Using personas ranging from freed African Americans to wealthy plantation owners, young historians consider various points of view around the events in the days leading up to the Civil War including major milestones such as the Dred Scott decision. An included PowerPoint helps lay the groundwork for the discussion. 

Concepts

causes of the civil war, the united states civil war, north and south, the south, north, discussion skills, role playing

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Use the included role play to examine the perspectives of various groups at the time the Civil War started
• Discuss responses to specific events in the 1840s and 1850s using included activities

Classroom Considerations

• Some scenarios force learners to take on the role of those who enslaved people and may be traumatizing to some

Pros

• Includes all the necessary materials including teacher notes
• Lesson is comprehensive and allows class members to take on a variety of perspectives

Cons

• None

Common Core

RH.9-10.1 RH.9-10.2 RH.9-10.6 RH.9-10.8 RH.9-10.9 RH.9-10.10 RH.11-12.1 RH.11-12.2 RH.11-12.3 RH.11-12.6 RH.11-12.8 RH.11-12.9 RH.11-12.10