This is the first activity I would do with my students before diving into the Civil War Unit. Teacher-prepared notes show students what is important and how ideas relate, and offer a model for how students should take notes themselves (Marzano et al., 2001). These notes ask students to rank the six most important advantages a country can have during a war. After this quick connection, the notes look at the advantages and disadvantages presented by both the North and South during the American Civ