RECRUITING FOR THE CIVIL WAR

TEKS: 8th Social Students 8.8- Explain the causes of the Civil War, including sectionalism, states rights, slavery, and significant events of the Civil War 

"In the spring of 1861, decades of simmering tensions between the northern and southern United States over issues including states’ rights versus federal authority, westward expansion and slavery exploded into the American Civil War (1861-65). The election of the anti-slavery Republican Abraham Lincoln as president in 1860 caused seven southern states to secede from the Union to form the Confederate States of America; four more joined them after the first shots of the Civil War were fired. Four years of brutal conflict were marked by historic battles at Bull Run (Manassas), Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg and Vicksburg, among others. The War Between the States, as the Civil War was also known, pitted neighbor against neighbor and in some cases, brother against brother. By the time it ended in Confederate surrender in 1865, the Civil War proved to be the costliest war ever fought on American soil, with some 620,000 of 2.4 million soldiers killed, millions more injured and the population and territory of the South devastated."

"The Civil War is the central event in America's historical consciousness. While the Revolution of 1776-1783 created the United States, the Civil War of 1861-1865 determined what kind of nation it would be. The war resolved two fundamental questions left unresolved by the revolution: whether the United States was to be a dissolvable confederation of sovereign states or an indivisible nation with a sovereign national government; and whether this nation, born of a declaration that all men were created with an equal right to liberty, would continue to exist as the largest slaveholding country in the world."

It is now YOUR turn to be apart of the American Civil War. You will be working together to research, form opinions, facts, and a convincing argument to prove why your side, either the Confederacy or the Union, is the proper side to be on.  Use events found in history, opinions and statements from influential people, and your own biased opinion to tell the class why they should join your army and fight for your cause. 

Place yourself in the shoes of a Confederate or Union fighter and rally your classmates for your cause.  Each side of the war had their own opinions and views on why they were fighting against their own countrymen and it is important that you communicate these ideas with your peers.  There will be specific points that you must answer to help you to support your side but it is up to you to present convincing information to gain as much support as possible for your cause. 

Who will gain the most support, the Union Soldiers or the Confederate Rebels? 

LET THE BATTLE BEGIN! 

As you begin your webquest battle, here is a list of sources that are reliable and helpful in your search for facts and supporting ideas.  You are encouraged to use these sources but you are not limited to these sources only. 

•  History.com - American Civil War 
•  Civilwar.org 
•  Historynet.com - Civil War 
•  Militaryhistory.about.com - The American Civil War 

Be sure to cite your sources on a separate sheet of paper.  You MUST have 3 separate sources. 

STEPS: 

1. Meet with your assigned partner and brainstorm ideas on how you are going to come up with a convincing argument. 
2. Access the web and begin your research. 
3. Look for information that will give you a convincing argument to rally troops to your side of the fight. Why the Union/Confederacy is the proper group to be a part of?
4. Use historical facts, dates, events, quotes, and personal opinion to complete this assignment. 
5. After you have compiled all of your information, you will create a PowerPoint/Prezi presentation to support your argument.  
6. Include powerful statements and main ideas, along with pictures to strengthen your proposal. 
7. You will present your argument to the entire class and try to rally as many troops as possible. 
8. After all groups present, we will take a class poll to determine how many "new soldiers" each side recruited for their army. 
9. Finally, you will complete a 3 question reflection over the process.  

*HELPFUL HINTS*

• What is your side's view on slavery, economics, states rights, and the presidency? 
• PS....You MUST include each of these ideas in your argument to receive full credit. 
• You must have at least 2 quotes within your rally speech to receive full credit. 
• Be sure to cite sources where necessary
• Choose powerful statements and pictures for your presentation 
• You and your partner must both present the information, one person cannot do all of the speaking

Example PowerPoint Setup/Information 

• Intro 
• Main idea 
• Supporting Facts
• Supporting Facts
• Quote 
• Quote 
• Supporting Facts 
• Conclusion 
• Power Statement (this should be a statement that draws your troops in and persuades them to join your cause)

REFLECTION QUESTIONS 

1. Explain your personal opinion of the Civil War. Do you believe it was necessary? Why or why not? 
2. Evaluate the effects of the Civil War on the United States and its people. 
3. Create a solution for the country that would avoid the Civil War. 

Number of Union Soldiers joined : 

Number of Confederate Soldiers joined : 

The Civil War was a pivotal time in the history of the United States.  The effects were lasting and changed the dynamic of the people and of the entire country.  You have been presented information and seen both sides of the fight that split our country in two.  Slavery, states rights, economics, and even the presidency played a role in the fight for freedom and control.  Your research and presentation has given you a good basis to the Civil War and how it came to be.  Throughout our future classes, we will continue to read, write, watch, listen, and learn about the war and how it developed, grew, ended, and then changed our country forever.  

History.com Staff. "American Civil War History." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 01 Jan. 2009. Web. 27 Apr. 2016. <http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/american-civil-war-his…;.

"Overview of the Civil War." Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2016. <http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/civil-war-overview/overview.h…;.

Rubric -http://slrogers09.weebly.com/group-presentation-rubric.html&nbsp;