Civil War Wax Museum
Fifth Grade Civil War Project
Over the next few weeks our class will be studying the Civil War and all it encompasses. We will be discussing causes of the war, North versus South, slavery, important battles, life as a soldier and life on the home front and will also be looking at the many Civil War personalities that have gone down in history as major players in this conflict.
Attached is the list of people that you can “become” for this project. Your job will be done in four steps. First, you will need to select one of the characters on the list that seems interesting to you. There will only be one of each character, so when making your selection, make sure that you have several that you are interested in if you don’t get your first choice.
Expectations: There is a rubric for the oral presentation and written speech. The criteria and the expectations are clear. Have fun with this and learn a lot. You are becoming an expert on your role.
Due Date: The oral and written part of the project will be due on Friday, September 22, and you will present it on, October 3 during the school day. Parents are invited to attend during this time.
After you select your character, or role, you will do research on your selection. We will use about 2-3 class periods to research at school, but the rest will be up to you. You may want to look for websites and books at your local library, and we will use the school resources, too.
Next, you will gather information about your character. Some suggested ideas to include if you are a specific character might be:
- What is your name and what is your family background?
- What city and state are you from?
- What is your position on the war? Are your for the North or the South? Why?
- What work are you doing in the Civil War? Explain your job or work. How was it important?
- What tools do you use? How do they make your job easier?
- Why do you think that your work is important?
- Who are your friends or allies? How do they help you?
You will then take the notes and write a paragraph or two about your character that will become a speech for your oral presentation. In other words, you will become this character you have researched. The speech is what you will turn in as the written part of the project. Criteria for the written report is found on the attached rubric.
Oral Presentation: For this part of the project, you need to become the character that you have selected, complete with costume and props. You are to use your information that you have gathered to write a one minute speech that is written as though you are speaking as the character you are depicting. Be sure to use factual information to complete the oral presentation. The presentation can be written on index cards to help you organize your thoughts, but it must be memorized by October 3.
If the Dead Could Talk – A Living History Museum
Civil War Project
Specific People
Clara Barton
Frederick Douglass
Robert E. Lee
Abraham Lincoln
Ulysses S. Grant
Jefferson Davis
Harriet Tubman
Matthew Brady
“Stonewall” Jackson
John Wilkes Booth
Emma Edmonds
Common Roles
An African-American Slave
Slave Owner
Conductor for the Underground Railroad
Army Nurse / Army Doctor
Union Soldier
Confederate Soldier
Drummer Boy
Woman on the Home Front Union / Confederate
Child in the South / Child in the North
African-American Soldier