The Civil War Webquest

The Civil War WebQuest For Period 5 PAHS US I

Introduction:

Library of Congress

In 1862, in America, the Union engaged in a horrific “Civil War” fighting against themselves; the northern states fighting against the southern states, neighbor against neighbor, brother against brother, and father against son. People feared the world was coming to an end as they witnessed the destruction that raged around them. Indeed, the world they knew changed forever.

NOTE: Do differences in geography, culture, politics, and economics between different regions cause problems and unrest? Through your research you will examine the issues of the time period and discover what problems caused the Civil War.

Student Task: You will work with a team of four.

Student teams will:

1.  Research and read from the websites and resources listed below (p. 14) in order to understand the causes of the American Civil War. Remember, people were willing to make great sacrifices and risk everything they had for what they thought was right. Many families were ripped apart and destroyed in this conflict.

a. Two team members will read and research to find the reasons why the Confederate States in the South decided to secede from the “sacred” American Union. Seceding from the Union and becoming a separate country made slavery legal and kept four million Blacks in bondage. The people in the southern states truly believed they were reasonable, fair, family-oriented citizens and that slavery was a positive and necessary practice, for which they were willing to fight and die.

i. Write an argument or write your opinion about why the Confederate States believed they decided to secede from the American Union and fight in the Civil War. You must have evidence and/or give reasons from your research.

And…

b. Two team members must read and researach to find the reasons why the Union States in the North decided to fight in the Civil War. Were they fighting against slavery or because President Lincoln asked them to fight to keep the Union together? Did they fight because it would benefit the North financially?

i. Write an argument or write your opinion examining why the Union States fought the Civil War. You must show evidence and/or give reasons from your research.

Process

1. Teams will choose one of several graphic organizers for note taking while researching websites and resources. When teams have found three or more reasons for fighting the Civil War, you may write an “opinion” or an “argument” about your findings. Cite references for the evidence found while researching.

See graphic organizers, p. 6-13.

Remember, two team members are writing an “opinion” or “argument” for the Confederate States and two team members are writing to examine the reasons why the Union States fought in the war.

Choose one to present your opinion or argument.

a.  You may write a letter to a friend, family member, or President Lincoln to convince them of your convictions.

b.  You may hold a debate to present the information.

c.  You may interview a significant person(s) from the Civil War.

d.  You may write a script, a skit, or play showing what you found.

e.  You may write a poem to express your opinion or argument.

f.  You may write the words to a “spiritual”, song, or create a chant. Letter

Debate Interview

Poetry

Note Taking Sheet: Think Sheet-for Opinion

\

Organize

Note Taking Sheet for Opinion

The Confederate’s reasons for the cause of the Civil War.

Note Taking Sheet for Opinion

The Union’s reasons for the cause of the Civil War.

Building Arguments Organizer-The 7 C’s

Refer to Building Arguments, chapter 7, pp103

1.  Consider the Situation

Topic
of this argument / The Causes of The Civil War
Your
Purpose
Your
Audience
What
action or change do
you want
to take place?
The
Position
You are taking / The ______states were justified in fighting for their “rights” in the Civil War.

2.  Clarify Your Thinking

What are three causes or reasons that the
______
States fought in the Civil War? / 1.
2.
3.
What proof do you have? How do you know? Where did you get your information?
Use extra paper if needed. / 1.
2.
3.

3.  Construct a Claim: A claim is your point of view or your position statement.

Position
The ______states were justified in fighting the Civil War.
Reasons-summarize in one sentence
Claim-summarize in one sentence; reasons are restated here
The ______states were justified to fight in the Civil War because

4. Collective Evidence: Gather facts and details to support your claim. Examples, data, graphs, and pictures can be used to make a strong clear argument.

Facts:

Charts, graphs:

Pictures: Find or draw pictures to make your argument powerful.

5. Consider objections the opposite side has and give reasons why they are incorrect.

The ______
states believe our side is wrong because / However, the opposing side is incorrect because

6. Craft your argument; use facts, and appeal to a sense of fairness.

Examples of appealing to your audience for fairness:

a.  Shouldn’t we…

b.  Don’t you feel…

c.  It wouldn’t be fair if…

d.  I know you will agree with us about…

Your facts to appeal to your audience for fairness:

a. 

b. 

c. 

7. Confirm your Main Point: To strengthen your argument, add a powerful summarizing last statement at the end.

Examples: 1. The facts and information we have given show….

2. Tell all your friends the truth about…

3. Help your classmates understand the truth about the Civil War!

Websites for Research

http://www.sbusd.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=288

http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0215469/before_the_civil_war.htm

http://www.nps.gov/archive/gett/gettkids/cause.htm

http://americanhistory.about.com/od/civilwarmenu/a/cause_civil_war.htm

http://www.us-civilwar.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_civil_war.htm

http://americancivilwar.com/kids_zone/causes.html

http://www.mce.k12tn.net/civil_war/civil_war.htm

http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/civilwar/a/CivilWarCauses.htm

http://utahteachingwithprimarysources.com

http://www.loc.gov/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origins_of_the_American_Civil_War

http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cwphtml/cwphome.html ( Library of Congress)

Rubric: Opinion/Argument

Author______Topic______

Question / Student/Partner Rating / Teacher Rating
Introduction
1.  Does the introduction begin with a clear topic & grab the reader’s attention?
2.  Does the introduction state the author’s opinion about the topic?
3.  Does the introduction give two or more reasons for the opinion? / Yes No
Yes No
Yes No / Yes No
Yes No
Yes No
Body
4.  Does the body include three major reasons that support the author’s opinion or argument?
5.  Does the author explain each of the major reasons using logical arguments, evidence, and examples?
6.  Are all paragraphs well-organized and easy to understand? / Yes No
Yes No
Yes No / Yes No
Yes No
Yes No
Conclusion
7.  Does the conclusion summarize the author’s main points, opinions, or arguments?
8.  Does the piece have a definite conclusion? / Yes No
Yes No / Yes No
Yes No
Conventions
9.  Did the author correctly spell words?
10.  Did the author use correct capitalization and punctuation? / Yes No
Yes No / Yes No
Yes No
Content
11.  Did the piece hold the reader’s attention?
12.  Is the piece clear and easy to understand?
13.  Did the author stay focused on the same topic throughout the paper?
14.  FOR ARGUMENT ONLY: Did the author consider the other side’s arguments and counter or disprove them? / Yes No
Yes No
Yes No
Yes No / Yes No
Yes No
Yes No
Yes No

Adapted from Anita Archer, UCIRA Conference 2009 SLC, UT.

Writing Rubrics CC WS1

http://www.sbusd.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=288

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