resources

Educational Resources from Harpers Ferry

by fifer1863 on April 22, 2011

Here are some links to Harpers Ferry’s Education materials.
Education Materials Packet – this provides a great overview for teachers with resources, original documents, and other source information for history directly related to Harpers Ferry.
http://www.nps.gov/hafe/forteachers/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&PageID=129897
Other curriculum resources such two Jeopardy games:
http://www.nps.gov/hafe/forteachers/curriculummaterials.htm

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Read Books on the Civil War Online

by fifer1863 on January 4, 2010

As many of you already know, Google has begun to scan and make books available online, including full versions of books. These books are copyright free and can be downloaded for your reading pleasure.

In addition to these books, there are also some books where the copyright has not expired, however you can read sample pages from the book. Not free to download, but nice to “try before you buy.”

So, for example, a quick search for the word “Gettysburg” and you get a list of books of some really interesting looking texts such as:

  • Gettysburg: Description of the Painting of the Repulse of Longstreet’s Assault by John Badger Bachelder – 1870
  • Gettysburg Made Plain: A Succinct Account of the Campaign and Battles, by Abner Doubleday – 1888
  • The Attack and Defense of Little Round Top, Gettysburg, July 2, 1863 by Oliver Willcox Norton – 1913
  • Did General Meade Desire to Retreat at the Battle of Gettysburg? by George Meade – 1883
  • Hospital Scenes After the Battle of Gettysburg, July, 1863 by Patriot Daughters of Lancaster (Pa.) – 1864

There are also numerous autobiographies and biographies of Civil War Generals that are also available for download. Try searching for Civil War or Civil War general and see what you come up with.

Finally, Google Books also has a feature where you can find a library near you that has a copy of a particular book, and for you researchers out there, a “cite this item” link which gives you the proper citation for a book for publishing purposes is given in several different formats .(APA, Chicago, Harvard, MLA and Turabian.

Try it at http://books.google.com especially the “full view books.”

In addition to Google Books, you may also want to try searching the following websites for Civil War books:

http://www.archive.org and http://books.live.com

and

http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/

Happy Reading.

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PA Civil War 150 Website

by Jim on October 9, 2009

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (also on Twitter @phmc) launched a new website dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and the role Pennsylvania played in that war.  In addition to the new website, the commission also announced that there will be a Pennsylvania Civil War Road Show.  According to a press release, the Road Show will be “a traveling museum experience based in a 53-foot tractor trailer that will bring interactive exhibits and unique programming to all 67 counties in the state from 2011 to 2015.”

According to Barbara Franco, the Executive Director for the PHMC, “The Pennsylvania Civil War 150 commemoration is far more than a formal remembrance. It is a collection of stories brought to life that are as epic as the fields at Gettysburg or as small as the struggles of a soldier’s wife working to survive her husband’s absence on a Pennsylvania farm. Through these stories, Pennsylvania Civil War 150 will renew interest and engagement in our state’s heritage.”

Logo_PA Civil War 150The new (and very interactive ) website is packed with information for you and your students to learn about Pennsylvania’s role in the Civil War.  They have broken the website into four distinct sections:  Understanding, The War, Through People and Then and Now.

Under the section on Understanding, the website provides some excellent information related to understanding the cause and events leading up the the Civil War.  The TIMELINE section shows events beginning in 1780 with PA Abolishing Slavery up to 1877 (Compromise of 1877).  This section also provides pictures and a narrative of various primary sources related to a particular year.  The Understanding section also provides information on Pennsylvania’s Role, the Home Front, Slavery, and the Role of Religion.

Within the WAR section of the website, visitors can learn about Battlefields and Tactics along with the Weaponry and Uniforms of Civil War soldiers.

The THROUGH PEOPLE section of the website contains some outstanding stories from Pennsylvanians on how they experienced the Civil War.  There are stories of Children, prominent politicians like Governor Curtain, and stories of women and other civilians.  This section has some great photographs of the individuals that can easily be used to start a classroom conversation.

Web site_Personal Stories

The Then and Now section provides some brief snapshots into how various things such as Industry & Commerce, Government and Politics and Media and Communications (check out the photo).

In addition to all of the stories, photographs, bibliographic references and primary sources, the website offers ways for you and your students to participate in the discussion and to share your stories.  You can also Experience the Civil War through an an interactive map along with a great collection of artifacts.  These resources provide more great opportunities for teachers and students to explore and discuss.

Finally, there is a terrific section dedicated to resources for Teachers.  This section provides some great links to resources and lessons for teaching the Civil War which are aligned to the Pa State History Standards.

cw150teachers

Check out the full PRESS RELEASE

So, take some time and explore this great new resource.  There is more to come with this website so be sure to check back often for new resources.

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