Experiencing the American Civil War
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University
Tony Newton
West Lincoln-Broadwell
Summer 2013
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University
Charleston Mercury Extra, December 20, 1860 . . . Union Dissolved!
Broadside. John G. Nicolay Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress
[Digital ID# cw0003]
Students will use the LOC website to get an in depth look at The American Civil War using primary sources, many of which contain information that would have been accessible to the average citizen at the time of the war.
Overview/ Materials/LOC Resources/Standards/ Procedures/Evaluation/Rubric/Handouts/Extension
Overview Back to Navigation BarObjectives / Students will:
· Gain a better understanding of what it was like to live during the Civil War.
· Gain a better understanding of the chain of events that transpired before, during, and after the war.
· Have discussions about what they found and what it meant to the people of the early 1860’s.
Recommended time frame / 2 to 3 days
Grade level / 8th
Curriculum fit / Social Studies
Materials / · Computers for every student
· Primary Sources Summary Sheet
· Primary Source Analysis Sheet
· Pencil
· Projector
· Notebook Paper
Common Core Standards Back to Navigation Bar
CCSS.ELA and Literacy
Speaking and Listening
· SL.8.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
· SL.8.1a Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.
· SL.8.1b Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.
· 8.1c Pose questions that connect the ideas of several speakers and respond to others’ questions and comments with relevant evidence, observations, and ideas.
· SL.8.1d Acknowledge new information expressed by others, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views in light of the evidence presented.
· SL.8.2 Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and evaluate the motives (e.g., social, commercial, political) behind its presentation.
· SL.8.3 Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and relevance and sufficiency of the evidence and identifying when irrelevant evidence is introduced.
Reading Informational Text
· RI.8.1 Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
· RI.8.2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.
· RI.8.3 Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).
Procedures Back to Navigation Bar
Day One:
· Teacher will bring up The American Civil War exhibit on the Library of Congress website and instruct students to go there on their laptops.
· Students will be instructed to go to the tab titled “Themes.” There are 6 themes. Students will be divided up into six groups. Each group will be in charge of a theme.
· Each theme has many primary sources in it and each student will be able to choose 4 sources to read.
· Using all 4 sources they will answer the questions on the Primary Source Summary Sheet.
· They will use their Primary Source Summary Sheet to report back to the group about their sources and what they contained.
Day Two:
· Teacher will bring up a Primary Source Analysis Sheet and the primary source listed on the Resources page and have students fill the sheet out as a class.
· They will choose one of their 4 sources that interests them the most to fill out a Primary Source Analysis Sheet on their own.
· When finished each student will present their source and their Analysis Sheet. Each student will get 1-2 minutes.
· Students will write down one interesting fact about each source as others are presenting.
Day Three:
· Finish presentations.
Evaluation Back to Navigation Bar
· Students will turn in a Primary Source Analysis Sheet and a Primary Source Summary Sheet.
· Teacher will fill out a Rubric for every student based on their presentation.
Primary Resources from the Library of Congress
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Image / Description / Citation / URL/ Within minutes of the convention’s vote, Robert Barnwell Rhett Sr., owner of the Charleston Mercury, distributed printed broadsides on the city streets announcing the dissolution of the federal union. / Charleston Mercury Extra, December 20, 1860 . . . Union Dissolved! Broadside. John G. Nicolay Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress (003.00.00)
[Digital ID# cw0003] / http://myloc.gov/Exhibitions/civil-war-in-america/prologue/ExhibitObjects/Union-is-Dissolved.aspx
The rest of the images will be found in The American Civil War exhibit on the LOC website. They will be chosen by the students according to what they find interesting.
Rubric
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Oral Presentation Rubric : Primary Source PresentationTeacher Name: Mr. Newton
Student Name: ______
CATEGORY / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Preparedness / Student is completely prepared and has obviously rehearsed. / Student seems pretty prepared but might have needed a couple more rehearsals. / The student is somewhat prepared, but it is clear that rehearsal was lacking. / Student does not seem at all prepared to present.
Listens to Other Presentations / Listens intently. Does not make distracting noises or movements. / Listens intently but has one distracting noise or movement. / Sometimes does not appear to be listening but is not distracting. / Sometimes does not appear to be listening and has distracting noises or movements.
Speaks Clearly / Speaks clearly and distinctly all (100-95%) the time, and mispronounces no words. / Speaks clearly and distinctly all (100-95%) the time, but mispronounces one word. / Speaks clearly and distinctly most ( 94-85%) of the time. Mispronounces no more than one word. / Often mumbles or can not be understood OR mispronounces more than one word.
Volume / Volume is loud enough to be heard by all audience members throughout the presentation. / Volume is loud enough to be heard by all audience members at least 90% of the time. / Volume is loud enough to be heard by all audience members at least 80% of the time. / Volume often too soft to be heard by all audience members.
Handouts
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Primary Source Summary Sheet
Name: / Date:Document #1
TYPE OF DOCUMENT:
DATE(S) OF DOCUMENT:
AUTHOR (OR CREATOR) OF THE DOCUMENT:
TITLE OF DOCUMENT:
FOR WHAT AUDIENCE WAS THE DOCUMENT WRITTEN?
Document #2
TYPE OF DOCUMENT:
DATE(S) OF DOCUMENT:
AUTHOR (OR CREATOR) OF THE DOCUMENT:
TITLE OF DOCUMENT:
FOR WHAT AUDIENCE WAS THE DOCUMENT WRITTEN?
Document #3
TYPE OF DOCUMENT:
DATE(S) OF DOCUMENT:
AUTHOR (OR CREATOR) OF THE DOCUMENT:
TITLE OF DOCUMENT:
FOR WHAT AUDIENCE WAS THE DOCUMENT WRITTEN?
Document #4
TYPE OF DOCUMENT:
DATE(S) OF DOCUMENT:
AUTHOR (OR CREATOR) OF THE DOCUMENT:
TITLE OF DOCUMENT:
FOR WHAT AUDIENCE WAS THE DOCUMENT WRITTEN?
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University
Primary Source Analysis Sheet