follow information about student objectives, materials needed, teacher preparation required, and the steps on how to conduct the lesson. You'll even find sample anchor charts and answer keys embedded right into the teacher guide.
74 Anchor Slides to help teach each lesson (The anchor slides are provided in PowerPoint, PDF, and PNG image files)
28 pages of students activities to compliment each lesson (Google Classroom compatible)
4 originally written articles to teach about different aspects of the Civil War (Google Classroom compatible)
LINKtivity® interactive learning timeline that students can explore individually or as a whole class to learn about the major battles and events of the war. The LINKtivity can be viewed on computers, iPads, tablet, chrome books, etc... The digital timeline also includes links to outside video resources to enhance student learning about each battle/event
6 Learning Folders (designed to be used in small group centers to teach about political decisions leading up to the Civil War)
60+ piece bulletin board set to help reinforce concepts taught
5 end-of-unit extension learning activities to further students' knowledge of the Civil War era
Unit assessment (Google Classroom compatible)
CONCEPTS COVERED:
The North vs. the South (Differences of each region, both political and geographical)
Slavery in the South (and its role in the war) and the Underground Railroad
Political decisions made leading up to the war (Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850 and the Fugitive Slave Law, Kansas-Nebraska Act {Bleeding Kansas}, The Dred Scott Case, Harpers Ferry, and the election of President Lincoln)
Fort Sumter - the start of the war and war strategies for each side
Major Battles and Events (Battles and Events include: Bull Run, Ironclads, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Vicksburg, Emancipation Proclamation, Spotsylvania Court House, Sherman's March to Sea, and the surrender of Robert E. Lee
Life as a Civil War soldier and women's involvement in war
Reconstruction (Goals, Challenges, and Results)
What Other teachers are saying…
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"I am so happy that I found this resource. I am using it as part of our homeschool study for 2 fourth graders and a second grader. I am actually quite amazed that they understand and remember so much about topics like The Compromise of 1850. The lessons are engaging and connect to the kids' experiences. Each lesson is so complete and the student activity pages do a great job solidifying what they learned. I am breaking the lessons into smaller chunks because there is just so much good stuff in each lesson. Thank you!!!!" - Kristin D, 4th grade teacher
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "This seller's resources are a teacher's dream! They are laid out lesson by lesson with all materials linked and step by step directions of teaching! So simple to use and ready to go, takes all the planning out. Slides are visually appealing and activates help engage the kids in the content! Would buy other units from this seller!" - Rachel S. 4th & 5th grade teacher
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "WOW! My students have REALLY enjoyed using this resource. It has been worth every penny! The lessons are well planned and the materials are exactly what I needed to teach this standard. THANK YOU!!" - Katherine P., 4th grade teacher
