Billy Yank
vs.
Johnny Reb
A WebQuest for
Middle School Social Studies
Katie Krocsko - 2006
Last updated June 20, 2006
vs
Designed by Katie Krocsko
Last updated June 20, 2006.
This lesson was developed as part of An Adventure of the American Mind at Waynesburg College, a federally funded professional development program to assist educators in using Library of Congress primary resources to support student learning.
Purpose of this WebQuest and Curricular Fit:
The purpose of this WebQuest is to introduce or reinforce a unit on the Civil War. The students will identify some of the differences in the North and the South during the 1860's. They will then relate this to a similar time or place where a group of people are divided.
You could introduce this Webquest by doing one or more of the following:
1. Have your students read the Civil War section/chapter in their history text.
2. Assess your students' prior knowledge. You could use one of these activities or one of your own.
3. Discuss primary sources. Use the activities below to illustrate how to analyze primary sources.
This WebQuest was written to align with the curricular objectives as they pertain to the following textbook.
-
The Americans, 2003, McDougal Littell
Chapter 11 - The Civil War, Section 3 - Life During Wartime, pg 351
& Photojournalism, 369
This WebQuest is designed for eighth grade US History students. The activities in the unit could be easily adapted for other grades and the activities themselves allow for differentiation.
Students should have a working knowledge of Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint before tackling this WebQuest. If students are not familiar with these programs you should take a day to go over how to copy and paste in a Word document and how to create a slide in PowerPoint.
This could also be used as an extra credit project or as an extention of a lesson for gifted students.
#9 Pennsylvania Academic Standards
The student will analyze and interpret historical sources.(History 8.1)
The student will analyze the fundamentals of historical interpretation.(History 8.1)
The student will identify and explain primary documents important in U.S. history (History 8.3)
The Pennsylvania Department of Education web site has links to standards documents in all academic areas.
In this lessson students will research life during the Civil War by analyzing primary sources on the Library of Congress website. There are links to specific sources on the student page, but they are also free to find other sources. Make sure to remind students to cite their source.
Then they will choose a photograph that they feel best represents what it was like to be living in the Northern US during the 1860's and then choose a photograph that they feel best represents what it was like to be living in the Southern US during the 1860's.
After choosing the photo's, they will create a Word Document.
They should have a title at the top (North vs South or Billy Yank vs Johnny Reb), then they will copy and paste the pictures into the document, last they will list at least three specific reasons for choosing the photo. (Example: I choose the photo of this soldier outside his tent because Joe Smith said that he remembered the tents that they lived in during the war.)
Depending on your students it should take 1 or 2 classes to research and 1 class to choose pictures and create a Word Document
After all of the students have turned in a copy of their Word Document, you will assign them to a committee(a group of 3 to 5 students depending on class size). Each committee should be given 1 or 2 class periods to complete the tasks listed on the student page.
- PowerPoint Template - When students click on the link for the PowerPoint template they have three options: OPEN, SAVE, CANCEL - choose SAVE.
- A Save As window will open - make sure the top says "Save in :Desktop" - then click on SAVE
- The Download Complete window will open - options are: OPEN, OPEN FOLDER, CANCEL - Choose OPEN
- They should now have the template open in PowerPoint and be ready to edit it
- They should have one slide for the North and one slide for the South
(Remind them to edit the title appropriately) - If you are technologically inclined you could combine their slides into a slideshow that illustates the north and one that illustates the south.
Have the students vote for the picture that they feel is the best representation of the North and the one that is the best representation of the South - I would print large copies of the winning pictures and create a bulliten board to leave up during your study of the Civil War.
Variations
If you do not have access to a computer lab, you could print a selection of interviews and pictures for students to use and have them write their reasons on a seperate sheet of paper (instead of the Word document). Then you could go ahead with the committee except they would just choose the picture and write their reasons... when they present their picture to the class they can just hold up the picture.
Online resources:
Selected Civil War Photograph Collection
Also includes a civil war timeline
Search Tips for the Civil War Photograph Collection
This is an EXCELLECT starting point for an unsure student!
Forget-me-nots of the Civil War
A Romance, Containing Reminiscences and Original Letters of Two Confederate Soldiers.
St. Louis, Mo.: Press A. R. Fleming Printing Co., c1909.
This is actually an entire book transcribed.
Short Synopsis of Before, During, and After the Civil War
Interviews that students should look at:
NORTHERN – Lafayette, Indiana - Josiah Waddle - L C McBride
Miss Nancy Stewart- Negro Pioneer- Negro’s During War - Mrs. Wm Trace
SOUTHERN – Mr Leroy Dean - Mr C O Edwards- Capt Jason W James -
Mrs. Laura Jones - Mrs. R. L. Dunman - Elizabeth Roe - Capt H C Wright -
Ella E. Gooding - John Robinson - Mrs George Fowler - Mrs. Isabel Anderson - Dan J Wilson - Family Escape
OTHERS - Occupational and Medical Lore - Morgan’s Raid - Morgan's Raid 2- William Mills(Jokes)
Other Resources:
Text book website has some great links: The Americans
If you use a different text, you may still be able to incorporate some of the resources available here.
Enough computers for each child
(or at least for each child to have time to do their individual Word document and then one for each committee to do the PowerPoint)
Computers must have Word and PowerPoint and be connected to a Printer
Printable Rubrics:
North Vs South (B & W) (Color)
You are looking for 3 or more specific facts or examples from the interviews that support their choice.
You want the examples to be relevant and you want them to be cited so that you can check them.
Conclusion (B & W) (Color)
The conclusion is only being graded for originality, attractiveness, and organization.
The purpose is merely to help students make a meaningful connection to life during the Civil War
Make sure learners are receiving feedback from a variety of sources including teachers, peers, and themselves.
Students are challenged to complete the following task to Conclude the WebQuest:
How do the differences between the North and the South effect you? Can you think of any other situation where people are so close, yet so divided? Consider events throughout the world and then brainstorm with your committee to answer the following question...
Where can you find an example of two parts of a country, state, or region
that have very different views and/or lifestyles?
Once you have decided, find a visual representation of the seperate lifestyles.
(This could be one or two pictures)
Copy the picture(s) into a Word document
and write a few sentences decribing why you chose the picture(s) and
what differences are being represented.
Example: Western US vs Eastern US
I would leave this fairly open to anything that they can legitimately defend.
If they choose a current event you could direct them to some news sites such as:
If they choose something that is not available at the Library of Congress then use following search engines:
Resources for further study:
Designed by Katie Krocsko, 2006, Middle School teacher at Trinity Area School District in partnership with An Adventure of the American Mind at Waynesburg College. Last updated June 20, 2006.
Template created April 2006 by Amy Martin, An Adventure of the American Mind at Waynesburg based on a template designed by Lisa Bradshaw, An Adventure of the American Mind - Colorado.
Many ideas for webquest content and worksheets were adapted by permission from An Adventure of the American Mind - Northern Virginia Partnership, Dr. Rhonda Clevenson, Director.