War of 1812: The True Story of the Battle of New Orleans

This is really interesting and really fun. First students read about the famous Battle of New Orleans, but then learn that it never needed to happen -- the war was already over! After they answer a few questions, they listen to a fun and quirky song which helped re-popularize the battle in the 20th century. I included the lyrics and directions for playing the song. As a final activity which is a lot of fun to do in groups and to share with the class, they write new stanzas for the song that incorporate the truth about the battle based on what they just learned. Playing the song and sharing (and even singing) their lyrics has always been a highlight on this unit.