Students investigate how individual choices influenced the Civil War by researching the choices and actions of diverse figures and analyzing why those contributions were significant to the conflict and the nation.
Students investigate how individual choices influenced the Civil War by researching the choices and actions of diverse figures and analyzing why those contributions were significant to the conflict and the nation.
Students examine an image of Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis and reflect on how individual choices relate to historical conflicts. They respond on a discussion wall to the prompt: “How can the choices individuals make during times of conflict have significance?” Students then read an overview of the experience and the objectives, learning that they will investigate how the choices and actions of individuals during the Civil War shaped the conflict and the nation.
Teacher MovesIntroduce the experience and review the objectives, emphasizing that students will focus on the significance of individual actions during the Civil War. Use the image to anchor a brief whole-class discussion after the wall responses, pressing students to distinguish between ordinary personal decisions and choices that become historically significant because of their impact and consequences. Encourage students to draw on prior knowledge of conflicts and reinforce that they will use this “significance” lens throughout the research experience. Organize students into small groups before moving to the next scene.
In groups, students explore Snapshots of Significant Individuals of the Civil War to preview 18 different figures who played important roles in the conflict. Each group selects two individuals they are most interested in researching and posts their choices and reasons on a discussion wall for the teacher to review. Next, groups consider what they would need to know about these individuals to understand their contributions and why those contributions mattered, then add their proposed research questions to a shared class table titled “Researching Important Individuals of the Civil War.”
Teacher MovesMonitor students as they review the snapshots and use their wall responses to assign final research topics, ensuring a balanced range of figures and roles (e.g., military, political, resistance, civilian). Steer students toward lesser-known but significant individuals when needed to broaden perspectives. As groups generate research questions, prompt them to move beyond basic biographical details toward questions focused on actions, decisions, perspectives, and consequences. Facilitate a brief whole-class discussion to evaluate and refine the list, guiding students to identify four to five strong, evidence-based questions that will be used consistently in the next scene to analyze sources.
Working in their groups on an assigned Civil War individual, students locate and evaluate three historical sources about that person, including at least one primary source. For each source, they use a graphic organizer to record the title, author, and URL; determine whether it is a primary or secondary source and explain how they know; and answer two different research questions from the class list using evidence from the source. After analyzing their sources, students synthesize what they have learned by designing a visual poster (using slides, Google Docs, Canva, or similar tools) that introduces their individual, highlights key actions during the Civil War, and explains why those actions were significant. They upload the completed poster to the drawing tool.
Teacher MovesSupport groups in finding credible, relevant primary and secondary sources that directly address their individual’s actions and role in the war. Reinforce criteria for credibility (author, publisher, historical grounding) and alignment with the agreed-upon research questions. As students complete the graphic organizers, check that they are correctly distinguishing primary from secondary sources and using evidence to answer questions rather than copying information. Provide feedback that pushes students to connect actions to impact and significance. After posters are uploaded, if the class will not complete the gallery walk, project or review several posters and facilitate a discussion about patterns across individuals, asking how different people’s actions together shaped the Civil War and its effects on the nation.
Students participate in a two-round gallery walk to share and deepen their understanding of Civil War individuals. In each group, some members initially stand with their poster to present their individual’s actions and significance and answer classmates’ questions, while others circulate to view other posters and ask questions. After time is called, roles switch so all students both present and circulate. Following the gallery walk, students post on a discussion wall describing two individuals they learned about and explaining why each person’s contributions to the war were significant.
Teacher MovesOrganize and time the two-round gallery walk, ensuring that each group has opportunities to present and to visit multiple posters. Circulate to listen to student explanations and questions, prompting presenters to clarify what their individual did and why it mattered, and encouraging visitors to ask deeper questions about choices, impacts, and perspectives. After the gallery walk, review discussion wall responses and highlight a range of examples that represent different roles and types of contributions. Lead a brief synthesis conversation about similarities and differences among individuals’ actions and what these patterns reveal about how many people, in varied positions, influenced the course and meaning of the Civil War.
Students reflect on the full set of individuals and actions studied in the lesson. Drawing on their own research and what they learned from peers’ posters, they respond on a discussion wall to the prompt: “When considered together, what do all of these examples of significant contributions reveal about the role of individuals in shaping the Civil War?”
Teacher MovesReview students’ wall responses and guide them from isolated examples toward a collective understanding of the war’s significance. Use follow-up questions to help students connect multiple individuals, roles, and actions, emphasizing how different decisions and contributions interacted to shape the conflict and its long-term effects on the nation. Encourage students to reference several posters or cases as they explain their thinking, reinforcing the idea that historical significance emerges from the combined impact of many individuals.
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