Civil War Resources

[Sebastian (a lady)]

We're continuing our school year through the summer with a long unit on the Civil War. I thought that I would try to capture some of the interesting resources we find along the way.

 

If anyone else has great ideas, please share.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Chicago Historical Society exhibit: A House Divided

[swimmermom3]

Even if you don't watch Ken Burns's documentary, check out the website for the lesson plans. There is a section on letters that has one of the most compelling letters I have ever read. Oh my. I tear up even thinking about it.

 

The unit is excellent and brings home just how important private correspondence is as a primary source.

Edited May 29, 2012 by swimmermom3

[Alphabetika]

If you can watch even some of the Ken Burns doc, it's very good. Even just the visuals helped me imagine the war better, since I've never been to any of the places where the war took place. I seem to remember a sort of "battle-cam" approach, in which the camera man would follow the actual line of approach in the battle, so the viewer could see sort of what the soldier would have seen. Also, there's amazing footage in one of the extras (I think it was an extra, or at the very end?) of Civil War veterans from opposing sides having a peaceful reunion.

 

If you can find any music from the time period, that would also enhance your study. Even the soundtrack of the Ken Burns film.

[Donna in Sacramento]

My DS17 studied Amer Hist this year as a jr. We borrowed the Ken Burns series from our local library system. It took about 3 wks until it was available. My husband had watched this series on PBS when it first aired over 20 yrs ago,and I had caught a few episodes w/him, way back then. We've loved watching it again as a family. Really made the history come alive for our son.

[swimmermom3]

About the Ken Burns series - it is all shot by piecing together black and white photos from the time along with modern footage of places and interviews with historians. I thought it would be deadly-dull, but my oldest son and I enjoyed it. My youngest refused to watch it because of formatting which is a shame because Burns brings it to a personal level that texts fail to do.

[1Togo]

Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant

The Soldier in Our Civil War - Frank Leslie

Life of Lincoln - L.P. Brockett

Lincoln's Speeches & Letters

The Life of Stonewall Jackson - R.L. Dabney

Memoirs of William Tecumseh Sherman

The Rise & Fall of the Confederate Government - Jefferson Davis

The War Between the States - Alexander Stephens

Civil War - Shelby Foote

Edited May 29, 2012 by 1Togo

[Candid]

My dad has read about the Civil War since the 1950s and when I asked him to suggest some books he suggested this one as the one that explained to him why the North eventually won:

http://www.amazon.com/How-North-Won-Military-History/dp/0252062108/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1338296543&sr=8-1

[swimmermom3]

Don't forget to watch Glory.

 

This is one of our favorite Civil War movies. I think we watched the one on Andersonville too, but I will have to ask my oldest. That was a very rough topic.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

We did a field trip over the weekend to Harper's Ferry. The older boys had been before on a scouting trip, but this time we took a little longer to watch the videos and read the signage in the museum spaces.

 

On the way up, the older boys read the NPS brocure on John Brown's Raid and/or Nevins' The Emergence of Lincoln chapter 1 about John Brown. (Artichoke read sections of Hakim's War, Terrible War.)

 

While we were there dh, had them go through several pages of war records, obituaries and other documents related to an ancestor who had service in the Harper's Ferry area. So some exposure to primary source material that was specific to our family (as well as instruction on how to read military records of the era and what it gets you information wise).

[swimmermom3]

My dear, my admiration for your creativity in home schooling knows no bounds. I want to come to school at your house.

 

We live on the West Coast. My children will be happy if they never see another Oregon Trail exhibit as long as they live.:tongue_smilie:

[LibraryLover]

Yes. Ken Burns. Also, PBS' Looking for Lincoln is excellent. I can't say enough about it.

 

For American Cultural literacy, how do you feel about reading Gone With the Wind? You can talk about how the KKK came about, and also talk about the Hollywood stereotypes if you watch the movie. I don't like that the KKK is protrayed so nobly in GWTW. We had to work through that.

 

Have you considered Roots?

[maks]

I came across the Pocket History of the Civil War by Martin Graham put out by the National Civil War Museum. It provides brief details of each of the major battles (usually 2-pages per battle), a table listing number of troops engaged and casualties. It has interesting details of the strategies that were involved by both sides and how they contributed to the outcomes.

 

Of course there is a whole sidetrack you can take on the impact of Mathew Brady's photography.

 

Ken Burns was a great addition to our studies as well.

 

The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara also provided an interesting insight. That perspective of his writing again another conversation of its own.

 

Mr. Lincoln's High Tech War by Thomas Allen and Roger MacBride Allen provided some great insights into the roles of telegraphs, balloons, trains, ironclads, etc.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I wish I could show them Fort Vancouver, Mount St Helens and Omsi. Those were childhood memories for me.

[LibraryLover]

I did Killer Angels with my oldest dd when she was 16. Not that I don' t think a younger child could read it, but for us it seemed better to wait.

Edited May 29, 2012 by LibraryLover

[aug17girl]

If you are looking at the Reconstruction period, my husband I enjoyed PBS's Reconstruction the Second Civil War. The website for the film has links to primary sources organized by topic.

 

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/reconstruction/index.html

[swimmermom3]

I wish I could show them Fort Vancouver, Mount St Helens and Omsi. Those were childhood memories for me.

 

You could always come visit. I know an obliging home school family.:D

 

My kids were able to go to Arlington. That was very moving.

[LibraryLover]

You could always come visit. I know an obliging home school family.:D

 

My kids were able to go to Arlington. That was very moving.

 

I know many families are not able to travel, but a DC trip or two growing up is invaluable. I took my kids to DC before we visitied WDW.