The Civil War

Social Studies American History Civil War Through 1900 The Civil War
Students read the first verse of “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” and summarize the main idea of the song. Then they explore an interactivity to learn about the key events and people of the Civil War. Next they analyze the Emancipation Proclamation. Finally, they write a short report on a topic related to Abraham Lincoln’s life and accomplishments.

This learning experience is designed for device-enabled classrooms. The teacher guides the lesson, and students use embedded resources, social media skills, and critical thinking skills to actively participate. To get access to a free version of the complete lesson, sign up for an exploros account.

1:1 Devices
Teacher Pack

The Pack contains associated resources for the learning experience, typically in the form of articles and videos. There is a teacher Pack (with only teacher information) and a student Pack (which contains only student information). As a teacher, you can toggle between both to see everything.

Here are the teacher pack items for The Civil War:

Preview - Scene 1
Exploros Learnign Experience Scene Navigation


Overview

In this experience, students read the first verse of “When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again” and summarize the main idea of the song. Then they explore an interactivity to learn about the key events and people of the Civil War. Next they analyze the Emancipation Proclamation. Finally, they write a short informational text on a topic related to Abraham Lincoln’s life and accomplishments.

If you have access to leveled readers related to the Civil War or Abraham Lincoln, assign them to the students in parallel to this experience.

Estimated duration: 45-90 minutes, depending on how much time you want to give students to research and write their informational texts

Vocabulary words:

  • withdraw
  • secede
  • emancipation
  • proclamation

Objectives

  • Identify the causes of the Civil War.
  • Explain how slavery was a cause of the Civil War.
  • Describe the course of the Civil War.


Engage


The conflict between the slave states and the free states continued to get worse. In 1860, the Republican anti-slavery candidate, Abraham Lincoln, won the presidential election. Not a single southern state had voted for Lincoln. His election caused the southern states to withdraw from the United States. The Civil War soon started. In this experience, you will learn about the war.

Objectives
  • Identify the causes of the Civil War.
  • Explain how slavery was a cause of the Civil War.
  • Describe the course of the Civil War.


An old envelope from Civil War times with lady Columbia holding a U.S. flag and the text “The War for the Union” on it, addressed to someone in Seneca Falls, N.Y. and bearing a 3-cent stamp

War is difficult for all the people involved. Soldiers leave their families behind to go fight. Sometimes people’s homes are destroyed. There are often shortages in food, clothing, or other daily items.

The song “When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again” was popular during the Civil War. Read the first verse of the song. You can also listen to an early recording of it from the year 1898.


When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again
By Patrick Gilmore 

When Johnny comes marching home again
Hurrah! Hurrah!
We'll give him a hearty welcome then
Hurrah! Hurrah!
The men will cheer and the boys will shout
The ladies they will all turn out
And we'll all feel gay
When Johnny comes marching home.



Summarize the main idea of the song.

Post your answer

The people on the home front miss their relatives and friends who are away fighting in the war, and they are eager for the soldiers to come home.

If any of your students have family members who have served with the U.S. military overseas, give them an opportunity to describe to the class what they felt when their loved ones were far away.


When everyone is ready to continue, unlock the next scene.

End of Preview
The Complete List of Learning Experiences in Civil War Through 1900 Unit.
Social Studies American History Civil War Through 1900 Civil War Through 1900: Vocabulary
Civil War Through 1900: Vocabulary
Social Studies American History Civil War Through 1900 The Civil War
The Civil War
Social Studies American History Civil War Through 1900 Age of Invention
Age of Invention
Social Studies American History Civil War Through 1900 Expansion’s Impact on the Environment
Expansion’s Impact on the Environment
Social Studies American History Civil War Through 1900 Nineteenth Century Literature
Nineteenth Century Literature
Social Studies American History Civil War Through 1900 The Transcontinental Railroad
The Transcontinental Railroad
Social Studies American History Civil War Through 1900 Conflict Over Slavery
Conflict Over Slavery
Social Studies American History Civil War Through 1900 Reconstruction
Reconstruction
Social Studies American History Civil War Through 1900 Mass Immigration: The Huddled Masses
Mass Immigration: The Huddled Masses
Social Studies American History Civil War Through 1900 The Plains Indians
The Plains Indians
Would you like to preview the rest of this learning experience, and get access to the entire functioning American History course for your classroom? Sign up using your school email address below.
Back to top