Life During the Civil War Just Think Some people’s lives were more directly impacted by the Civil War than others. WHY? Encourage students to think about the different groups of people living during the Civil War. Where did most people live? How were the North and South different in terms of daily life? Who might have been called upon to fight the war? Where was the fighting? Where might less impact been felt? What types of communication were present during this time?

Life During the Civil War What did soldiers do in the camps? What did women do to help during the war? Did people’s daily lives change in the farms, towns, and cities? What new technologies were used in the war? Were there any soldiers your age? How did people share their feelings about the war? Read the questions and tell students that these are the questions they will seek to answer in a class project.

For Our Class Project We Will… Choose topics of interest Work in groups to learn more about life during the Civil War Research details in textbooks, trade books, documents, pictures, music Draw conclusions and summarize Tell students that you will show them the topics and talk a bit about each of the research areas. They will rank the topics in order from most interesting to least interesting to them and will be able to learn more in depth about 3 topics by visiting “museum displays” in the classroom.

Can You Imagine Life as a Soldier? Tell students that one museum display will study the lives of soldiers. Camp Alexandria, Virginia

What Do You Notice? A Tent in Yorktown, VA Help students to “read” a photo with guiding questions: Suggest that a picture may be real and impromptu or staged. Ask for examples of impromptu and stages photographs from their own lives. A Tent in Yorktown, VA

Could Women Be Part of the Army? Some women had official roles in the army. Some women joined the army disguised as men. Some women tagged along. Encourage students to comment on what they think they know about women’s roles.

This famous woman sought medical supplies for wounded soldiers. What Did the Women Do? Ask if anyone knows the identity of the woman (Clara Barton) and what she is famous for. This famous woman sought medical supplies for wounded soldiers.

Read the Caption: The rebel cavalry leader, Stewart, has appointed to a position on his staff with the rank of Major, a young lady residing at Fairfax Court House, who has been of great service to him in giving information, etc. – Daily Paper Woman in the News!

What New Technologies Supported the War? Across the Lands In the Fields On the Sea In the Air Ask students to think about what possible new technologies were used during the Civil War (railroads, weaponry, submarines, hot air balloons). If students do not come up with these, allow the questions to remain unanswered, saying that the museum display will reveal some very interesting information.

Did Young People Fight the War? If you have the book, The Boy’s War (Jim Murphy, author), share it with students as a good resource and an interesting personal read. This is Johnny Shiloh…how old was he?

How Did People Share Their Feelings? Musicians shared stories in song. Poets wrote about the war. People kept diaries and journals and wrote letters. Photographs captured the real and the imagined. Play one song from the CD (Songs of the Civil War). The Battle Hymn of the Republic might be a good choice for familiarity. Ask students if any music they listen to today tells a story. Encourage students to share.

Just Think What role would you have preferred to play during the Civil War? Why? What different types of conflict were part of people’s lives during the Civil War? Did the Civil War resolve people’s conflicts? Show students the questions for consideration. You may want to revisit these at the conclusion of the class research and presentation. Now, students will need to rank their choices of topics to explore in more depth in the museum display activity. The average class period length will permit students to visit 3 stations, but you can adjust according to your schedule. See Lesson 11 for details.