Unit 9: Unit 9: The American Civil War 1860s

In this unit, students will explore the causes, events, and consequences of the American Civil War during the 1860s. They will develop historical thinking skills by researching and analyzing primary and secondary historical documents to understand different perspectives of the time.
Students will examine the geography of the region, including the locations of the Union and Confederate states, key political boundaries, major landforms, and important natural resources. They will analyze how geography influenced military strategies, transportation, and daily life during the war.
Through a civics lens, students will investigate the deep divisions within the United States, including disagreements over states’ rights, slavery, and federal authority, and how these conflicts led to the nation’s split and eventual reunification.
Students will study the economic impact of the Civil War, focusing on the financial burden placed on the nation, the differences between Northern and Southern economies, and how the costs of war affected citizens, industries, and the government both during and after the conflict.

Gathering and analyzing primary and secondary sources
Communicating and drawing conclusions
Development claims and using evidence
Determine bias and author’s purpose
Taking an informed action

Students will demonstrate their understanding of the American Civil War through a combination of assessments that measure their ability to analyze historical content, evaluate perspectives, and communicate evidence-based conclusions. Throughout the unit, students will gather and analyze primary and secondary sources, including maps, speeches, letters, photographs, economic data, and historical accounts, to explore the causes, major events, and consequences of the war.

As part of their demonstration of learning, students will apply historical thinking and civics skills by developing claims about the nation’s divisions over slavery, states’ rights, and federal authority. They will support these claims with relevant evidence while determining the author's purpose and bias within historical documents. Students will also draw conclusions about how these disagreements led to secession, war, and eventual reunification.

Students will demonstrate geographic understanding by analyzing the locations of Union and Confederate states, major landforms, and key resources, explaining how geography influenced military strategies, transportation, and daily life during the war. Additionally, students will evaluate the economic impact of the Civil War by examining differences between Northern and Southern economies and the financial burden the conflict placed on citizens, industries, and the federal government.

The primary performance task will be a Gettysburg Address close reading essay, in which students closely analyze Abraham Lincoln’s speech to interpret its meaning, purpose, and historical significance. In this essay, students will communicate their understanding by developing a clear claim, citing textual evidence, and explaining how the document reflects the broader goals and consequences of the Civil War.

Students will complete a post-test assessment that measures their mastery of key content, concepts, and skills from the unit. Together, these demonstrations of learning will show students’ ability to think critically, analyze historical sources, communicate conclusions effectively, and take informed action by connecting past conflicts to enduring civic ideals and national unity.