Introduction
Life as a Civil War soldier was not pleasant. Through this WebQuest, you will explore some of the things soldiers had to endure while fighting for what they believed in such as food, medicine, camp life, training, disease, clothing, etc. By the end of this WebQuest, I'm sure you will be glad you weren't a Civil War Soldier! 
Task
Students will research the different aspects of life as a Civil War soldier by clicking on links provided by the teacher.
Students will fill in the graphic organizer with information from all of the links provided.
Students will compare and contrast their lives to a Civil War soldier's life.
Students will create a drawing or a diary entry based on information they learned from the WebQuest
Students will share their drawing or diary with the class at the end of the lesson.
Process
Step 1: Write your name on your graphic organizer and read the directions on how to fill out your graphic organizer.
Step 2: Fill in the "You" column before looking at any of the resources. You are to write down 4 things in each box about how that topic applies to you. For example, in the typical day box, I would write that I get up at 5:30, I feed my cats, I go to work, I watch TV. After you have finished filling in all 5 "You" boxes, you may continue.
Step 3: Click on the tent picture below. After reading about what life was like in a Civil War camp, fill out four different facts in the "Typical Day / Camp Life" box of your graphic organizer.
Step 4:Click on the Civil War musket below. After reading about the different weapons Civil War soldiers used, fill out four different facts in the "Training/Weapons" box of your graphic organizer.
Step 5:Click here to see how to load and fire a Civil War musket.
Step 6:Click on the Civil War hat below. After reading about the different clothing soldiers wore, fill out four different facts in the "Clothing" box of your graphic organizer.
Step 7: Click on the Civil War surgeon's kit below. After reading about the different tools and treatments doctors used on injured soldiers, fill out four different facts in the "Medicine" box of your graphic organizer.
Step 8: Click on the fly below. After reading about the different diseases soldiers suffered from, fill out four different facts in the "Disease" box of your graphic organizer.
Step 9: After you have researched all of the different topics. COMPARE how your life is like a Civil War soldier's life and CONTRAST how your life is different from a Civil War soldier's life in the "Compare/Contrast" column.
Step 10: Choose 1 of the options below...
1. Pretend you are a Civil War soldier. Write a letter home explaining about your life in the army. You may type or hand write the letter. Your letter home should contain 2 facts from each of the 5 categories on your graphic organizer. Date your letter June 3rd, 1863.
2. Draw a picture of a Civil War camp. Your drawing should contain one picture from each of the 5 categories on your graphic organizer. On the back of your drawing, please tell me what pictures you included in your drawing from each category. This will be graded on artistic ability.
Step 11: Before you begin your letter or drawing, go to the evaluation section to see how your creation will be evaluated!
Step 12: Staple your graphic organizer to your letter or your drawing, make sure your name is on both and hand them in.
Evaluation
| Beginning 1 |
Developing 2 |
Qualified 3 |
Exemplary 4 |
Score |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Typical Day |
Letter does not describe the typical day of a Civil War soldier. Drawing does not contain a picture of the typical day of a Civil War soldier. |
Letter contains only one fact about the typical day of a Civil War soldier. Drawing contains a messy picture of the typical day of a Civil War soldier. |
Letter contains two similar facts about the typical day of a Civil War soldier. Drawing contains a picture of a typical day of a Civil War soldier but is not labeled on the back. |
Letter contains two important and different facts about the typical day of a Civil War soldier. Drawing contains a detailed picture of a typical day of a Civil War soldier and is labeled on the back. |
|
| Weapons |
Letter does not describe the weapons of a Civil War soldier. Drawing does not contain a picture of the weapons of a Civil War soldier. |
Letter contains only one fact about the weapons of a Civil War soldier. Drawing contains a messy picture of the weapons of a Civil War soldier.
|
Letter contains two similar facts about the weapons of a Civil War soldier. Drawing contains a picture of the weapons of a Civil War soldier but is not labeled on the back.
|
Letter contains two important and different facts about the typical day of a Civil War soldier. Drawing contains a detailed picture of a weapon of a Civil War soldier and is labeled on the back.
|
|
| Clothing |
Letter does not describe the clothing of a Civil War soldier. Drawing does not contain a picture of the clothing of a Civil War soldier. |
Letter contains only one fact about the clothing of a Civil War soldier. Drawing contains a messy picture of the clothing of a Civil War soldier.
|
Letter contains two similar facts about the clothing of a Civil War soldier. Drawing contains a picture of the clothing of a Civil War soldier but is not labeled on the back.
|
Letter contains two important and different facts about the clothing of a Civil War soldier. Drawing contains a detailed picture of clothing of a Civil War soldier and is labeled on the back.
|
|
| Medicine |
Letter does not describe the medicine of a Civil War surgeon. Drawing does not contain a picture of the medicine of a Civil War surgeon. |
Letter contains only one fact about the medicine of a Civil War surgeon. Drawing contains a messy picture of the medicine of a Civil War surgeon.
|
Letter contains two similar facts about the medicine of a Civil War surgeon. Drawing contains a picture of the medicine of a Civil War surgeon but is not labeled on the back.
|
Letter contains two important and different facts about the medicine of a Civil War surgeon. Drawing contains a detailed picture of medicine of a Civil War surgeon and is labeled on the back.
|
|
| Diseases |
Letter does not describe the diseases of a Civil War camp. Drawing does not contain a picture of the diseases of a Civil War camp. |
Letter contains only one fact about the diseases of a Civil War camp. Drawing contains a messy picture of the diseases of a Civil War camp.
|
Letter contains two similar facts about the diseases of a Civil War camp. Drawing contains a picture of the diseases of a Civil War camp but is not labeled on the back.
|
Letter contains two important and different facts about the diseases of a Civil War camp. Drawing contains a detailed picture of diseases of a Civil War camp and is labeled on the back.
|
|
| Grammar/ Creativity |
Seven or more grammar mistakes. Drawing does not show much creativity or lacks color. |
Four to six grammar mistakes. Drawing lacks color.
|
One to three grammar mistakes. Drawing is somewhat creative or has some color.
|
Zero grammar mistakes. Drawing is very creative and has a lot of color.
|
|
| Graphic Organizer | Graphic organizer is not filled out. | Graphic organizer is half way filled out. | Graphic organizer is mostly filled out. | Graphic organizer is completely filled out. |
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed learning about what life was like for a Civil War soldier. If you are done and would like to look up any extra information about a topic that interested you, please feel free to do so and share what you have learned with me!
Credits
References:
620,000 soldiers died during the Civil War. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.civilwar.org/education/pdfs/civil-was-curriculum-medicine.pdf
Beerborn. (2009, Sep 5). Civil War field hospital surgery demonstration [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpGWqJ2ue3I
Civil War uniforms. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.ducksters.com/history/civil_war/military_uniforms.php
Civil War weapons. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.civilwaracademy.com/civil-war-weapons.html
Goellnitz, J. (n.d.). Civil War battlefield surgery. Retrieved from http://ehistory.osu.edu/exhibitions/cwsurgeon/cwsurgeon/amputations
Helm, G. (2013). Life of the Civil War soldier in camp. Retrieved from http://www.civilwar.org/hallowed-ground-magazine/winter-2013/life-of-the-civil-war-soldier-camp.html
History Tube. (2013, Jun 5). American Civil War – Dixie land [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2u-Zal6rhg
Rexlibris99. (2007, Oct 3). The battle hymn of the republic [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5mmFPyDK_8
[Untitled illustration of a Confederate soldier]. Retrieved July 24, 2015 from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2446391/Amazing-Civil-War-photographs-created-colorist-bring-eras-heroes-characters-life-color-time.html
[Untitled illustration of a Civil War surgeon kit]. Retrieved July 24, 2015 from http://www.heritagecasecompany.com/page/482551824
[Untitled illustration of a Civil War tent]. Retrieved July 24, 2015 from http://www.dextermuseum.org/cwd/gallery2.htm
[Untitled illustration of a Civil War drum]. Retrieved July 24, 2015 from http://atlantahistorycenter.tumblr.com/post/4066623482/ahc-acquires-rare-civil-war-drum
[Untitled illustration of a Civil War bugle]. Retrieved July 24, 2015 from http://www.oldsouthfirearms.com/civilwarcsabugle.aspx
[Untitled illustration of Civil War weapons]. Retrieved July 24, 2015 from http://www.thomaslegion.net/americancivilwar/civilwarweaponsfirearmssmallarms.html
[Untitled illustration of a fly]. Retrieved July 24, 2015 from http://suterra.com/flies/
[Untitled illustration of a Union soldier]. Retrieved July 24, 2015 from https://sites.google.com/site/theeducationalforumofkavita/social-studies/civil-war-reconstruction-unit/the-historical-civil-war
[Untitled illustration of a Civil War hat]. Retrieved July 24, 2015 from http://www.warhats.com/
Wessner, J. (2014, Feb 19). Loading & firing a Civil War musket [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLkCjIRjDJ8