Civil War: Reporting Beyond the Battlefront

The Civil War: Reporting Beyond the Battlefront

Jennifer Tjaden- Hawley Elementary School- Hawley, MN

Suggested Grade Level: 5-8

Time Frame: 2-3 Days (45 minute blocks)

Student Learning Outcomes

As the Civil war is a complex topic for the 6th grade level, many times I believe that students think that after Appomattox Court house, the war was over, the slaves were freed and the USA was once again a great nation. During this lesson, I want to focus on the pandemonium that our country was in during that time. Information traveled slowly and many areas of Minnesota did not hear about Lee’s surrender of the South until after President Lincoln had been shot. This created a great deal of conflicted emotions in the people that were living in our country at that time. This lesson would take place after teaching of the surrender and before Reconstruction.

Students will have been using their interactive notebooks since the beginning of the year, so this skill is already something that I have taught previous to this lesson.

During this two day lesson use their interactive notebooks to record the following:

1. Students will write about emotions they would feel as a person on the streets of Washington, DC following the surrender.
2. Students will view primary sources that report what was happening and the feelings of people of the time period.
3. Student will experience the recorded event of Lincoln’s death a few days later.
4. Students will discuss how information is reported affects our emotions
5. Students will link the outcomes of the Civil War & Lincoln’s death to Minnesota’s history
6. Students will compare how news reporting has changed

Standards Taught

MN Social Studies Standards

6.4.4.19.2 Create a timeline of the key events of the American Civil War; describe the war-time experiences of Minnesota soldiers and civilians. (Civil War and Reconstruction: 1850-1877)

Writing Benchmarks 6-12 (Common Core Standards 6–12)

6.7.3.3 Write narratives and other creative texts to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

Speaking, Viewing, Listening and Media Literacy Benchmarks 6–12 (Common Core Speaking and Listening Standards 6-12)

6.9.1.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacherled) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. a. Come to discussions prepared having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion. b. Follow rules for collegial discussions, set specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed. c. Pose and respond to specific questions with elaboration and detail by making comments that contribute to the topic, text, or issue under discussion. d. Review the key ideas expressed and demonstrate understanding of multiple perspectives through reflection and paraphrasing. e. Cooperate, mediate, and problem solve to make decisions as appropriate for productive group discussion.

Materials

Civil War: Reporting Beyond the Battleground- Powerpoint

Teacher Projector & Computer

Interactive Notebooks

Pencils/Highlighters

Glue sticks

Handouts- to be glued in interactive notebooks(copy for each student)

-Handout 1:Civil War Reporting

-Handout 2: You are the Reporter

-Rubric

Procedure

*Use Powerpoint as a guide

Slide 2: Lead a discussion on what news reporting is like today and what they think it was like during the Civil War.

Slide 3: Read & Discuss Handout 1: Newspaper reporting in Civil War- Glue in journal & highlight main notes.

Slide 4: Glue in Handout 2: Write as a reporter. The War is over! Write news story in Interactive notebook.

For all my primary & secondary sources as well as additional pictures and ideas, find them on my Pinterest Board:

https://www.pinterest.com/jentjaden/fords-institute-jen-tjaden/

Also check out my website for all handouts that are to be used and included.