Battles of the Civil War

Guiding Questions

• What were the major turning points and events of the Civil War?
• How did the war transform the nation socially, economically, and politically? 

Objectives

• Students will investigate major battles of the Civil War.
• Students will match descriptions of battles to historical art images representing them.
• Students will deduce the significance and impact of major battles.

Student Resources:

• Civil War Battles Map Puzzle Handout

Teacher Resources:

• Battles of the Civil War Primary Source Set

Facilitation Notes

• This lesson is designed to be used in tandem with, or in place of, our Local Civil War Battle Research lesson plan. Use your time constraints and state standards to assess which is best for your situation.
• Titles and citations for the images in the Battles of the Civil War Primary Source Set:
  • Image 1: Kurz and Allison, Siege of Vicksburg, c. 1888, chromolithograph, Library of Congress
  • Image 2: Kurz and Allison, The Battle of Gettysburg, August 14, 1884, chromolithograph, Library of Congress
  • Image 3: Kurz and Allison, Battle of Antietam, 1888, color lithograph, Library of Congress
  • Image 4: Currier and Ives, Bombardment of Fort Sumter, c. 1861, lithograph, Library of Congress