Unit 5 Essay: Civil War Slide Show

Unit 5 Essay option B: Civil War Slide Show

In order to get credit for this project you must write the essay on Reconstruction or do the following assignment:

Civil War Slide Show

You have now finished an entire semester of studying the Civil War. Over the course of this semester, you have done numerous lessons, looked up scores of key terms, watched five films, and written four essays about the war, and you should be intimately familiar with many of its details. Did any of this create an emotional response in you as you went through it? If so, I have prepared an alternative assignment for you that you might find fun. For the Unit 5 Essay, you may write the essay out or you may create a slideshow using imagery from the Civil War.

If you choose the slideshow option, you have 3 requirements: 1.) You must use no less than 40 images. 2.) Your slideshow must be set to music. 3.) Your slideshow must be at least 3 min. long. If you choose to also use the Ken Burns Effect (zooming in on a picture or using motion on a still image), that's even better. I included an example of a good one I found on YouTube to help you with this. I hope some of you will choose this option, and if you do, have fun with this. 

Hint for music: The song "Wayfaring Stranger" (best versions in my opinion from the Cold Mountain Soundtrack or Emmylou Harris) is a great soundtrack for Civil War movies. I also think Waylon Jennings'  "Rebel Soldier" song featured here is a great option, at least for the Southern perspective. 

Have no idea how to do a slideshow? It's easier than you think. Download Microsoft Movie Maker and then watch the video below: