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What people are saying about this unit
“In all my years of purchases from TpT I have never seen such a well thought out and thorough unit. You have literally thought of everything. I am seriously thankful to you for this unit!” —Alesha W.
“WOW WOW WOW! My students and I are loving this ! It is extremely engaging and a wonderful addition to my Civil War units. 100% user friendly- I especially like the pacing and objectives for each day. Thank you !” —Jodi F.
“This is fabulous! I have already begun using this in my classroom. So far the students are loving it. It is planned out with literally no prep work, which is a life saver. THANK YOU!” —Fifth with Freeman
Click here to view a free preview of the unit!
This Civil War unit will help your students fall in love with history. The 15 lessons are interactive and thorough. Even better, I’ve made it as easy as possible for teachers to implement.
Why I created this unit
1. I believe that social studies should be your students’ favorite part of the day.
2. Teachers deserve excellent social studies resources (Can someone please tell our school districts?)
3. Planning complete units is tedious and time-consuming (um… I won’t even tell you how many months it took me to create this). I want to save teachers precious time so that they can get back to what they love doing—teaching!
Table of Contents
This Civil War unit will help your students fall in love with history. The 15 lessons are interactive and thorough. Even better, I’ve made it as easy as possible for teachers to implement.
Part 1: Before the Civil War
- Life in Antebellum America—students read about life for different groups (slaves, western farmers, northern workers, etc.) and complete worksheet
- Slavery in America—powerpoint presentation, worksheet, and opinion writing
- Causes of the Civil War—newspaper articles, jigsaw activity and student worksheets
- Election of 1860 Simulation—speeches, campaign posters, listening guide and opinion writing
- Election of 1860 Results—article on electoral college, map, and worksheet
Part 2: Events of the War
- Union vs. Confederacy—article on succession, infographic on Union and Confederacy, and student worksheet
- Why Did They Fight?—page with quotes on why various people fought and opinion writing
- Who’s Who of the Civil War—informative task cards on Civil War leaders and student recording sheet
- Perspectives on the War—four fictional letters demonstrating different viewpoints on the war and group worksheet
- Emancipation Proclamation—article on Emancipation Proclamation, comprehension check and creative writing
- Gettysburg (Battle and Address)—article on Battle of Gettysburg, vocabulary list, and annotating worksheet for the Gettysburg Address
Part 3: Reconstruction
- Lincoln’s Assassination—newspaper article, article about Lincoln’s assassination, comprehension questions, and creative “epitaph” writing activity
- Reconstruction Problems, Solutions, & Failures—group brainstorming worksheet, note-taking page and article on Reconstruction failures
- Reconstruction Amendments—transcript and vocabulary for 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments with student worksheet
- Civil War Reflection—student reflection page and writing opportunity
Help for the Teacher
- Table of Contents (also available in the preview)
- Suggested pacing guide
- 15 detailed lesson plans
- Answer keys (of course!)
- Editable end-of-unit test and study guide
- Easy printing file with all student worksheets and articles
How can this unit be for grades 5th-8th?
The articles are written at a 7th-8th grade reading level. If you teach one of those grades, your students will be able to complete the activities more or less independently. If you teach 5th or 6th grade, I recommend reading and analyzing the articles with your students. They will do great! Check out the reviews to see how teachers at your grade level have successfully used and loved this unit.
Important Customer Information
All of our products are digital and are non-refundable. Please view the preview and read the product description carefully before purchasing.
After purchasing, you should receive an email with the files within a few minutes of placing your order. If you do not receive the email, please check your spam folder. Need help? Contact me at becca@thecleverteacher.com. Please allow 24 hours for a reply.
Sharing isn’t always caring. I have created all of these products myself. Your purchase gives you permission to copy for your classroom only. If your teaching besties LOVE this unit and want to use it too, please direct them to my store. For more information, view my Terms of Use.
Copyright© 2019 The Clever Teacher
All rights reserved by the author.
Total Pages 128 pages
Answer Key Included
Teaching Duration 3 Weeks
Ditch Your Boring History Textbook!