Civil War Compare and Contrast Unit

The Civil War Compare & Contrast Unit is designed to help support achievement of Common Core Standards by building comparison skills. It incorporates a research based strategy for developing comparing / contrasting skills, and is curriculum based. This unit focuses on ELA (English Language Arts) goals while utilizing Social Studies materials, allowing Therapists / Teachers to build skills across subject areas. It is appropriate for use with Upper Elementary and Middle School students. The resource may be used in small group, for centers based learning, and/or in resource rooms.

Activities include the following:

North vs. South: Compare and contrast the economic, geographic, and social / cultural differences of the North vs. the South during the antebellum period and throughout the Civil War

Key People: Learn about key figures during the Civil War period, including: Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, Stonewall Jackson, Harriet Tubman, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Clara Barton, Frederick Douglass, and Eli Whitney. Compare and contrast early childhood life, education, careers, motives, and traits of key figures.

Major Battles: Read about the major battles fought during the Civil War. Answer comprehension questions and discuss similarities / differences between battles, such as date, location, number of casualties, leaders, outcome, significance. Battles addressed include: Fort Sumter, Shiloh, Bull Run, Gettysburg, Vicksburg, and Antietam.

Contents: This packet includes the following materials-

Non-fiction narrative cards detailing major battles of the Civil War; includes 1 narrative for each of the following: Fort Sumter, Shiloh, Bull Run, Gettysburg, Vicksburg, and Antietam (total of 6)

Comprehension question cards for reading or listening comprehension tasks; 4 comprehension cards corresponding to each battle narrative (total of 24)

Answer keys to pair with comprehension question cards so that students can self-check their responses

Battle cards: information cards for students to fill out while reading about each battle; assists with organizing information for comparing and contrasting tasks; 4 reproducible templates

Non-fiction biography cards describing key leaders / figures during the Civil War; includes 1 narrative card for each of the following: Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, Stonewall Jackson, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harriet Tubman, Clara Barton, and Eli Whitney.

Economic, geographic, and social / cultural cards containing facts about the antebellum North and South; sort cards on to the included sorting mats, then compare / contrast the economic, geographic, and social / cultural differences between the 2 regions that ultimately led to war; includes 8 economic, 7 geographic, and 6 social / cultural cards (total of 21)

Guidelines, Graphic Organizers, & Samples for a 4-step research-based strategy to improving comparing / contrasting skills.

Comparing & Contrasting visual strategy guide

*Curriculum Alignment: North Carolina Social Studies Curriculum includes a Unit of Study entitled, "The Civil War and Reconstruction," taught in 5th grade during the 4th quarter.