Artist by Don Troiani http://www.historicalartprints.com/gallery/
Permission requested to
reproduce prints
Introduction:
Imagine traveling back in time around
the 1860s. The South is unhappy with the Federal Government and talks of war
have begun all around you. As events unfold early in 1860, you find yourself in
the center of a nation divided with no solution in sight, except war. Then,
gunshots ring out at
You will look into the Civil War by looking at both perspectives of conflicting interests from the war era. Your job will be to analyze and gain understanding of these conflicting interests.
The goal of this project is for you
to gain a deeper understanding of who, what, where and why the Civil War in
The Quest
The Civil War was a time of political and national instability. What are the reasons and affects that the war had on the nation? The impact of the war on the nation left an indelible mark on the culture, what were some of the overall affects that left an unforgettable impression?
In this Webquest, you will be working independently in and out of class. In your task, you will explore Web pages from people all over the world who care about the Civil War. The resources will be numerous. Feel free to use a dictionary if necessary to help you any vocabulary that you are unfamiliar with.
To help you in your quest there will be questions to look for and answer. These questions will aid you in you completing your main goal and your mini lessons. Please answer these questions in full sentences and list the web pages you located the information from. This will help you once again, in completing your bibliography (works cited) page.
The Process
Main Project:
You will begin by getting some background information on the Civil War. You will use the Internet to locate, gather and process information. You will investigate, express findings, and finally interpret in your own words on the "cause" of the Civil War. Include your opinion, what might have been done differently to avoid the Civil War? How might history have been different if war had been avoided? What issues led up to the Civil War?
This is your main goal in researching the Civil War on the World Wide Web. This research paper will be between 8 to 10 pages in length, written in APA format.
While you are in the process of writing your journal, you will be evaluating web sites simultaneously. You must also turn in 3 web site evaluation forms.
Mini Lessons:
Along the way in your explorations, you will be required to complete a mini lesson. The purpose of this mini project is to give you an opportunity to do an in depth exploration of other Civil War topics you find interesting: the people who were involved, the problems they faced, the situations that changed lives during that time, and some problems, such as states’ rights and civil rights, that are still vibrant issues we grapple with today as Americans.
Mini Activities:
Everyone must choose at least one mini activity to complete. All reports and activities will follow standard essay format, be typed or written in ink, double-spaced, and will include a bibliography.
1) Report on one important CIVILIAN involved in the Civil War. Write a 5 paragraph expository essay about this person’s part in the War. Include a photo or picture of the person.
2) Report on a Northern or Southern commander and his importance in the Civil War. Write a 5 paragraph expository essay about this person’s part in the War. Include a photo or picture of the person.
3) Report on at least one important battle of the Civil War. Write a 5 paragraph expository essay about this battle in which you include a brief explanation of the battle, leading generals, battle movements, who won, and the casualties on both sides. Include a map in which you show troop and battle movements.
4) Report on the assassination of Abraham Lincoln including the events and personalities involved. Write a 5 paragraph expository essay describing his assassination.
5) Make a list of the songs that became popular during the days of the Civil War. Report on one of the songs in particular, explaining how the song shows the suffering of the Civil War. You might sing a song in class or act as a disc jockey and play a tape of several songs explaining the background of each.
6) Draw detailed pictures of uniforms worn by
7) Report on the Conscription Act (the draft) that was in
place during the Civil War. Include information about the draft in other wars
and the current status of the draft in the
8) Research the role of African Americans who fought in the Union Army, such as the men of the “fighting” 54th. Write a first person, narrative account of your experience as if you were one of those soldiers.
9) Research the role of women in the Civil War: nurses, soldiers, laborers, spies, etc. Include a picture, photo, or visual representation of their activities.
10) Report on the technology of the Civil War: weapons, transportation, communication, etc. Include drawings of common weapons and modes of transportation.
11) Write a 5 paragraph expository essay on the Gettysburg
Address, its significance at the time, and the significance of
12) Report on medical practices during the Civil War and
poet Walt Whitman’s role in caring for the sick in the hospitals of
Artist by Don Troiani
Questions
When was the Crittenden Compromise proposed? What was its purpose? Do you think a compromise was a good idea? Why or why not?
Who was Harriet Beecher Stowe, and what was her main
concern? What was
Why did the South feel they needed slavery? What was the slaves’ main purpose? How else do you think the South could have met their needs, besides using slaves?
Why were many people opposed to slavery? Do you think most people wanted the North and South to go to war? Why do you think most people would fear war? Do you think they were simply afraid of losing, or were there other reasons for their fear?
What organization was formed as a result of Stephen Douglas'
new bill regarding slavery in
What caused
In addition to slavery, what were other areas of conflict between the North and the South? Do you think you would have wanted to travel to the North if you lived in the South? Why or why not?
Why was there controversy over
Why were the North and South unable to reach a compromise to avoid war? What were the restrictions of accepting a suggested compromise? Why is it important to be able to compromise?
Resources:
- This site is an Encarta encyclopedia overview of the Civil War.
Civil War: Causes of the Civil War
- This site provides a background for the causes of the Civil War.
The American Civil
War Home Page
- Gathers together in one place hypertext links to the most useful identified electronic files about the American Civil War (1861-1865).
-This site contains a timeline of the U.S. Civil War with photographs.
- The War For States'
Rights was not about control of the
The United States Civil War Center: Index of Civil War Information
Available on the Internet
-Medicine at the start of the Civil War, Civil War medical technology, amputations, medical transport, and bibliography.
- This site contains a timeline of the Civil War.
The Civil War Sites Advisory Commission Battle Summaries
- The Commission was to identify the significant Civil War sites; some 10,500 armed conflicts occurred during the Civil War
Evaluation:
You will be evaluated on both the process of completing the WebQuest and the final product. Before you hand in your papers, please check the following rubric to make sure you have completed each objective.
Conclusion:
You have just returned to the 20th century. Now that you have completed your quest, lets take a moment to reflect on what was learned. You will never forget your experience as a young adult during the Civil War. The Civil War was the greatest war in American history and it was the only war fought on American soil. It lasted just over 4 years, 3 million fought – over 600,000 died.
Imagine today if a civil war was to break out in
Artist by Don Troiani
Civil War
Essay/Term Paper Grading Rubric
An “A” paper will contain the following information:
1.
- A well developed topic/introductory sentence.
-
A well developed thesis that effectively argues the paper’s subject
a) Identify,
analyze, and interpret primary & secondary sources (e.g. artifacts,
diaries, letter, photographs, documents, newspapers, media & computer-based
technologies).
b) Recognize
and explain how different points of views have been influenced by nationalism,
racism, religion, culture and ethnicity.
c) Distinguish
between fact and opinion examining documentary sources.
d) Construct
timelines of
e) Explain the
relationships between geography and the historical development of the
f) Develop
discussion, debate, and persuasive writing and speaking skills, focusing on
enduring issues (e.g. individual rights vs. the common good, and problems of
intolerance towards cultural, ethnic, and religious groups), and demonstrating
hos divergent viewpoints have been and continue to be addessed and reconciled.
g) Examine the
economic and philosphical differences between the North and the South, as
exemplified by such persons as Daniel Webster & John C. Calhoun.
h) Trace the
events leading to the sucession and war (e.g. the Compromise of 1850, the
Kansas-Nebraska Act, and the Dred Scott case).
i)
Indentify leaders on both sides of the war (e.g.
Abraham Lincoln, Ulyssess S. Grant, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, Fredrick
Douglass, and William Lloyd Garrison).
j)
Interpret the importance of critical developments in
the war, such as major battles (e.g.
-
Sub-theses (at least three) roadmap that effectively
supports the thesis statements arguement
-
Will be at least 10 pages in length
-
Will effectively follow the appropriate organization
of a paper
2. - Provides
a solid arguement with information supporting the thesis
- Does not write passively
- Does not use language such as “in
this paper I will demonstrate”, usage of the first person, or “I think”.
- Does not use vocabulary beyond
their ability/the usage of simple and direct language
3. –
Effectively uses the APA format for writing
-
Uses parenthetical citation
-
Uses at least three book references and three internet
references in their biography
-
Uses exceptional grammar and contains no errors
A “B” paper will
contain the following:
1.
-
An adequately developed topic/ introductory sentence.
-
A thesis statement (at least three)/ road map that makes an attempt to
support the thesis statement
-
Will be at least 9 pages in length
-
Will adequately follow the appropriate organization of a paper
2.
-
Provide an adequate argument with information supporting the thesis
-
Makes a strong effort to not write passively
-
Makes a strong effort to not use language such as “in this paper I will demonstrate”, usage of the first person, or
“I think”.
-
Tries not to use vocabulary beyond their ability/the
usage of simple and direct language
3.
-
Makes a strong effort to use APA format for writing
-
Makes a strong
effort to use parenthetical citation
-
Uses at least three book references and two internet
references in their bibliography
-
Makes an effort to use appropriate grammar and may
contain few errors that do not seriously take away from the quality of the
paper
A “C” paper will contain the following:
1.
-
An adequately developed topic/introductory sentence
-
A thesis statement that adaquately argues the paper’s
subject
-
Sub-theses ( at least two)/road map that makes an
attempt to support the thesis statement
-
Will be at least 6 pages in length
-
Will adeuately follow the appropriate organization of
a paper
2.
-
Provides a recognizable arguement with information
supporting the thesis
-
Makes an effort to not write passively
-
Makes an effort to not use language such as “ in this paper
I will demonstrate”, usage of the first person, or “I think”
3.
-
Makes an effort to use APA format for writing
-
Makes an effort to use parenthetical citation
-
Uses at least two book and internet references in
their bibliography
-
May contain some grammatical errors
A “D” paper will contain the following:
1.
-
A limited or confused topic/introductory sentence
-
A limited or poorly developed thesis statement
-
A limited sub-thesis
-
Will be at least 4-6 in length
-
May barely follow the apropriate organization of a
paper
2.
-
Barely provides an argument and little information
supporting the thesis
-
Uses the first person or language such as “in this
paper I will demonstrate”, or “I think” often
3.
-
Barely uses the APA format for writing
-
Does not effectively cite cources
-
Uses at least one or two book or internet reeferences
in their bibliography
-
Contains grammatical errors
A “F” paper will contain the following:
1.
-
a vague or no thesis or topic sentence
-
a vague or no sub-thesis
-
Under 4 pages in length
-
Vaguely follows the appropriate organization or
doesn’t follow it at all
2.
-
Provides little or no arguement in the thesis or its
supporting statements
-
Uses the first perosn or language such “in this paper
I will demonstrate” or “I think” often
3.
-
barely uses APA format for writing
-
does not effectively cite sources
-
uses at least one or two book or internet references
in their bibliography
-
contains major grammatical errors
Background Information
The student will analyze causes, key events and
effects of the Civil War era.