Willie McLean and the Civil War Surrender

The Book:

Ransom, C. (2004). Willie McLean and the Civil War Surrender. Carolrhoda Books.

Summary:

This book is in a series of books designed to take historical events and put them in a perspective that students can relate to. Willie McLean was a young boy during the time of the civil war. He is shocked to find out that in his Virginia living room, General Robert E. Lee surrenders to General Ulysses S. Grant. This is a true story.

This book will bring the surrender to the students level and would be a great way to introduce the end of the war.

Lesson: Surrender

SC Social Studies Standard 3-4: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the events that led to the Civil War, the course of the War and Reconstruction, and South Carolina’s role in these events.

Objective:

The student will summarize the events leading up to and of the surrender of the Civil War.

Assessment:

The student will be assessed formatively as well as with a graphic organizer.

Materials:

Willie McLean and the Civil War Surrender

Graphic Organizer

Procedure:

1. TTW ask the class if anyone can tell who the celebrity Willie McLean is. Have the students search for the answer in their text book or other civil war reference books from previous lessons.

2. Discuss McLean's basic role and introduce the book that will be used in group reading that day, Willie McLean and the Civil War Surrender.

3. In their reading groups the students will read aloud the book taking turns. The teacher will circulate between groups offering assistance as needed.

4. After reading each group will think of the main important events, people and places and fill in a graphic organizer.

5. The class will come together to pull their organizers into one classroom organizer with help from the teacher to fill in anything important about the text and surrender that was missed.

The Wagon

The Book:
Johnston, T. (1999) The Wagon. Mulberry Books.


Summary:
This book goes through life of a slave told from the point of view of a little boy. The father is a wagon maker and the little boy pretends that it is a chariot that will take him to freedom. Eventually the story ends with them getting freed and making their way by wagon to the funeral of Abraham Lincoln.

I thought that this story would make a great starting point to talk about life after the war for freed slaves.


Lesson: From Slave to Free

SC Social Studies Standards 3-4: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the events that led to the Civil War, the course of the War and Reconstruction, and South Carolina’s role in these events.

Indicators:
3-4.9 Summarize the effects of Reconstruction in South Carolina, including the development of public education, racial advancements and tensions, and economic changes. (H, E, P)


Objectives:
The student will write from the persepective of a freed slave.

Assessment:

The student will be assessed with a rubric.

Materials:
The Wagon
History Channel Video on life after slavery

Procedure:
1. TTW read The Wagon aloud.
2. After the story TTW start a discussion about what the class thinks life was like for a freed slave after slavery was abolished.
3. The class will view a video on life after slavery for slaves.
4. TTW start another discussion on the difference between what the students thought life was like and what life was actually like for the slaves according to the video.
5. In response to what they have just seen about freed slaves’ lives, each student will picture themselves as the main character of The Wagon and write about his day to day life from his point of view modeling the original story.

B is for Battle Cry: A Civil War Alphabet

The Book:

Bauer, P. (2009). B is For Battle Cry: A Civil War Alphabet. Sleeping Bear Press.

Summary:

This is a very informative look at the civil war with little poems surrounding each letter of the alphabet and the civil war (interesting combination). The book presents multiple points of view, battles, historical details in an age appropriate way.

I think this is an awesome book to add a fare amount of information to the civil war unit in a fun and interesting way.

Lesson: Civil War A to Z

SC Social Studies Standard 3-4: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the events that led to the Civil War, the course of the War and Reconstruction, and South Carolina’s role in these events.

Indicators:

3-4.3 Explain the reasons for South Carolina’s secession from the Union, including the abolitionist movement, states’ rights, and the desire to defend South Carolina’s way of life. (H, P, E)
3-4.4 Outline the course of the Civil War and South Carolina’s role in significant events, including the Secession Convention, the firing on Fort Sumter, the Union blockade of Charleston, and Sherman’s march through South Carolina. (H, G)
3-4.5 Summarize the effects of the Civil War on the daily lives of people of different classes in South Carolina, including the lack of food, clothing, and living essentials and the continuing racial tensions. (H, E)

Objectives:

The Student will associate a civil war concept to each letter of the alphabet.

Assessment:

The student will be assessed by their filled out A to Z sheet.

Materials:

B is For Battle Cry: A Civil War Alphabet

Pre-made printed sheet with each letter and a writing line next to it.

Procedure:

1. TTW tell the class that they will be continuing to increase their knowledge of the civil war as well as review what they have already learned.

2. TTW read the B is for Battle Cry: A Civil War Alphabet.

3. TTW introduce the A to Z activity. Working in groups the students will fill in a different civil war item, activity, battle, etc associated with that letter. They can feel free to get as creative as possible as long as they can explain the letter's association to the civil war.

4. After all groups have finished the class will share with each other letter by letter what they wrote.

5. This serves as a review as well as a formative assessment of what the students have been able to learn about the Civil War since they will be vocalizing and justifying each letter.

For Home and Country: A Civil War Scrapbook

The Book:

Bolotin, N.(1995). For Home and Country: A Civil War Scrapbook.
New York: Lodestar Books, 1995.

Summary:

This book contains a variety of visual images from the war. Tracing the war by using primary documents, historical events and political issues are seen through the perspective of many small, everyday details: letters, photographs, songs, diaries, newspaper clippings, and advertisements.

This is a really dense book that could be used as a reference and in conjunction with other civil war books. The vocabulary in the book could be a challenge but not unmanageable. If this book is used in the middle of the unit, the students would be more familiar with most of the vocabulary associated with the civil war.

Center Activity: T-Chart on the impact of the War

SC Social Studies Standard 3-4: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the events that led to the Civil War, the course of the War and Reconstruction, and South Carolina’s role in these events.

Indicators:
3-4.3 Summarize the effects of the Civil War on the daily lives of people of different classes in South Carolina, including the lack of food, clothing, and living essentials and the continuing racial tensions. (H, E)
3-4.4 Explain how the Civil War affected South Carolina’s economy, including destruction of plantations, towns, factories, and transportation systems. (E, H)

Objectives:
The Student will analyze the positive and negative impacts of the civil war.

Assessment:
The student will be assessed by reviewing their T-Charts for accuracies.

Materials:
For Home and Country: A Civil War Scrapbook
Other reference civil war books if possible
Pre-made “T-Chart” sheets [2 columns with headings and main theme on top]

Procedure:

This center would be one center used towards the middle of a unit on the Civil War since the students would have to feel comfortable with the terms and have already been introduced to the war.
1. The center would contain a folder of the Pre-made T-Charts and the books.
2. Before center time begins the teacher will review the basics of each center for this center the teacher would have to help the students figure out what the word impact means in order to send them on the right path in their search.
3. Each group at the center would work together to find out a list of positive and negative impacts of the civil war and each student will decide which ones they will put into their individual T-Chart. Each student will have to put at least 3 impacts in the columns.
4. The next day’s lesson on the civil war can start by reviewing the previous day’s T-Charts since there could be a wide variety of impacts that the students considered. By reviewing what their peers thought of could help all of the students understand the impact of the war fully.

Cecil's Story

The Book:
Lyon, G.E.(1995) Cecil’s Story. New York: Scholastic.

Summary:
This book is told through a little boy’s thoughts about what will happen now that Papa is in the Civil War and wounded. What happens if Mama goes away to find Papa? What if Papa doesn’t come home, am I big enough to run the farm? This book packs a lot of emotion into a small amount of words.

I thought that this book would be a great addition to the read aloud part of the literacy block while taking the opportunity to integrate the civil war unit. I also think that some students will be able to relate strongly since some might have a parent deployed [Charleston is home to many military families.] Since the story is powerful but not too rich in difficult vocabulary, this book could be used to help struggling readers with comprehension in small group instruction.

Mini Lesson: Making Connections

Social Studies SC Standards 3-4: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the events that led to the Civil War, the course of the War and Reconstruction, and South Carolina’s role in these events.

Objectives:

The student will make connections to aid with comprehension.

Materials:
Cecil’s Story
Response Journals


Procedure:
1. TTW introduce the idea of a think aloud for story comprehension. TTW discuss that while you read you sometimes make connections to your own life.
2. TTW read aloud Cecil’s Story, stopping at any time to model the concept of think alouds.
3. After the story, allow children to discuss any of their thoughts while the teacher was reading.
4. Allow time for students to write in their diaries or response journals about the story and their thoughts.

Charley Waters Goes to Gettysburg

The Book:
Sinnott, S. (2000) Charley Waters Goes to Gettysburg. Connecticut: The Millbrook Press, Inc.

Summary:
This is a non-fiction book about a little boy, Charley and his dad living in present time who are Civil War reenactors. The book follows them to the 135th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg reenactment. The regiment that Charley and his dad are in played an important role in the battle. Although Charley is too young to fight in the battle he helps the history come to life by describing the scenes around him.

I thought that this would make a great follow up to the book, Red Legs: A Drummer Boy of the Civil War. This book can be used in a variety of different capacities. The way it evolved for me ended up becoming a multi-faceted project instead of just one lesson. I have described a loose idea of a procedure below but you can see that this could become an ongoing project during the entire unit with many opportunities to elaborate, expand, and extend in a hands on way.

Lesson: Civil War Camp come to life.

SC Social Studies Standard 3-4: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the events that led to the Civil War, the course of the War and Reconstruction, and South Carolina’s role in these events.

Indicators:
3-4.5 Outline the course of the Civil War and South Carolina’s role in significant events, including the Secession Convention, the firing on Fort Sumter, the Union blockade of Charleston, and Sherman’s march through South Carolina. (H, G)
3-4.6 Summarize the effects of the Civil War on the daily lives of people of different classes in South Carolina, including the lack of food, clothing, and living essentials and the continuing racial tensions. (H, E)

Objectives:
The student will help to plan and produce a civil war camp in the classroom.

Assessment:
The student will be formatively assessed on his/her participation in the classes war camp project.

Materials:
Charley Waters Goes to Gettysburg
Variety of fabrics
building materials [cardboard boxes, pvc piping etc)
Construction paper, markers
Other craft items as needed [depending how into it you want to get]
Computer with Internet access
Reference books on civil war camp life

Procedure:
1. The teacher will ask if anyone knows what a reenactor is? The class will discuss this concept discussing the previously read book, Red Legs: A Drummer Boy of the Civil War.
2. TTW read Charley Waters Goes to Gettysburg stopping whenever students have questions or need to clarify.
3. After reading, have the students discuss the important scenes that Charley witnessed including the camp and life during the Civil War.
4. Inform the students that the class will be becoming reenactors and the classroom will become the war camp. Discuss with the students what they think should be included in the camp referring back to the story.
5. The teacher groups students to plan and produce individual projects for the camp. Allow students ample time to research their sections and plan. Construction will take place over a handful of days.
6. When the camp is done plan a “reenactment” day and have students dress in costume and eat foods made during the time period [all of this can be discussed and pre planned by the class].

Red Legs: A Drummer Boy of the Civil War

The Book:

Lewin, T. (2001). Red Legs: A Drummer Boy of the Civil War. New York: Harper Collins Publishers.

Summary:

This book is told from the perspective of a drummer boy during the civil war. It goes through a bit of life in a soldier’s camp and preparation for battle. It is not until the very end of the book that you find out that the boy is not living during the Civil War but is actually a re-enactor.

I was so shocked with the ending that I had to design the lesson as more of a writing response lesson since I’m sure the students would have a strong reaction to the ending.

Objectives:
The student will make predictions and respond to the text.

Materials:
Red Legs: A Drummer Boy of the Civil War
Response Journals

Procedure:
1. Introduce the concept of children during the civil war by asking them if anyone can guess if people their age were involved in the Civil War. Explain the variety of jobs that children had actually in the war and the book they will be reading and responding to today is of one such child.
2. Read through the text asking questions along the way. Discussing unfamiliar vocabulary and concepts in order to help the students better understand the text.
3. When you get up to the page where there is “cease fire” in the battle have the students respond in their journals to what they think will happen next.
4. Have the students share some of their answers. Continue the rest of the story and have the students respond to the actual ending. [How did they feel about what happened? Were they surprised at the ending?].