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Civil War Curriculum Lesson Plans: Middle School

The following lesson plans have been created by educators, leading historians, and the American Battlefield Trust Education Department for classroom use in middle school grades six through nine.

The Middle School Civil War Curriculum is a set of eight standards-based lesson plans, that utilizes a mixture of traditional and modern teaching methods. Below are the curriculum lessons along with a selection of optional lessons, all of which fit within the Common Core and National Council for Social Studies (NCSS) standards for Middle School students. 

Sections of the Curriculum:

Pre-1860: Disunion

Students will be able to identify the causes of the American Civil War.

The Country Goes to War - 1861

Students will be able to describe the state of the nation and sequence the first events of the Civil War.

Life at War

Students will be able to describe the day-to-day life of a Civil War soldier.

Antietam and Emancipation - 1862

Students will be able to state the meaning and impact of the Emancipation Proclamation.

The Home Front

Students will be able to list examples of work done on the home front and describe how news traveled to the home front.

Shifting Tides 1863

Students will be able to discuss the effects of the battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg, paying particular attention to the Gettysburg Address.

Bringing the War to an End - 1864 & 1865

Students will be able to list and discuss the sequence of events leading to the end of the Civil War, paying special attention to the election of 1864.

Effects of the Civil War - 1865 & Beyond

Students will be able to discuss the effects of the Civil War.

Optional Lesson Plans

Additional Resources