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Here are the teacher pack items for The Outbreak of War:
Overview In this experience, students examine how rising tensions between the North and the South led to the events at Fort Sumter by identifying key causes, perspectives, and early decisions. First, students reflect on the major issues facing the United States before the Civil War through a poll that surfaces prior knowledge about slavery, politics, and regional conflict. Next, students analyze Fort Sumter’s strategic importance, the breakdown of negotiations, and identify the key figures involved in the opening moments of the conflict. Then, students analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the Union and Confederacy at the start of the war to understand why each side viewed the situation differently. Finally, the Elaborate scene invites students to analyze adapted primary sources from Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis and compare how each leader justified and interpreted the events at Fort Sumter, highlighting how perspective shaped meaning at the start of the Civil War. Estimated Duration: 45–60 minutes Vocabulary Words and Definitions Objectives:
The Bombardment of Fort Sumter
In the years leading up to the Civil War, the United States experienced growing strain between different regions of the country. Political disagreements, economic differences, and conflicting views about the nation’s future heightened tensions that shaped how Americans understood their relationships with one another.
Which of the following do you think was the biggest reason tensions increased between the North and the South before the outbreak of the Civil War?
Begin by reviewing the poll results to surface students’ existing thinking about tensions in the United States before the Civil War by asking: What made that issue stand out to you? and What do you already know about this problem from earlier learning? Encourage students to explain their choices in their own words and to notice when classmates mention different issues that seem connected or overlapping.
In this experience, you will learn how rising tensions, key decisions, and early strengths and weaknesses on both sides pushed the nation from deep division into full-scale civil war following the events at Fort Sumter.
Objectives:
