Download Teaching American History – Lesson Plan Template

Teacher’s Name: Mauricio Restrepo Jr.
Employee Number: 281151
School: Coral Way K-8
TAH Intensive Cohort Lesson Plan: The US Civil War
1. Title: Southern Secession / 8th Grade
2. Overview - Big Ideas:
Enduring Understandings –
It is important for the students to understand what US historical events were used by
Southern States to justify their secession from the Union. Furthermore, it is also important
for the students to understand the intellectual (allegedly constitutional) reasons that the
Southern States used to justify their secession from the Union.
Essential Questions –

What historical events, from the 1850s to the US Civil War, were seen by Southern
States as a threat to their way of life and used to justify their secession from the
Union?

What actions did the Federal Government/Northern States take in order to prevent
or dissuade the Southern States from leaving the Union?

What was the intellectual (allegedly constitutional) rationale used by Southern
States to justify their secession from the Union (Theory of States’ Rights)?

Why did the Union dissolve and what was done to ensure social, political, and
economic reunification after the war?
3. Lesson Objectives and Key Vocabulary:
Standards SS.8.A.5.1 Explain the causes, course, and consequence of the Civil War (sectionalism, slavery, states' rights, balance of power
in the Senate).
SS.8.A.5.2 Analyze the role of slavery in the development of sectional conflict.
SS.8.A.5.3 Explain major domestic and international economic, military, political, and socio-cultural events of Abraham
Lincoln's presidency.
SS.8.A.1.6 Compare interpretations of key events and issues throughout American History.
SS.8.A.4.1 Examine the causes, course, and consequences of United States westward expansion and its growing diplomatic
assertiveness (War of 1812, Convention of 1818, Adams-Onis Treaty, Missouri Compromise, Monroe Doctrine, Trail of Tears,
Texas annexation, Manifest Destiny, Oregon Territory, Mexican American War/Mexican Cession, California Gold Rush,
Compromise of 1850, Kansas Nebraska Act, Gadsden Purchase).
SS.8.A.4.8 Describe the influence of individuals on social and political developments of this era in American History.
SS.8.A.4.3 Examine the experiences and perspectives of significant individuals and groups during this era of American History.
SS.8.A.5.4 Identify the division (Confederate and Union States, Border states, western territories) of the United States at the
outbreak of the Civil War.
Key Vocabulary –
Cotton, Slavery, railroads, plantations, westward expansion, Compromise of 1850, KansasNebraska Act, sectionalism, fugitive, secession, popular sovereignty, civil war, states’ rights,
protective tariffs, industrialization, “Bleeding Kansas,” Confederate States of America,
border states, abolitionist, Harpers Ferry
4. Evidence of Student Understanding (Assessment) in this Lesson:

The students will be able to understand how various historical events in US history
were used by Southern States to justify their secession from the Union by creating a
“Cause and Effect” Chart that lists US Historical Events in one column and, in
another column, lists how each event was, or could have been, used by the
Southern States to justify their secession from the Union.

The students will be able to understand the various actions the Federal
Government/Northern States took in order to prevent or dissuade the Southern
States from leaving the Union by writing an imaginary letter from a Northerner to a
Southerner persuading him/her to not leave the Union by using specific examples of
actions done by the Federal Government/Northern States that attempted to
dissuade the Southern States from leaving the Union.

The students will be able to understand the intellectual (allegedly constitutional)
rationale used by the Southern States to justify their secession from the Union by
writing an expository essay explaining the Theory of States’ Rights as it was
interpreted by Confederate leaders.
5. Materials Needed:
Computer, projector, PowerPoint presentation, copies of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
(Primary Source), copies of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (Primary Source), copies of Jefferson
Davis’ Farewell to Congress (Primary Source), copies of Jefferson Davis’ Inaugural Address
(Primary Source).
6. Steps to Deliver the Lesson:
1. Create a PowerPoint presentation on historical events, from the 1850s to the Civil War,
that were used by Southern States to justify their secession from the Union.
2. Present the PowerPoint presentation and allow for a question and answer session.
3. As a class activity, complete the SPECs activity.
4. In small groups, allow the students to complete the “What’s My Address?” activity.
5. In pairs, allow the students to complete the A.R.T.I.S.T. activity.
6. Select an assessment (Previously Described)
7. Specific Activities: (From Guided to Independent)

PowerPoint presentation on historical events, from the 1850s to the Civil War, that
were used by Southern States to justify their secession from the Union.

SPECs – John Brown’s Raid on Harpers Ferry, the Election of 1860 – Describe how
certain historical events were used by Southern States to justify their secession from
the Union.

“What’s My Address?” – Federal Appeasement of Southern States (ex. [1850
Fugitive Drive, USA], [1854 Sovereignty Drive, Kansas/Nebraska, USA]) – Analyze
various actions the Federal Government/Northern States took to dissuade the
Southern States from leaving the Union.

A.R.T.I.S.T. – Farewell to Congress by Jefferson Davis, Jefferson Davis’ Inaugural
Address – Explain the Southern States’ intellectual (allegedly constitutional)
justifications for seceding from the Union (Theory of States’ Rights).

Assessment (Previously Described)
8. Differentiated Instruction Strategies:

Depending on student learning needs, the primary resources will be edited to
facilitate reading comprehension.

Activities may be completed initially as a class activity and, eventually, reassigned as
a small group activity (and vice-versa).

Assignments will heavily emphasize cooperative learning and differentiated
instruction/learning.

Students will be encouraged to enrich their learning by being assigned to view
specific Discovery Learning videos selected by the students and approved by the
teacher (ex. Documentary on the Battle of Fort Sumter).
9. Technology Integration:

Creation and presentation of a PowerPoint presentation on historical events, from
the 1850s to the Civil War, that were used by Southern States to justify their
secession from the Union.

Enrichment Activity – watching documentaries on Discovery Learning, selected by
the students and approved by the teacher, concerning the Battle for Fort Sumter.

Students researching information concerning “Clay’s Resolution” (The Compromise
of 1850) on www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc=27&page=transcript
10. Lesson Closure:
The lesson can be concluded with a class discussion filled with question and answer
opportunities. Students should be allowed to express what they particularly enjoyed, found
interesting, or found controversial, about the content. Furthermore, students should be
encouraged to share how their views on the topic have changed due to the lesson.
Additionally, as a class, the students should describe the content they learned in the lesson
in a story-like form where each student contributes what they learned to the general
narrative of this “story” (topic). This should be implemented using a format similar to
“jump-in-reading.”