Social Studies — Grade 8

Plan for a panel discussion regarding the validity of the Lincoln Administration

This lesson encourages students to investigate all sides of the issues within the context of the Civil War era. Students will become “experts” on the Lincoln administration and accept the responsibility of sharing their expertise with their classmates through oral communication in a panel discussion.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Social Studies)

Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate soldier

Students read the account of a private from Charlotte who served in the Civil War and grew tired of only hearing about the war from the perspectives of officers. After reading his experiences as a “man behind the gun” students will write their own point-of-view piece. They also have the opportunity to read other diary accounts from the war available through Documenting the American South.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Social Studies)

By Meghan Mcglinn.

Resources on the web

North Carolina and the Civil War

Online exhibits from the North Carolina Museum of History include artifacts, photographs, audio readings of soldiers' letters, and more. (Learn more)

Format: website/general

Provided by: North Carolina Museum of History

Civil War Music

In this lesson, one of a multi-part unit from ARTSEDGE, students use the Internet as a resource to compare and contrast Civil War songs of the North and the South. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 5 and 8 English Language Arts, Music Education, and Social Studies)

Provided by: The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts