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"Civil Disobedience" excerpt seminar

This lesson plan is to be used for a seminar on an excerpt of Henry David Thoreau's work, "Civil Disobedience." The plan will follow the Paideia concept to discuss the great ideas of the text. The plan will provide a pre-guide activity, coaching activity, inner circle seminar questions, outer circle questions and a post writing assignment.

Format: lesson plan (grade 11–12 English Language Arts and Social Studies)

By Francis Bryant.

Fugitive Slave Law simulation

Students face the critical issue of the Fugitive Slave Bill that gave Southerners the right to regain their runaway slaves and return them to bondage. It is also considered by many to have contributed to growing sectionalism in the U.S. and eventually the Civil War. In order to take on the roles of historical actors, students will examine primary source documents from the Documenting the American South collection and critique arguments in favor and opposed to the Bill.

Format: lesson plan (grade 11–12 Social Studies)

By Meghan Mcglinn.

Resources on the web

A House Divided: America in the Age of Lincoln

Explores America before the Civil War, slavery, the slavery debate, the events leading to the war, the war itself, and how it affected politics and society. Learn also about the state of the country once the war ended and what obstacles lay ahead for the country... (Learn more)

Format: website/general

Provided by: Gilder Lehrman Institute American History and the Chicago Historical Society