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?].

If You Lived at the Time of the Civil War

The Book:

Moore, K. (1994). If You Lived at the Time of the Civil War. New York: Scholastic Books, Inc.

Summary:
This book is a straightforward look at the civil war using developmentally appropriate language. The book is formatted in a question and answer way. The questions range from basic questions regarding the war such as Who fought?, How did it start?, to more lifestyle questions such as How did life change after the war? and Did children continue to go to school?

This book could be used in a variety of ways in the classroom. It can be used in a strictly reference capacity or as a read aloud. I have decided to build students summarizing ability in order to share a large amount of information with the whole class using their own words.

Lesson: Summarizing the Civil 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:
3-4.7 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.
3-4.8 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.

Objectives:
The student will summarize the answer to a major question about the Civil War.

Assessment:
The student will be assessed on their summaries using a rubric.

Materials:
Copied sections of If you Lived at the Time of the Civil War
Computers with Internet access

Procedure:
1. TTW find out what the students already know about the civil war. TTW tell the class that they are going to be finding out answers to several questions about the civil war- and the teacher will list these pre-made questions from the book onto the board.
2. TTW split the students up into groups of 2 or 3 and distribute the pre-printed sections of the book. Each section will contain at least 2 questions and the information answering the questions. The students will work together to read through the information and summarize their answers in order to share with the rest of the class the answers.
3. Students should be encouraged to find more out about their questions in order to fully understand their answers.
4. The class will come back together to share their summaries and information with the whole class.

Follow the Drinking Gourd

The Book:
Winter, J. (1988). Follow the Drinking Gourd. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Dragonfly Books.


Summary:
This story tells how a folksong became a map for slaves running toward the North and freedom. One family follows the Drinking Gourd, The Big Dipper, and uses the lyrics of the song to map their escape route. This book can be used as a jumping off point to talk more about the Underground Railroad and the ways slaves escaped. It can also be used to talk about code or songs of the slave culture and the civil war.

Lesson: Songs of code

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:
3-4.1 Compare the conditions of daily life for various classes of people in South Carolina, including the elite, the middle class, the lower class, the independent farmers, and the free and the enslaved African Americans. (H, E)
3-4.2 Summarize the institution of slavery prior to the Civil War, including reference to conditions in South Carolina, the invention of the cotton gin, subsequent expansion of slavery, and economic dependence on slavery. (H, E, P)


Objectives:
The student will analyze and decode an underground railroad song.

Assessment:
The student will be assessed by their participation in decoding the song.

Materials:
Copies of the song Follow the Drinking Gourd & Another slave song if possible.
The book, Follow the Drinking Gourd
Copies of Underground Railroad Code Dictionary and Code Phrases

Procedure:
1. TTW introduce the idea of code and what that word means. TTW ask for any examples that the students can think of who would use code and how they would use it. [Spies, passing notes, superheros, detectives, computers, Morse code].
2. TTW reintroduces the Underground Railroad and activate prior knowledge. TTW say that another way for the slaves to communicate about escape was through song. TTW read the story Follow the Drinking Gourd.
3. Each reading group will get a copy of several slave songs and using their Underground Railroad code dictionaries, find all of the hidden meanings for the words. They can then make up a song of their own if time allots.

Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt

The Book:

Hopkinson, D. (1993) Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Summary:
This book tells the story of a young slave girl taken from one farm to another without her family. There she learns how to sew for the masters in the big house in order to get out of field work. While she did her sewing she would listen to the other slaves coming in and out of the plantation that talked about the road to freedom and the Underground Railroad. Using their conversations as directions, she pieced together a map out of a quilt to help slaves like herself to freedom.

Lesson: A Quilt to Freedom

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
3-4.1 Compare the conditions of daily life for various classes of people in South Carolina, including the elite, the middle class, the lower class, the independent farmers, and the free and the enslaved African Americans. (H, E)
3-4.2 Summarize the institution of slavery prior to the Civil War, including reference to conditions in South Carolina, the invention of the cotton gin, subsequent expansion of slavery, and economic dependence on slavery. (H, E, P)

Objectives:

The student will respond to the text by writing and drawing.

Assessment:
The student will be assessed on their quilt square that contains at least one response to the text.

Materials:
Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt
Chart paper, markers

Procedure:
1. Introduce the story by showing several different kinds of maps.
Ask students to share a time when they used a map the teacher will list the types of maps and reasons for their use.
3. Introduce the story by reviewing the purpose for the Underground Railroad. Ask students to listen for how the “maps” for the Underground Railroad were drawn.
4. While reading the book ask some strategic questions to help the students better understand and think about the story.[What role does Clara have on the plantation? How does she get the idea to make a map? ]
5. After the story is read have students make a response quilt square on which they can respond to the text by writing and drawing. In order to give them ideas of where to begin write some prompts on the board such as:
- The setting reminds me of…
- The event that I like best is …
- The conflict of the story is …
- I liked when Clara …
- Clara reminds me of …
6. Have each student share his or her quilt patch; when finished, assemble them to form a quilt and hang it in the classroom.

Christmas in the Big House, Christmas In the Quarters

The Book:

McKissack, Patricia. Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters.

Summary:
This book chronicles the lifestyles of two classes of southern society during the holiday season of 1859- the plantation owners and the slaves. The book is quite long but can be broken down into sections easily since there are quite a few days of celebrations described. The story describes each of the many days of festivities using each classes point of view including the different preparations, decorations, celebrations, and food enjoyed in both locations. This book gives an excellent glimpse into the dichotomy of the time.

Lesson: Two Classes celebrating the same holiday

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.

Indicators:
3-4.1 Compare the conditions of daily life for various classes of people in South Carolina, including the elite, the middle class, the lower class, the independent farmers, and the free and the enslaved African Americans.

Objective:
The student will compare the customs of one holiday between the plantation owners and the slaves.

Assessment:
The student will be assessed with a checklist

Materials:
Graphic organizer
Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters

Procedure:
1. TTW ask if the students can think of specific things that their family does at certain holidays (this can include any holiday throughout the year) listing abbreviated versions of what the students say on the board
2. TTW talk about the variety of customs that the class has listed on the board and tell the students that everyone has different ways to celebrate the same holidays.
3. TTW read the book aloud to the class one section at a time.
4. Each student will take a day of celebration and using a graphic organizer they will compare how the slaves and the plantation celebrated the same and celebrated different.

Daily Life on a Southern Plantation, 1853

The Book:

Erickson, Paul. Daily Life on a Southern Plantation, 1853. New York: Lodestar Publishers, 1998.

Summary:

This non-fiction book gives an overview of life on a southern plantation. It goes through all of the buildings that would be on a plantation and goes through a typical day of a slave. There are a variety of interesting facts and pictures that students would find engaging. Due to the fact that there are several plantations in the Lowcountry, I thought that this book would make a great comparison tool before a big field trip.

Lesson: Comparing Daily Lives on Plantations

SC 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:

3-4.1 Compare the conditions of daily life for various classes of people in South Carolina, including the elite, the middle class, the lower class, the independent farmers, and the free and the enslaved African Americans. (H, E)

Objectives:
The student will compare the life on two southern plantations.

Materials:
Daily life on a Southern Plantation, 1853
Field Trip to Boone Hall Plantation

Procedure:
1. About a week before embarking on a field trip to Boone Hall Plantation (or any other plantation in Charleston) the teacher will introduce the book, The Daily Life on a Southern Plantation, 1853. Each day the class will read and discuss one part of daily life on a plantation.
2. During the field trip the class will be given a guided tour of the main house, slave cabins and gardens of an authentic plantation. Encourage the students to be thinking about the book that they had been reading and how this plantation compares to the description in the book.
3. Upon returning to the classroom have the class discuss the similarities and differences that they witnessed between the book and the real plantation.

4. Have each student write about some of these similarities and differences. Allow them to draw pictures to go along with their writing if they wish.