The Civil War Unit | 4 Powerful Videos & Activities

This bundle teaches the story of the Civil War through engaging videos with full lesson plans. All four lessons go with videos like this one- Great Battles and Leaders of the Civil War.

In the first lesson, students learn the causes of the Civil War and secessions like slavery, westward expansion, states' rights, and Lincoln's election. Then they learn about LIncoln's overall goal for the Civil War and how it changed from just saving the Union to ending slavery and how African Americans experienced the war. Then there are two lessons on the major battles, leaders, and generals of the Civil War- broken up to be more digestible for students. They learn about Generals Lee, Grant, Stonewall Jackson, McClellan, and Sherman and the battles of Bull Run, Shiloh, Antietam, Gettysburg, Sherman's March, and what ultimately led to the Union victory. Each episode has an exploration question to guide students thinking, on-screen text to help visual learners, and powerful historical images to make history come alive! 

CIVIL WAR VIDEO LESSONS!

 As students watch the video they complete an interactive notesheet with fill-in-the-blanks, critical thinking questions, a warm-up, a thinking map, and a summary at the end to answer the exploration question. Then, each lesson has an optional extension lesson where they read a primary source, analyze maps, political cartoons or historical images, and then answer scaffolded questions that support students and get them to think critically and like historians!

There is a unit test at the end that could be completed as a test or just as a review activity or both! The answers come from their worksheets that can act as study guides. It is mostly multiple-choice with a few fill-in-the-blank questions.

I am sure you and your students will enjoy and it will save you a ton of time, energy, and stress on planning, lecturing, and prepping!

Links to Civil War Videos for the Classroom

1) The Road to the Civil War
2) The Emancipation Proclamation
3) Great Battles and Leaders of the Civil War part 1
4) Great Battles and Leaders of the Civil War part 2

A US history video curriculum made for the classroom!