Life During the War Between the States

The Task:

è You will create a Civil War scrapbook. This is an INDIVIDUAL project!

è First, decide on a topic you would like to concentrate on: communicator, soldier, civilian, or medical personnel and then choose ONE person to be. See list below…

è Next, collect data on your topic (RESEARCH!) using the links provided and others resources discovered by YOU. Check out Chapter 16 in your textbook. Background information and general information on the Civil War will be helpful to you.

è Create a scrapbook of life during the time. Keep in mind you are living at the time of the war!

The Introduction:

Since President Lincoln announced in 1861 that the Union had to be preserved, people in the North and the South rallied to fight for their beliefs.

The North felt an overwhelming need to show their patriotism. These people volunteered and enlisted, hoping they could keep liberty alive.

The South’s patriotic urgings however, had a direct approach. These people who fought and volunteered services did so for the purpose of defending their native soil and their way of life.

Because of his love for this country, President Lincoln has given you a very important job. It is your responsibility to record information in a scrapbook about life during these difficult times. He hopes that your knowledge will help the future generations to understand how different life was during this tragic period of our history.

Communicators (select one type):

Spy: Your job is to record information about codes used for secret communication. Using researched information, you will write two journal entries and one spy message to fill your scrapbook.

· Research a secret code that you intercepted and tell who used it, why it was used, and how the code was used.

· Develop your own secret code.

· Create a message to inform your commanding officer of a battlefield landscape.

Background | Example | History | Signaling | Spies

Musician: Your job is to record information about Civil War music. Using researched information, you will write two journal entries and rewrite lyrics to one song.

· Why was the musician so important to the daily life?

· Describe activities the musician did during a Civil War day.

· Locate words to a nursery rhyme or poem and rewrite them to reflect life during the Civil War.

Lyrics | Nursery Rhymes | Story

Reporter: Your job is to record information about a specific war battle. Using researched information, you will:

· Write a newspaper article describing who, what where, and why a certain battle took place.

· Illustrate a Civil War scene for the newspaper.

Antietam | Gettysburg | Shiloh | Manassas | Other Battles | Pictures

Soldier (select one type):

Enlisted Man: Your job is to record information about the daily life of a common soldier. Using researched information, you will write two journal entries ad make hardtack, a biscuit eaten by all soldiers.

· Describe activities soldiers did while waiting for battle.

· How was the common soldier equipped? What clothing was issued?

· Make a hardtack biscuit to share with other soldiers and be able to tell why it was so common a source of food. If hardtack is too “common” for you, try another recipe.

Soldier Life | Camp Life | Hardtack Recipe | Other Recipes

Officer: Your job is to record the strategy used during a certain battle. Using researched information, you will write a detailed journal entry and draw a map.

· Write out the series of events that you will have planned to ensure victory of the battle.

· Draw and/or embellish a map showing your plan of attack.

Atlanta | Maps | Vicksburg | Other Battles

Civilian (select one type):

Woman: Your job is to record information about the daily life of a woman who remained home during the war. Using researched information, you will write two journal entries/letters and create a care package to be sent to a loved one on the battlefield.

· Write about your typical daily routine. What chores needed to be completed? Who was around to help?

· Write about the dangers around you. How did you prepare for these dangerous events?

· Make a care package by gathering goods that are not easily found on the battlefield to send to a loved one.

Activities | Spies | More Spies | Daily Life

African-America: Your job to record information about your life during the war. Using researched information, you will write two journal entries and create a quilt about your life.

· How did the Fugitive Slave Act affect you during the war?

· If given the opportunity to fight, would you and why?

· Design four-panel quilt representing your childhood, life as an adult, your search for freedom, and experiences during the war.

Fighting | 54^th Infantry | Service

Medical Personnel (select one type):

Surgeon: Your job is to record information about the responsibilities of a war surgeon. Using researched information, you will write two journal entries and create a graph showing causalities of war.

· What medical training did you receive? How long did it take to become a surgeon?

· What medical procedures did you use? Why was disease a major concern during surgery?

· Make a casualty graph showing how many soldiers were enlisted, how many died from battle, how many died from disease, and how many lived with permanent scars. Make a similar graph about the American Revolution and compare the two.

Medicine | Training | Early Procedures | Amputations | Transportation

Sanitation Inspector: Your job is to record the death related sicknesses due to poor diet, poor hygiene, and poor sanitation. Using researched information, write two journal entries and create a concoction to help aid in the cure of a disease.

· Record how poor diet and hygiene affected the performance of a soldier.

· What sanitation problems existed? How did this harm soldiers?

· Make a medicine to help cure a disease. Include the ingredients, a prescription, and what results are expected.

Disease | Sanitation Commission