SUMMER INSTITUTE 2012 NATIONAL CIVIL WAR MUSEUM WEBSITE AND FIELD EXPERIENCE REVIEW Lisa DeRiu, Jason Gray, Linda Philie, Cindy Maturo

NATIONAL CIVIL WAR MUSEUM WEBSITE REVIEW - PROS  Useful as overview and introduction to Civil War Mission states aim to present balanced perspective of North and South Presents multiple viewpoints: common soldiers, men and women on home front, African Americans Encompasses period from 1850 to 1876

NATIONAL CIVIL WAR MUSEUM WEBSITE REVIEW - PROS  Comprehensive in scope Website will eventually allow access to more than 24,000 documents and items in the collection when archiving project is completed However, this is by online research request only

 Website provides access to: Manuscripts Documents Photographs Posters Artifacts NATIONAL CIVIL WAR MUSEUM WEBSITE REVIEW - PROS

August the 27th 1862 Aarkansas [Arkansas] Washtaw Co Dear Wife I once more haistiley sit down on an old trunk in a hurry to drop you a few lines to let you know how I am. I am well at this time and I hope thees few lines may find you well. Ive nothing new to write to you that would interest you that could be relied upon. You requestted me in your last letter to write ever too weekes. I have wrote ever too weekes but there has ben no regular mail from where we was campped. Ive met with the chance of back to Jeffers

NATIONAL CIVIL WAR MUSEUM WEBSITE REVIEW - PROS  Dickinson College “House Divided” Project Features diaries, newspapers, and public records, photographs, paintings, maps, music, timelines, video links Features comprehensive online exhibits Lincoln-Douglas Debates Underground Railroad

NATIONAL CIVIL WAR MUSEUM WEBSITE REVIEW - PROS  Dickinson College “House Divided” Project Has own search engine which streamlines research process versus Google searches el/this_date/ el/this_date/ There is even a link that takes you step by step in creating your own Google map

NATIONAL CIVIL WAR MUSEUM WEBSITE REVIEW - PROS  Dickinson College “House Divided” Project Complete lesson plans available on the site. ldtrips/brown.html ldtrips/brown.html

NATIONAL CIVIL WAR MUSEUM WEBSITE REVIEW - PROS  Virtual Abraham Lincoln Allows the students to hear “Lincoln” answer many questions that the students may have themselves. It models for students the process of creating a biography of an historical figure.

NATIONAL CIVIL WAR MUSEUM WEBSITE REVIEW - PROS  Many Links to Social Media Including: Facebook, Twitter, etc. High interest for Middle School Students. For example: Students can follow “In Their Footsteps” a reenactment of a soldier’s life or even “follow” the Museum and the “House Divided via the social media links.

NATIONAL CIVIL WAR MUSEUM WEBSITE REVIEW - CONS  The site is difficult to navigate. The “House Divided”, which is a major part of the website, does not have a link from the home page. Must go through Our Collection – then to Manuscripts – Then the “House Divided” link. The website can feel like “trial and error” at times.

NATIONAL CIVIL WAR MUSEUM WEBSITE REVIEW - CONS  Many links are not finished All of the links under Education are not yet completed. Once completed, you still have to request the information online by appointment. The Related Links section were “unavailable”