Grade Level / 8th / Duration of Lesson / 70 mins.
Lesson Topic / Life in Charleston while under siege
SC Standards and Indicators / Standard 8-3: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the American Civil War—its
Causes and effects and the major events that occurred during that time.
8-3.5 Compare the military strategies of the North and South with regard to specific events and
geographic locations in South Carolina, including the capture of Port Royal, the Union blockade
of Charleston, and Sherman’s march through the state
Common Core Strategy(ies) Addressed / Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a
topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information
through the selection, organization, and analysis of
relevant content. Write narratives to develop real or imagined
experiences or events using effective technique,
relevant descriptive details, and well-structured
event sequences. Produce clear and coherent writing in which
the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
(Grade-specific expectations for writing types are
defined in standards 1–3 above.)
Academic Vocabulary / Secession, ironclad, siege, state’s rights
Lesson Materials / I-Pads, Primary sources, smartboard, video streaming, Charleston newspaper
Content Narrative / What was the Civil War? What caused the Civil War? Why was Charleston at the center of the Civil War? Why did the North want to capture the port of Charleston so badly. What effect did the siege have on the people of Charleston, what was their life like? ( see citiations)
Lesson Set
Content Objective(s) / The students will understand the importance of controlling the port of Charleston.Literacy Objective(s) / Students will draw inferences from the information they uncover in order to write their newspaper article, either pro-union or pro-confederacy.
Lesson Importance / The city of Charleston was a key city for importing and exporting goods for the Confederacy, as well as the birthplace of the Civil War.
Connections to prior and future learning / Previous/future knowledge:
In 3rd grade, students outlined the course of the Civil War and South Carolina’s role in significant events,
including the Secession Convention, the firing on Fort Sumter, the Union blockade of Charleston, and
Sherman’s march through South Carolina (3-3.4).
In 4th grade, students summarized significant key battles, strategies, and turning points of the Civil War—
including the battles of Fort Sumter and Gettysburg, the Emancipation Proclamation, the significance of
the Gettysburg Address, and the surrender at Appomattox, and the role of African Americans in the Civil
War (4-6.4).
Anticipatory Set/ Hook (Engage) / Tell the students that Charleston was where the Civil war began and the site of the longest s siege in modern warfare
Skill Development
Initial “explain” portion of the lesson. Introduce vocabulary, explain/demonstrate/model the skill required for the literacy objective, introduce content components.
The content portion is only a brief introduction; the bulk of the student learning will take place during the guided practice activity.
Introduce content components / Together we will set the scene in the city of Charleston, and introduce the vocabulary words in context. Discuss what makes a good newspaper article; examine some articles from that timeframe.“I do”
Skill from literacy objective
introduce/explain/model / Using the smartboard, I will pull up an article from the Charleston Mercury newspaper. I will then discuss the points the reporter is making and how this is done. I will then write the beginning of my own article about the siege.
Guided Practice
This is the inquiry portion of the lesson, student-centered & often cooperative learning strategies used, teacher acting as facilitator, also known as Explore.
“We do”Activity Description
Include student “explore” components and opportunities for them to explain their learning. / Students will use articles from the Charleston Mercury newspaper to put themselves back in the time of the Union Blockade and siege of Charleston. They will write a newspaper article reporting on the effects or progress of the siege on the people of Charleston. They can be pro-union or pro –confederacy. The article will include a least one picture from the time frame related to the article. This work will be done on student’s I-pads.
Checking for Understanding-“Informal” Assessment / Teacher will move around the class and answer student questions as needed. Read over the rough drafts of student work.
Closure
Teacher will re-visit content and answer students’ questions developed during the Guided Practice component. Summarize the lesson, clarify content, and revisit content and literacy objectives.
Content Solidified / Ask some of the student for some of the information they have found about life during the siege.Independent Practice
“You Do” / Research the web using your I-Pad and sites given to find information about the siege.Summative/ “Formal” Assessment
Assessment / The students will put their article from their I-pads to the smartboard and read the articles to the class.Differentiation
During Lesson / Some students will be given extra time to complete lesson.Assessment / Some students work will be shorter in length and without a picture.
Lesson Reflection / After during this lesson I realize that the time frame for the work was too short. This lesson could be developed in more depth over the course of a week’s time. The students could remain reporters in Charleston till the end of the war and all that entailed.