Teaching the Civil War
Educational ResourcesLesson plans, resources, videos, tools, tips, and strategies for teaching the American Civil War.
Classroom Resources for Teaching the Civil War
Teaching the Civil War has been redesigned to simply how we provide you with resources, tools, strategies, and ideas to improve teaching while engaging kids in what we call “Doing History.” In the resources below, you will find lesson plans, useful websites, #edtech tools, and much more.
Soldiers and Civilians
Before the war, Northern and Southern soldiers and civilians led similar lives. They worked, worshiped, and raised families until the American Civil War interrupted their lives. Read More
Arms & Equipment
From rifled muskets and pistols to uniforms and accouterments, soldiers of the Civil War carried a variety of different weapons and equipment as they marched off to war. Read More
Battles
There were over 10,000 battles, engagements, and other actions during the Civil War including nearly 50 major battles and about 100 other minor battles. Read More
Medicine
There were over 10,000 battles fought during the Civil War and these engagements were fought in 23 different states and resulted in a total of over 650,000 casualties. Read More
Music
Music played a significant role during the American Civil War. Instruments including bugles, fifes, drums, and banjos were played to issue orders or to raise morale. Read More
Photography
From 1861-1865, over 3,000 photographers made war-related images and documented famous people, battlefields, soldiers, and the devastation of the Civil War. Read More
Primary Sources
Exploring various primary sources for learning more about the Civil War. Read More
Famous People
From Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis to Clara Barton and Dorothea Dix, there were many who became famous as a result of the Civil War. Read More
The Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a system of routes, locations, and people that assisted enslaved people in the American South in escaping to the North during the time of slavery. Read More
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