Students learn how the Civil War ended, the scale of human and material loss, and how surrender, casualties, emancipation, and destruction reshaped communities, government responsibilities, and national identity across the North and South nationwide afterward.
Students view an image of Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House and read an introduction explaining that they will examine how the Civil War ended and why its conclusion had lasting consequences. They respond to two discussion wall prompts about how a war can continue after the fighting ends and what kinds of changes would show that a war truly changed a nation, then review the lesson objectives.
Teacher MovesIntroduce the overall purpose and flow of the experience, including key vocabulary, and frame the end of the Civil War as a debated turning point whose meaning unfolded over time. Facilitate discussion of wall responses by probing how historical significance depends on time, perspective, and experience, asking students to distinguish immediate versus long-term changes and to consider who gets to decide whether a war truly changed a nation.
Students examine an image of Union soldiers at the McLean House and read background text about the final phase of the war. They read The Way to Appomattox and watch Battle of Appomattox Court House to trace key events leading to Lee’s surrender and the terms agreed upon by both sides. Students then complete a drag-and-drop matching activity and several fill-in-the-blank questions to check understanding of events and surrender terms. Finally, they interpret an image titled “At Appomattox” and post a two-sentence caption on a discussion wall explaining what is happening and why the event is significant.
Teacher MovesClarify that this scene focuses on how the war ended and why the surrender terms mattered for the nation’s future. After students complete the drag-and-drop and fill-in-the-blank items, lead discussion about why shortages, delays, and Union positioning were as important as battlefield fighting, and how news of Lee’s surrender might have shaped Confederate soldiers’ and civilians’ expectations. Prompt students to consider how allowing Confederate soldiers to return home influenced Southern reactions, feelings of relief or resentment, and Northern views of how the war should end. Connect the Grant–Lee Agreement to later Confederate surrenders and the broader path toward reunification. When reviewing student captions, highlight those that clearly link the image to the war’s conclusion and use questions to help students see how decisions at Appomattox limited prolonged violence or revenge.
Working in pairs, students view an image of postwar destruction in Richmond and read about how the Civil War’s effects—loss of life, damaged land and cities, economic strain, and social change—were felt differently across the country. They examine all of the Civil War Impacts Flashcards, discussing what they notice about each impact and which seem most significant. In a shared graphic organizer, they select five impacts, summarize each one, and explain why they consider it among the most important effects of the war.
Teacher MovesEnsure students are partnered before beginning and explain that the goal is to make and defend evidence-based judgments about significance, not to agree on a single “right” answer. Circulate as pairs analyze the flashcards, prompting them to consider multiple perspectives and to distinguish immediate from long-term impacts. Afterward, lead a whole-class discussion that surfaces the full range of military, economic, social, and political effects across regions and groups. Ask students how the war reshaped the lives of soldiers, formerly enslaved people, and communities in both North and South, how different impacts connect or intensify one another, and how the same outcome could create stability for some while creating uncertainty for others. Use this conversation to highlight how uneven experiences complicated reunification and rebuilding.
Students view an image of Arlington National Cemetery and read that they will focus on the immense human cost of the Civil War. They watch Death and the Civil War: Chapter 1 to understand the scale of casualties, then answer multiple-choice questions about total deaths, the percentage of the population lost, comparisons to other U.S. wars, national cemetery burials, unidentified dead, the mortality of Black Union soldiers, and the burial experiences of Confederate soldiers. Finally, they respond on a discussion wall to a prompt asking what the human and material costs of the war reveal about its lasting significance for the nation, using two pieces of evidence from sources or flashcards and explaining how their evidence supports their claim.
Teacher MovesPrepare students for potentially difficult content by framing the video as historical evidence about war’s human impact and providing space to pause or process as needed. After the questions, lead a discussion emphasizing the scale of loss, asking students to consider what it means for a nation to lose about two percent of its population and how similar losses today would affect families, workplaces, and communities. Push students to think about ripple effects on the economy, labor systems, social structures, and local leadership in both regions, and about the consequences of so many unidentified or improperly buried soldiers for families’ grief. When reviewing wall responses, highlight answers that move beyond listing statistics to interpret what these losses meant for national identity, ideas of citizenship and sacrifice, and expectations of government responsibility after the war.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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