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The Civil
War 
A WebQuest for 8th Grade Designed by Mrs. Muzzy
cmuzzy@serraschool.org
Civil War
Introduction | Task | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion | Credits
Introduction
The time period is 1861-1863
and you are living in America.
The Civil War is progressing and major events are taking place all
around you. You learn about the
happenings of the war from the local newspapers. You begin to feel that the war is the right
thing to take place in and that your side (the Union or the Confederate) is correct in
proceeding. You begin to do some
research and then you decide to go to work for the newspaper. Your pressroom is alive with opinion (bias)
and together with the other newspaper employees you put together a propaganda
campaign and start a new wartime edition.
Guiding Question: Did the press play a significant role
in the Civil War, and do you agree, as General Sherman did, that sometimes
the rights of press to freely report should be suspended as in the case of
war or political hardship?
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The Tasks
You will explore the causes
and effects of the Civil War as a war correspondent/journalist. You will individually research and document
the causes and effects, as well as the major highlights and battles of the
war on a map and on timeline. Still
assuming that you live during the Civil War, as a group you will attempt to
get others to join your cause through a propaganda poster. Your group will also present your views in
a “newspaper” formatted web page with each person in the group covering one
of the “featured articles” from a biased perspective (either as a northerner
or as a southerner). You will take a
position on one side of the Civil War through which you will evaluate this
unit and eventually defend your side.
- You will create a map that shows
the United
States in 1861 after the 11 confederate states seceded from
the Union.
- You will individually create a
timeline.
- Your group will create a
persuasive propaganda poster.
- Your group will prepare a web page
publication as if your group is working for a newspaper during the Civil
War.
- Your understanding of the
vocabulary, causes and effects of the war, the major battles, technology
or weaponry used, and the perspective of each side will be assessed in a
multiple choice and short answer test at the end of the unit.
- Your final product will be a
reflection letter written to General Sherman addressing his view of the
press and its role in the Civil War.
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The Process
- You will individually read Chapter
12, Lessons 1-4 using the outlines provided in class to understand the
concepts, the vocabulary, the causes, the effects, and the highlights of
the war.
- Links to Outlines: Grade 8, Lesson
Outline: Chapter 12, Lesson 1, Grade 8, Lesson
Outline: Chapter 12, Lesson 2, Grade 8, Lesson
Outline: Chapter 12, Lesson 3, Grade 8, Lesson
Outline: Chapter 12, Lesson 4
- Vocabulary List: Chapter 12 Vocabulary & Battle
List.htm
- Using your textbook and the
Internet as references, you will trace and label the map on page
343. Include the following: Label
each state in black printing, Color the Union states in blue, Color
the Confederate states and territories in gray, and Color the border states in Red the border states eventually joined the
Confederacy. At the bottom
of your map, explain, using your own words the reasons for the Civil
War.
- You will individually create a
timeline that highlights at least five of the causes leading to the war
and at least ten highlights of or events related to the war. Use your textbook and the Internet to
research dates, events, and people.
You should include the event name or title, the date, and a short
description of how this event was significant. Your timeline can be created in a
vertical or horizontal format.
Events should be plotted accurately and should include
pictures. Helpful Links: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0903595.html,
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0194016.html
- You will work with your group to
create a propaganda poster in Publisher that persuades others to join
your side of the war – this will include political cartooning and a
slogan that “sells” your side of the war. Helpful Links: http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/ent/A0857199.html,
http://www.civilwarhome.com/propaganda.htm,
http://www.civilheritage.com/posters.htm
- Your group will create a
“newspaper” web page using FrontPage that is written from the
perspective of your side and illustrates using words, descriptions,
pictures, and quotes from the battlefield the
- We will have a multiple choice and
short answer test at the conclusion of this Chapter. It will cover the lessons 1-4. You will need to identify significant
people of the war era, be bale to use the vocabulary in the context of a
sentence, analyze the costs and benefits of the war, and synthesis a
song based on your knowledge of the Battle of Gettysburg.
- Your final project will be a
letter (tea or coffee stained to show age)
that evaluates and addresses whether the press played a significant role
in the Civil War, and whether you agree, as General Sherman did, that
sometimes the rights of press to freely report should be suspended as in
the case of war or political hardship?
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Evaluation
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Beginning 1
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Developing 2
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Accomplished 3
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Exemplary 4
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Score
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Student
will be able to explain the unit vocabulary using their own words, by
matching the word to a synonym, or by using it to complete a sentence.
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Successful
explanation and display of competency with 70% of the unit vocabulary
within the context of the unit assessments.
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Successful
explanation and display of competency with 80% of the unit
vocabulary within the context of the unit assessments.
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Successful
explanation and display of competency with 90% of the unit vocabulary
within the context of the unit assessments.
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Successful explanation and display of competency with 100%
of the unit vocabulary within the context of the unit assessments.
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Student
will be able to create a Civil War Timeline that reflects the build-up to
the war, the major battles of the war, the highlights of the war, and the
effects of the war
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Successful illustration and notation of 70% of
the required information within the context of the timeline.
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Successful illustration and notation of 80% of
the required information within the context of the timeline.
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Successful illustration and notation of 90% of
the required information within the context of the timeline.
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Successful illustration and notation of 100% of
the required information within the context of the timeline.
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Student
will create a map that shows the United
States in 1861
after the 11 confederate states succeeded from the Union.
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Successful illustration and notation of 70% of
the required information within the context of the map.
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Successful illustration and notation of 80% of
the required information within the context of the map.
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Successful illustration and notation of 90% of the
required information within the context of the map.
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Successful illustration and notation of 100% of
the required information within the context of the map.
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Student
will be able to participate in class discussion and debate with an understanding
of the Chapter material.
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Raises
hand and to offer insight and participates in class discussion, but does
not demonstrate competency as information is incomplete or inaccurate.
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Raises hand and to offer insight and participates in
class discussion, demonstrates limited competency as some
information is incomplete or inaccurate.
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Raises hand and to offer insight and participates in
class discussion, and demonstrates competency and partial mastery
of the concepts and terminology.
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Raises hand and to offer insight and participates in
class discussion, and demonstrates competency and total mastery
of the concepts and terminology.
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Group
will create a persuasive propaganda poster.
(This will be graded based upon the group and self- evaluation and
final product)
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Individual contribution to the group effort was minimally
evident according to the group evaluation and self-evaluation and far
below expectations.
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Individual contribution to the group was evident
according to the group and self-evaluations, but below expectations.
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Individual contribution to the group was evident
according to the group and self-evaluations, met
expectations.
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Individual contribution to the group was evident
according to the group and self-evaluations, exceeded expectations.
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Group
will prepare a web page publication as if your group is working for a
newspaper during the Civil War (This will be graded based upon the group and
self- evaluation and final product)
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Individual contribution to the group effort was minimally
evident according to the group evaluation and self-evaluation and far
below expectations.
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Individual contribution to the group was evident
according to the group and self-evaluations, but below expectations
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Individual contribution to the group was evident
according to the group and self-evaluations, met
expectations.
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Individual contribution to the group was evident
according to the group and self-evaluations, exceeded expectations.
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Student
will create a reflection letter
written to General Sherman addressing his view of the press and its role in
the Civil War.
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Mastery
of the concept was minimally evident and persuasion is minimally evident but
project is far below expectations.
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Mastery
of the concept was evident and persuasion is evident but project is below
expectations.
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Mastery of the concept was evident and persuasion is
evident - project meets
expectations.
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Mastery of the concept was evident and persuasion is
evident - project exceeds
expectations.
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Conclusion
Knowing what you now know
about the role and influence of the press during the Civil War, do
you think that freedom
of the press in times of war or political hardship is responsible and
just? If
you had the authority
to alter the rights provided in the Constitution would you?
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Credits & References
Professional Consultation;
Mary Fink, Bethany Lutheran
Civil War Images used within
this WebQuest were found at: http://www.jewish-history.com/Clipartgallery/clipart1.htm
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Last updated on August
15, 1999.
Based on a template from The WebQuest Page
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