8th Grade Civil War Project

  Jefferson Davis 

 Civil War Soldier 

 Abraham Lincoln 

 

 Civil War Map 

 

 

 

 

The Civil War :
An Investigation
8th Grade Project

 

Gettysburg 

 Civil War Fakebook:                    

The purpose of the project is to create a mock Facebook page from the perspective of a historical figure from the Civil War period.  You will have 2 days of computer time in class to complete the research and construction of the page.   If you do not finish in class, you will have to complete at home.  Here is a sample page for you to emulate.

 

#1 - Choose a person from the list below related to the Civil War and sign up with your teacher.

(Note: If you would like to do someone else from that period, ask your teacher for Permission) 

 

 Union military leaders: 

  • Ulysses S. Grant
  • George McClellan
  • William T. Sherman
  • Philip Sheridan
  • Ambrose Burnside
  • Benjamin Butler
  • George Meade
  • Winfield Scott Hancock
  • Joe Hooker
  • Joshua Chamberlain
  • David Farragut
  • Winfield Scott
  • Robert Gould Shaw
 

Confederate military Leaders: 

  • Robert E. Lee
  • PT Beauregard
  • Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson
  • Jubal Early
  • JEB Stuart
  • Joseph Johnston
  • John Hood
  • James Longstreet
  • George Pickett
  • Nathan Bedford Forrest
  • Stand Watie
  • John Yates Beall
  • Henry Wirz (Andersonville)
 

Union politicians: 

  • Abraham Lincoln
  • George McClellan
  • Stephen Douglas
  • William Seward
  • Edward Stanton
  • Clement Vallandigham
           

Others 

  • Frederick Douglass
  • John Wilkes Booth
  • Matthew Brady
  • Allan Pinkerton
  • Clara Barton
  • Dorothea Dix
  • William Lloyd Garrison
 
 Others 
  • Horace Greeley
  • Sarah Slater/Kate Thompson
  • Harriet Beecher Stowe
  • Harriet Tubman
  • Maria Tepe
  • Walt Whitman
  • John Brown
  • Dred Scott
  • Mary E Bowser
 Confederate politicians: 
  • Jefferson Davis
  • Alexander Stephens
  • William Yancey
 

 

 

Use this sheet to complete your research before you begin constructing the page and finding pictures. 

Use the following resources to complete your research. 

 

Important People of the Civil War 
Civil War Biographies
Short Biographies from PBS
Civil War Trust Biographies
Civil War Homepage
Civil War Interactive 

 U.S. Civil War Generals 
Presidents and Politicians - scroll down
Soldiers and Generals
Mary Tepe 

For information about a particular battle, try the NPS website.

21st Century Explorer 

Research, make timelines, dictionary, and more.

Annals of American History  

American history research with primary sources.

EBSCO History Reference Center  World history including images.
EBSCO MasterFILE™ Premier   Articles from periodicals. It will read them to you!

Encyclopaedia Britannica  

Four encyclopedias plus an Internet guide, atlas, and videos. Includes study guides and exercises

Encyclopaedia Britannica Online Academic Edition  

Although every student has access to this encyclopaedia, it is recommended for high school and higher education.

Image Quest  Need pictures for your project.  Go here.

US History in Context 

Exactly like its title. Has primary sources.

NoodleBib  

Citation/Bibliography resource.  You have your own log in. Use MLA Advanced format.

SIRS Knowledge Source  

Current events, U.S. government resources, arts and humanities, and relevant Internet links. SIRS Decades is a new history resource. Use it.

SIRS Decades  

SIRS Discoverer  

Student Resource Center, Jr.  

Everything!

Virtual Reference Center 

 

  
 

 

You should adapt the blank Civil War Fakebook PowerPoint template, which is located in Mr. Kling’s Handout folder, period 1.  While you are working on your page, you should save it in “my documents” in your social studies folder, or on your flash drive (as long as you remember to bring it).

There is an example of  JFK linked above to serve as a model, also in Mr. Kling’s Handout folder, period 1.

 

Upon completion of the PowerPoint pages, either email it to your teacher, or please save it here:

  • Open the Hand-In folder from “My Computer”
  • Find the teachers folder and correct class and open the correct folder.
  • Either copy and paste or click and drag the file for the assignment into the correct folder

 

Create a Fakebook page for a historical figure using the following guidelines: 

 

Civil War Historical Figure Fakebook Rubric 

 

Profile Picture, Name of Historical Figure at Top, and a Quote from them

                                                                                                1          __________

 

Information Corner/Basic Information

            Birthday and date of death                                      1          __________

Relationship Status                                                   1          __________

Political Views (or on slavery)                                1          __________

            Religion                                                                      1          __________

            Hometown                                                                 1          __________

 

Friends Corner

            6 Pictures of people who would have been Friends with your person, and captions with names            (1/2 pt each)                                                             3          __________

 

The Wall

6 Significant Reflections related to Civil War events that your historical figure was involved in, or were big news stories of the day they would have reacted to.   Provide information about the event (who, what, where, when – exact date, why), the exact date, and how your person was affected by the event, or how they would have reacted.  The comments can be from your figure or from someone associated with your figure, a friend or an enemy. 

 

16        __________

 

Personal Information –

            Interests/Hobbies     (You may have to infer what they may be, but they should fit the time period!  No XBOX!)                                                                  1          __________

            Career                                                                                    1          __________

Major Accomplishments                                           1          __________

 

                                                           

Contact Information (You may need to make this up, but it should make sense!)

            Current Address                                                       1          __________

 

Photos/Images (you need 4 – ½ pt each)

At least 6 images that relate to your individual, with captions describing the picture

                                                                                                2          __________

 

Citation of ALL websites and books           used                           4          __________

 

 

TOTAL                                                                                    35        __________

 

 

 

Your assignment is to cover a battle of the Civil War from the perspective of a historian. You will be asked to share your information with the class after some research in the computer lab. You can do a PowerPoint, exhibit board, or documentary to present the battle to the class.