The Civil War
Abraham Lincoln
TEACHER INFORMATION | RESOURCES | EVALUATION |
|---|
Abraham Lincoln made many hard decisions during the Civil War.
What would you have done?
Below is a chance for you to have your input.
Make your choices then discover what Abraham Lincoln did.
STUDENT 'S INSTRUCTIONS
Day 1 &2: Read each situation carefully, and think about what decision you would make and choose "A" or "B" or write an educated decision of your own. Then with a partner find the decisions President Lincoln made by clicking on the web site given or researching in one of the other web sites listed in Resources, or by using your text book. Be sure to give the reason why Lincoln made the decision he made, or your answer won't be right. Each student needs to have their responses, Lincoln's responses, and "why" written out.
- Eleven States in the South have decided to secede from the Union. What would you do?
- Fort Sumter is being attacked by the Confederate forces (South). What would you do?
I would...
A. decide to protect it and fight back.
B. decide to let the South have the fort since it was in the South anyway. - After the attack on Fort Sumter, Lincoln had to decide what to do.
I would...
A. declare war on the Southern Confederacy.
B. decide to let the South have their way and let them secede. - The Union suffered severely in the beginning of the war. The Federal arsenal, guns and ammunitions, was seized at Harpers Ferry, Va. The huge United States Navy Yard at Norfolk, Va., was captured.
I would...
A. give up and let the South have its own way.
B. device a plan to win the war. - The Union has captured two Confederates that were a part of the political commission in the South going to Britian and France. The British have said they will declare war on the United States if they do not release these men to the Southern Confederacy.
I would...
A. release the men so they can continue to work against the United States and maybe, try to go back to England to get help to win the war.
B. keep the men in p rison until after the war and risk having to fight two wars: one with the South and one with Great Britian. - The best general you have has just fought a battle where 23,000 men died and pressure is on you to relieve him.
I would...
A. say,"Yes, this man has served his country well and needs a break."
B. tell him he's doing such a good job that we can't afford to lose him. - The Confederate South has just lost the battle at Atietam where 26,000 men have been lost. General McClellan has done well for the North.
I would...
A. give him a medal and a pat on the back.
B. replace him with another general. - Your Navy is spread all over the world.
I would...
A. bring them back to block the ship yards so the South can't get supplies.
B. keep them away so they can't be sunk by the Southern ships. - At the battlefield of Gettysburg where 28,000 Confederate soliders and 23,000 Union soldiers died, President Lincoln dedicates the battlefield as a military cemetery.
I would...
A. speak for hours knowing that everyone is expecting you to.
B. talk for two minutes telling the people what these men died for. - Four days after Gerneral Lee surrenders to General Grant at the village of Appomattox Court House in Virginia, President Lincoln wants to celebrate.
I would...
A. go to the Ford Theater where there is a patriotic American play being performed.
B. stay home where it is safe.
I would...
A. say," Alright," and let them go on their own.
B. say,"No," and fight a war.
The time has come to declare the slaves free: Emancipation Proclamation.
I would...
A. give the freed slaves shelter and food and feel badly that they had been wronged.
B. allow them to enlist in the Army and fight to stay free.
To answer these questions Click here.
- Day 3: You should choose a battle your interested in and write a paragraph. Hint: Be sure to include the generals' names who fought and for which side, where the battle was fought, who won the battle, and the number of casualties. Also, include the affect the battle had on the war. All this information can be found in the site above.
- Day 4: Create a time-line of the events that the questions covered on construction paper. Give the dates and critical events. Be creative- use pictures and labels. They will count for extra credit points
- Day 5: Compare and Contrast the North and South in a Venn Diagram. Title the Venn Diagram. Use the Contrasts to create a Diamante:
Click here for instructions on Diamante and to view a sample. - Day 6 &7: The Civil War took over 500,000 lives. More American people lost their lives in this war than in any other war America has fought. There were tough decisions made to keep the United States of America united. If we hadn't fought this war and had allowed the South to form their own country, the history of America would be completely altered. Write an essay about what it would be like today if America was divided into two different countries. Support your beliefs with details. The more details the better the grade. It is recommended that you write a five paragraph essay. Use your imagination. Remember the slaves won't be free any longer; each country will have its own money and laws.
RESOURCES
- The History Place: http://www.historyplace.com/civilwar/index.html
- Diamante Directions:
- World Book Encyclopedia, Volume 4
- Harcourt Brace Jovanovich: The United States Its History and Neighbors
- Carter, Alden R.,The Civil War
- Selected Civil War Photographs:http://rs6.loc.gov/cwphome.html
- Time Line Civil War 1861: http://rs6.loc.gov/ammem/tl1861.html
TEACHER INFORMATION
Objectives - Students will learn about "Cause and Affect." They will show understanding of the Civil War by identifying the results of the decisions Abraham Lincoln made during the Civil War.
- Students will write a cohesive paragraph using details and correct punctuation and capitalization.
- Students will sequence a series of events to increase comprehension of the Civil War.
- Students will increase comprehension of the Civil War by comparing and contrasting the North & South.
- Students will use higher order thinking to write an essay telling what it would be like today if Abraham Lincoln had allowed the South to secede.
Tasks- Day 1 & 2: Students should Record their decisions and President Lincoln's decisions in complete sentences giving the reasons why Lincoln made the decisions he did.
- Day 3: Students should find a battle they're particularly interested in and write a paragraph. Hint: They should be sure to include the generals' names who fought and for which side, where the battle was fought, who won the battle, and the number of casualties. Also, include the affect the battle had on the war.
- Day 4: Students should create a time-line of the events that the questions covered on construction paper . Give the dates and critical events. Be creative - use pictures and labels.
- Day 5: Compare and Contrast the North and South in a Venn Diagram. Students will show knowledge of parts of speech while using the contrasts to create a Diamante : Click here for instructions on Diamante and to view a sample.
- Day 6 & 7: Students will write an essay using their imagination and background knowledge to rewrite history. They will write a five paragraph essay about what life in America would be like if Abraham Lincoln had let the South secede.
Click here for instructions on Diamante and to view a sample.Top of Page
EVALUATIONS
DAY 1 & 2: The student will be evaluated by the number of correct answers to Questions 1-10.
Day 3: The students' paragraphs will be graded on content and mechanics. I suggest a separate grade for each.
CONTENT | MECHANICS |
|---|---|
Name and Date of battle (10 points) | Complete Sentences(10 points) |
Both Generals and the Side they fought for (10 points) | Misspelled Words (10 points) |
Where Battle was Fought (5 points) | Subject/Verb Agreement (10 points) |
Affect of Battle (10 points) | Correct Capitalization and Punctuation (10 points) |
Day 4: Students' TIme-Lines should have 10 dates and events listed. 10 points should be given for each correct date and corresponding event. 5 points for appearance can be given for extra credit.
Day 5: Three items for each section of the Venn Diagram should be listed. Each counting for one point if correctly placed in the diagram, and a point for the title of the diagram. Each word in the Diamante counts for 1 point. The words have to be the correct part of speech for the line and correctly describe the North and the South. The points for the Venn diagram and the Diamante can be combined for one grade or scored separately .
Day 6 & 7: Students' essays should be graded on content and mechanics.
CONTENT | MECHANICS |
|---|---|
Introductory Paragraph stating major points (10 points) | Complete Sentences (10 points) |
First major statement and 2 supporting details (10 points) | Misspelled Words (10 points) |
Second major statement and 2 supporting details (10 points) | Subject/Verb Agreement (10 points) |
Third major detail and 2 supporting statements (10 points) | Correct Capitalization and Punctuation (10 points) |
Concluding Paragraph summarizing major points. (10 points) |
CONCLUSION
This WebQuest's activities are especially designed for a classroom with different levels of ability. The tasks are opened ended enough to allow each student to be successful at their level. Integration of subjects is also an attribute of this WebQuest and is beneficial in today's classroom that is striving to teach more application of subject matter while learning how to use today's ever changing technology.
The subjects of English, history, and reading have been integrated. All objectives are used to increase knowledge of history and reading comprehension: answering detail and inference questions, comparing and contrasting, sequencing, and predicting. The tasks for days 3, 4, 6 & 7 can be used to teach and assess English as well as teach history. These activities are made fun and exciting by the use of computers and the internet. I have tried to incorporate all the dominate learning styles and intelligences into these lessons. . I hope you and your students have an enjoyable time learning through technology.
The subjects of English, history, and reading have been integrated. All objectives are used to increase knowledge of history and reading comprehension: answering detail and inference questions, comparing and contrasting, sequencing, and predicting. The tasks for days 3, 4, 6 & 7 can be used to teach and assess English as well as teach history. These activities are made fun and exciting by the use of computers and the internet. I have tried to incorporate all the dominate learning styles and intelligences into these lessons. . I hope you and your students have an enjoyable time learning through technology.