Civil War Soldiers: Fact and Fiction
By: Pamala Miller
Grade Level: 10
Content Area: Social Studies
Topic: Experiences of Civil War soldiers
Questions:
- To what extent does the novel Across Five Aprils provide accurate portrayals of Civil War soldier's experiences, as compared with primary source accounts?
- What are the tangible and intangible things that soldiers fought for, and which was most important in motivating a soldier to enlist/fight?
Student Outcomes:
- Students will be able to compare and contrast primary sources with fictional accounts.
- Students will understand reasons why soldiers chose to leave home and fight in the Civil War.
- Students will understand how historical fiction can amplify our knowledge of the past.
- Students will reflect upon readings and determine which sources are most compelling and be able to explain why.
Teaching Materials:
Outline of Daily Activities:
The assignments span five class periods, 55 minutes each. I should note that this is a 6-day assignment because my school has an "X" period each week in which the students do not come to class.
DAY 1. Students will come to class having read Chapters 1 and 2 of Across Five Aprils.
The first ten minutes will be spent discussing the characters and opening events in the novel. Working in pairs, students will be directed to go to http://www.ioweb.com/civilwar/. There, they will click on the Going off to war, 1862 link and read the primary source account of Private Jefferson Moses. Students will answer these questions after discussing it with their partner:
- What do you believe motivated Jefferson Moses to join the Union army? (Because Moses doesn't explicitly state why he joined, it will be challenging for them to answer the question - they will have to draw inferences about what he saw and experienced to arrive at a conclusion).
- Was Jefferson seeking adventure in the army, or did he view his enlistment as being noble?
After writing their answers to the questions on notebook paper or typing them in the word processor on the computer, the pairs of students will be joined to make groups of four students. Each group will discuss their answers to the questions. This will be followed by a quick "report out" to the whole class in which we decide why we think Moses joined the army and what he hoped to gain from the experience.
Homework: How does Moses' motivations for entering the war compare/contrast with the motivations of John, Bill, Eb, Tom and Shadrach in the novel?
DAY 2. Students will come to class having read Chapters 3-4 of Across Five Aprils. The first ten minutes will be spent discussing the major events/issues in those chapters in the novel (checking for understanding/completion of assigned reading). Working in pairs, students will be directed to go to http://my.ohio.voyager.net/~lstevens/burt/donelrem.html.
Once there, they will read the primary source account of Captain Richard Burt as he describes his experience fighting at Fort Donelson. Students will write answers to these questions after discussing them with their partners:
- What did Captain Burt mean when he wrote, "We had been playing soldier at Camp Sherman, Ohio, for the two or three months previous, but now it was coming right down to real business." Include at least two examples from his letter in your answer.
- Reread paragraph #8 in which Captain Burt describes going back to look at the battlefield the day after the battle had been fought. Using the objects he describes, write a poem about the battlefield on the day after the battle.
- How would you describe Captain Burt's mood in this letter? Why?
Students will have the opportunity to finish this assignment for homework if they were unable to complete it during class.
DAY 3. Students will have the option of using their X period to turn their poems in to posters. Students with special needs will use the X period to catch up on reading and discuss/review the events and issues in the novel.
DAY 4. Students will come to class having read through chapter 10.
Working with their partner, students will be directed to go to
http://www.ioweb.com/civilwar/. There, they will click on the link Desperate Illness, July 1863.
After reading the primary source, students will answer this question:
- What do you think caused Private Moses to become ill?
Then, students will go to http://my.ohio.voyager.net/~lstevens/burt/july30.html,
and answer this question:
- What does this source reveal about disease versus battlefield deaths?
After completing the first two readings, students will be directed to http://my.ohio.voyager.net/~lstevens/burt/atlanta.html to read a poem by Richard Burt titled, "Meditations on Atlanta Battlefield."
- How does Burt feel about those who are at home, and not directly fighting in the war?
- Are his feelings valid?
- What motivates Burt to keep fighting, despite the weariness that is evident in his poem?
After completing these assignments, students will get in to groups of four and discuss their answers to the questions.
This will be followed by a whole class discussion of Question #3 in reading #3 of this day's lesson.
Homework:
Choose one of the soldier characters from the novel and describe one instance in which he felt despair about the war and his role in it. What do you think motivated the character to continue fighting? How does the fictitious character's experience compare/contrast with that of Richard Burt?
DAY 5. Students will come to class having read the entire novel. First, students will work with their partner on the computer, read this letter,http://www.civilwarletters.com/scott_5_24_1865.html, and answer the questions about it:
- What does Newton Scott mean when he says that "Rebs have been taking the oath"?
- How does Newton Scott's discussion of the end of the war compare/contrast with the reactions from the soldiers in the novel?
Second, there will be a whole class discussion about the novel, particularly focusing on similarities and differences between the novel's portrayal of fighting the war, and the primary sources. As part of the discussion, students will be asked to complete the following stem statements:
- The value of learning about the Civil War through a novel is...
- Learning through primary sources is...
Day 6: What are the tangible and intangible things that soldiers fought for? First, show a clip from the movie, Gettysburg, in which Colonel Chamberlain of the 20th Maine Regiment gives a stirring speech to some mutinous soldiers. Students will be asked to respond in writing as if they are a soldier in the war, and answer this question:
- What is the most important idea that Colonel Chamberlain just conveyed to you?
Students will share their responses verbally with the class. This will set up a discussion about intangible things that soldiers were fighting for (freedom, equality, etc.) The class will brainstorm a list which will be written on the board. Then the class will brainstorm a list of tangible things the soldiers were fighting for (land, property, etc.) Students will then be asked to write a quick response to this question:- Which do you believe was more important in motivating a Civil War soldier - tangible or intangible things? Why?
Students will share their answers as part of a whole class discussion. Homework: Do you think the novel or the primary sources had the greatest impact on your thinking about the war and this project?
Project Assessment Strategy:
Students will be assessed each day on participation (which is 10% of their quarter grade), as well as by the criteria outlined in the attached rubric. In addition, students will write an individual essay answer to one of the driving questions, OR they may choose to work in a small group and write an original script/present a skit in which they act out their answer to one of the questions.
Internet Resources:
- Memoirs, Diary and Life of Pvt. Jefferson Moses, Company G, 93rd Illinois
volunteers (specifically the "Going off to war, 1862" document):
http://www.ioweb.com/civilwar/
- Letters of Captain Richard W. Burt, 76th Ohio:
http://my.ohio.voyager.net/~lstevens/burt/
- Letters from an Iowa Soldier:
http://www.civilwarletters.com/scott_5_24_1865.html
Additional Activities:
Students will have the option of doing a dramatic reading for the class, based on a creative writing assignment or a recitation of a primary source document.
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