Civil War Curriculum Lesson Plans: Elementary School
The following lesson plans have been created by educators, leading historians, and the 91ÇÑ×Ó Education Department for classroom use in elementary school grades three through five.
The Elementary School Civil War Curriculum is a set of eight standards-based lesson plans, that utilizes a mixture of traditional and modern teaching methods. Below are the curriculum lessons along with a selection of optional lessons, all of which fit within the Common Core and National Council for Social Studies (NCSS) standards for Elementary School students.
Sections of the Curriculum:
Pre-1860: Disunion
Students will be able to identify the causes of the American Civil War.
- (Elementary School)
The Country Goes to War - 1861
Students will be able to describe the state of the nation and sequence the first events of the Civil War.
- (Elementary School)
Life at War
Students will be able to describe the day-to-day life of a Civil War soldier.
Antietam and Emancipation - 1862
Students will be able to state the meaning and impact of the Emancipation Proclamation.
The Home Front
Students will be able to list examples of work done on the home front and describe how news traveled to the home front.
Shifting Tides 1863
Students will be able to discuss the effects of the battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg, paying particular attention to the Gettysburg Address.
- (Elementary School)
Bringing the War to an End - 1864 & 1865
Students will be able to list and discuss the sequence of events leading to the end of the Civil War, paying special attention to the election of 1864.
Effects of the Civil War - 1865 & Beyond
Students will be able to discuss the effects of the Civil War.
Optional Lesson Plans
- Traveling Trunk Lesson Plans
- Medical Care in the Civil War (Coming Soon)
- The Battle of Gettysburg Field Trip Packet (Coming Soon)
- Mascot's of the Civil War (Coming Soon)
Additional Resources
