UNIT PLAN - CIVIL WAR

JAMES SUAREZ

CLASS: American History - Ancient to Civil War (50mins)

GRADE LEVEL: Grades 10-11

UNIT: Civil War

TEACHER: James Suarez

ESSENTIAL QUESTION(S):
1) How did the people and ideas of the 1800’s change the direction of American
History?
2) Was the Civil War inevitable?
CLASSROOM OVERVIEW:
This history class takes place in an urban setting, where students have access to
individually assigned laptops and an online software called MySchool. These resources
provide students with the tools to research and complete assignments, as well as
connect with teachers and classmates virtually. The online platform also allows for
flexibility in workload and supplemental material provided by teachers, as well as
easy-to-access assessments that can be used to monitor student competency.
Academically, the class shows strengths in group activities and verbal discussions
for both small-group and whole-class activities. Most students fall within the 70s to
lower 80s range for grades, with several performing exceptionally well and two
struggling grade-wise. The weakness of the class is in homework assignments,
note-taking, and long-format examinations. Many students show proficiency in the
material through classroom activities but do not perform to the standard on long-range
formal examinations. Fill in Blank questions usually show the lowest scores consistently
across the board for all students. Because of family living situations and commute times
for some students, homework or other assignments that are asked to be done at home
have inconsistent completion rates depending on time commitment and type of
assignments. Socially, the class is a diverse group with a 15/15 split between male and
female students. LGBT+ students are labeled as they wish to be identified. The ethnic
makeup of the course is also diverse, with students identified as white, black, Hispanic,
Indian, Chinese, and Korean. In addition, we also see diverse socioeconomic status
among students as well as living conditions, with some students living in two-parent
households, some living in single-parent households, some living with grandparents,
and some also having notable commute times which include either driving themselves
or taking public transportation. This has the benefit of allowing for a wide range of
perspectives and discussion which is where this class thrives but also comes with the
occasional issue of clashing cultural norms and expectations.
LESSON 1: LIFE IN THE 1800s
IOWA CORE STATE STANDARDS (ICSS)
● SS-US.9-12.13. Analyze how diverse ideologies impacted political and social
institutions during eras such as Reconstruction, the Progressive Era, and the Civil
Rights Movement.
○ Discussion of the Second Great Awakening and the effect it had on the
morality of then-contemporary American life
● SS-US.9-12.22. Evaluate the impact of inventions and technological innovations
on American society and culture.

21st CENTURY SKILL(S)

● SS-US.9-12.15. Assess the impact of individuals and reform movements on
changes to civil rights and liberties. (21st century skills)
○ Second Great Awakening on Abolition, Temperance, and the
Emancipation of Women

OBJECTIVE

Students will be able to identify and analyze the significant events, ideas, and people
that shaped American history in the 1800s

ASSESSMENT

Students will be given a task to write down two names of events or people from the
board. Upon completion of the class activities, they will be tasked with filling out their
notecards with the importance of the names they wrote down.

ANTICIPATORY SET

Students will be tasked with writing down the names of two events or people from a list
provided on the board.

TEACHING: ACTIVITIES
● INTRODUCTION (5min)
○ At the start of class, there will be a list of names written on the board. The
students will be given a note card and asked to write one name from the
board on their notecards.
○ A timeline will be passed out to the students to document important
events leading up to the Civil War
○ The lesson will begin with a quick review of the War of 1812 and the stage
being set for the Antebellum years of the United States
● LECTURE (20 minutes)
 ○ Students will be asked to take out their notebooks and write notes from
the lecture
■ Students will be given access to the slides on MySchool after the
class day, however students who require a scribe or struggle with
writing/note taking will be given a printed sheet to help with note
taking.
○ The lecture will cover 4 of the 5 pillars of the Antebellum years:
sectionalism, the Second Great Awakening, Westward Expansion, and the
Industrial Revolution
○ The names on the board are the names of the inventors of the inventions
that were discussed during the lecture. Students will be asked to write
down the invention for the name they picked and turn that in for
participation credit
■ Students who may need accommodations will be given a sheet
with names already written and the significance placed scrambled
on the other end of the sheet. Students are to draw a line
connecting the correct pairing
● “The War” UNIT ACTIVITY (~10-15 minutes)
○ Students will be given the rules and roles of the upcoming WAR
ACTIVITY. Students will be asked to choose what role they would like to
play.
○ Students are to write down a list of the roles they wish to play in order of
most wanted to least wanted. They will be given a rundown of the battle
map and the goal of the game.

CLOSURE

● Prepare students for the theme of the next class, Slavery.

● Spend this time answering any questions that may be asked
○ Students who ask questions will receive extra credit as long as the question
was not already asked
● REMAINING TIME: MUSICAL ACTIVITY
○ Students will be given the remaining time to explore the music of the early
1800s. This will include a list of popular music at the time for the class to
choose to listen to as well as some now popular music that was written at
the time.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE

Students will be asked to look over their notes and review additional videos that have
been linked on MySchool
MATERIALS
● Students are asked to have:
○ Notebook
○ Pencil/Pen
● Teacher will provide:
○ Online resources made available
○ Powerpoint for lecture
○ The War Activity sheets and Spreadsheet prepped for creation

“I CAN” STATEMENT

"I can identify and analyze the significant events, ideas, and people that shaped
American history in the 1800s."
LESSON 2: SLAVERY & ROAD TO CIVIL WAR
IOWA CORE STATE STANDARDS (ICSS)
● SS-US.9-12.24. Critique primary and secondary sources of information with
attention to the source of the document, its context, accuracy, and usefulness
○ Slave Auction Poster

21st CENTURY SKILL(S)

● SS-US.9-12.15. Assess the impact of individuals and reform movements on
changes to civil rights and liberties. (21st century skills)
○ Abolition and slavery on the communities across the growing United
States

OBJECTIVE

Students will understand the historic events that lead to the start of the American Civil
War as well as the role slavery played in this inevitable conflict.

ASSESSMENT

Students will be assessed based on their participation and successful completion of the
timeline activity.

ANTICIPATORY SET

Class will start with an analysis of a slave auction poster from the early 1820s. This will
segue the class into the lecture and prepare them for the events involving slavery that
will be discussed.

TEACHING: ACTIVITIES
● INTRODUCTION (10mins)
○ A slave auction poster (1829) will be displayed at the front of the class.
Students will be required to read and write down their thoughts on the
display.
● LECTURE (15mins)
○ Powerpoint presentation provided by teacher
■ Students will be given access to the slides on MySchool after the
class day, however students who require a scribe or struggle with
writing/note taking will be given a printed sheet to help with note
taking.
○ Students are to write down lecture notes, to be graded at another time
■ Students given a note taking sheet or issued a scribe will be graded
day-of to ensure completion and quality of work for study and
reference
 ○ Topics will include slavery and the various historic moments that occurred
leading to the Civil War
■ Including but not limited to: Missouri Compromise (1820),
Nullification Crisis (1830s), Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) &
Bleeding Kansas, Brooks-Sumner Incident (1856), Dred Scott v.
Stanford (1857), Douglas-Lincoln Debates (1858), John Brown’s
Raid (1859), Election of 1860, Secession of Southern States
(1860-61), Fort Sumter (1861)
● ACTIVITY - Timeline Activity (15mins)
○ 5 students will be asked to pull a piece of paper from a basket with the
name of one of the major events that was discussed.
○ The remaining students are placed into groups of 3 and given the
instructions to describe what occurred for one of the events and put it on
the timeline/move one of the students to place them in order at the front
of the class.
○ The activity is over when the timeline is correct and all the events are
correctly described. The 5 students sit down and a new group of 5 students
come up and draw random events again.
CLOSURE
● Final 10 minutes of class will be to go over the event log for the UNIT WAR
ACTIVITY, make any adjustments, and discuss what the class wishes to do for
their next move.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE

Students will be asked to review their notes and complete a quiz provided on the school
website. This quiz will be for a grade but will not be graded on success but completion.

MATERIALS
● Students are asked to have:
○ Notebook
○ Pencil/Pen
● Teacher will provide:
○ Online resources made available
○ Powerpoint for lecture
○ Printed lecture notes for DI students
○ Timeline Activity sheets ready for use

“I CAN” STATEMENT
"I can understand the historic events that led to the start of the American Civil War and
explain the role slavery played.”
LESSON 3: CIVIL WAR
IOWA CORE STATE STANDARDS (ICSS)
● SS-US.9-12.26. Determine multiple and complex causes and effects of historical
events in American history including, but not limited to, the Civil War, World
War I and II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
○ Discussion on the eventual start of the Civil War

21st CENTURY SKILL(S)

● SS-US.9-12.15. Assess the impact of individuals and reform movements on
changes to civil rights and liberties. (21st century skills)
○ Emancipation Proclamation

OBJECTIVE

Students will be able to identify and explain key events and people of the first half of the
American Civil War, with a focus from Fort Sumter to the Battle of Gettysburg.

ASSESSMENT

Students will be given a pop quiz at the end of class over the materials just learned.

ANTICIPATORY SET

Class will begin with a quick recap of the events up to the present lecture (post-Fort
Sumter). Students will be called on to explain what happened in their own words.

TEACHING: ACTIVITIES
● INTRODUCTION (10mins)
○ Student-led recap of events up to Fort Sumter
● LECTURE (20mins)
○ PowerPoint presentation provided by the teacher
■ Students with accommodations will be given printed note-taking
sheet
○ Students are to write down lecture notes, to be graded at another time
■ Students with scribe/accommodations will be graded day-of to
ensure quality of notes
● POP QUIZ (10mins)
○ Students will take a pop quiz that will deal with the events and battles
leading up to and during the Civil War. There will be roughly 15-20
questions. Students will need to answer 10 correctly for an A
■ The purpose of this pop quiz is to show students where they are
currently proficient and where their studying should be. The
 grading will be out of 10. Students who struggle with written
assignments will be given the option to take the quiz orally.
■ Lower level students will have the grade decreased to only 7
correct for a successful grade as opposed to a 10
CLOSURE
● The final 10 minutes of class will be to go over the event log for the UNIT WAR
ACTIVITY, make any adjustments, and discuss what the class wishes to do for
their next move.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE

Students will be asked to review the portions of the pop quiz they could have done better
at answering. Students will also be given supplemental videos and materials on the
school website for review and study purposes.

MATERIALS
● Students are asked to have:
○ Notebook
○ Pencil/Pen
● Teacher will provide:
○ Online

DURATION
● Introduction - 10min
● Lecture - 20min
● Pop Quiz - 10min
● Unit War Activity - 10min

“I CAN” STATEMENT
"I Can identify and explain the key events and people of the first half of the American
Civil War.”
LESSON 4: END OF THE CIVIL WAR
IOWA CORE STATE STANDARDS (ICSS)
● SS-US.9-12.26. Determine multiple and complex causes and effects of historical
events in American history

21st CENTURY SKILL(S)

● SS-US.9-12.15. Assess the impact of individuals and reform movements on
changes to civil rights and liberties. (21st century skills)

OBJECTIVE

Students will be able to identify and explain key events and people of the second half of
the American Civil War, with a focus on the Battle of Gettysburg to Lincoln’s
Assassination.

ASSESSMENT

Students will be assessed based on the frequency of correct answers given during the
Bingo Activity.

ANTICIPATORY SET

Class will begin with a visual set up using a map of the war as of the end of Gettysburg
(Use Civil War Day by Day video from the resources doc)

TEACHING: ACTIVITIES
● INTRODUCTION (5mins)
○ Use the video link from the resources doc
● LECTURE (20mins)
○ Important Events include the fall of Vicksburg, Battle of Chickamauga,
Battle of Chattanooga, Cold Harbor, Battle of Atlanta, Surrender at
Appomattox Courthouse, Lincoln Assassination
■ Students will be given access to the slides on MySchool after the
class day, however, students who require a scribe or struggle with
writing/note taking will be given a printed sheet to help with note
taking.
● REVIEW ACTIVITY - Bingo (15mins)
○ Students will be asked to pick up a bingo card from the front of the class. A
name will be pulled from a hat and the teacher will provide a description
of the event or person, to which the students will need to see if the event is
on their board.
○ Once a few seconds have passed, the teacher will call on a student who
believes they got the name and give the answer. If the student gets the
 answer correct, they are given a free space on their board to place
wherever they wish.
CLOSURE
● The final 10 minutes of class will be to go over the event log for the UNIT WAR
ACTIVITY, make any adjustments, and discuss what the class wishes to do for
their next move.
● Review sheets will be passed around for the review session that will occur next
class period. Students are to take one and go through it before the beginning of
class to be prepared for the review session.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE

Students will be asked to review the portions of the pop quiz they could have done better
at answering. Students will also be given supplemental videos and materials on the
school website for review and study purposes.

MATERIALS
● Students are asked to have:
○ notebook
○ pencil/pen
● Teacher will provide:
○ Online resources
○ Bingo Cards to be printed before class
○ Red & Black chips to be used for Bingo

DURATION
● 50-minute class period
○ Introduction - 5mins
○ Lecture - 20mins
○ Activity - 15mins
○ Closure - 10mins

“I CAN” STATEMENT
"I Can identify and explain the key events and people of the first half of the American
Civil War.”
LESSON 5: END OF UNIT REVIEW
IOWA CORE STATE STANDARDS (ICSS)
● SS-US.9-12.21. Analyze change, continuity, and context across eras and places
of study from Civil War to modern America.

21st CENTURY SKILL(S)

● SS-US.9-12.15. Assess the impact of individuals and reform movements on
changes to civil rights and liberties. (21st century skills)

OBJECTIVE

Students will be able to identify significant events and people during the time period of
the mid-1800s to the end of the Civil War.

ASSESSMENT

Review games and activities that will occur during this class period

ANTICIPATORY SET

Students will walk into class seeing their names broken up into 4 separate groups. They
are to sit at their section and align their desks to be a pod if the classroom is not already
set up as such.

TEACHING: ACTIVITIES
● INTRODUCTION (5mins)
○ Set the classroom up and divide into established teams. Take attendance if
not done so already.
● REVIEW ACTIVITY (30mins) (Trivia Bowl, Trashketball, Wild Cards)
○ The game will run similar to a Trivia Bowl setup, with each team sending
up a member of the team to play the round. The teacher will ask the
question and the first team to buzz in and answer correctly will get points.
○ Upon answering correctly, the team then gets to decide if they will take a
shot for extra points, to draw a wild card. A shot is a risk, as the players
will wager their points, which they can earn by making the shot, but will
lose the same amount of points on a miss. A wild card is exactly that: a
wild card. They can help and hurt a team, or even help or hurt their
opponents.
CLOSURE
● Students will be told to log into their online website and take a pre-test quiz. The
goal of the pop quiz is not to be for a grade, but rather to sample some of the
questions that will be present on the exam next class period. A participation
 grade will be given upon completion. This is not determined by how great the
students do on the quiz itself.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE

Students will be given access to a mock quiz to help with their preparation to be done at
their leisure up until the beginning of class.

MATERIALS
● Students are asked to have:
○ Laptops
● Teacher will provide:
○ Buzzers
○ Online materials prepared for students to use

DURATION
● 50 minute class period
○ Introduction - 5min
○ Review Game - 30min
○ Pre-Test Quiz - 15min

“I CAN” STATEMENT
"I Can identify and explain the key events and people of the first half of the American
Civil War.”