The Civil War through a Child's Eye lesson focuses on the use of historical fiction and primary sources to expand students' understanding of the Civil War.  Literature reflects, records, communicates and influences human events as in the Civil War.  Similarly, photographs reflect, record, communicate and influence human perspectives about the Civil War. Together, historical fiction and photographic images are vehicles for exploring childrens' perspectives on the Civil War.

Objectives

• Students will use primary and secondary source materials to explore perspectives of the Civil War.
• Students will read and respond to historical fiction as an introduction to the Civil War.
• Students will use visual literacy skills to analyze and interpret images from collections of American Memory.
• Students will recognize and communicate how children were affected by the events of the Civil War.

Time Required

Recommended Grade Level

Curriculum Fit

Primary Sources:

 Images of Children from the Civil War Era is a database of images chosen specifically for this lesson.  It comprises selected photographs and daguerreotypes of children found in the the following American Memory Collections:

• "Selected Civil War Photographs"
• "America's First Look into the Camera: Daguerreotype Portraits and Views, 1839-1862"

Secondary Sources:

• Fiction: Bull Run, Paul Fleischman
• Nonfiction:  The Boys' War, Jim Murphy

Procedure

Activity Two - Readers Theater (Two class periods -- Classroom)
Days 2 and 3
    1.  Establish Readers Theater protocol.
    2.  Introduce characters from Bull Run and assign roles to students.
    3.  Read Bull Run using Readers Theater.
    4.  Discuss characterization.

Activity Three - Introduction to American Memory (One class period -- Library or Computer Lab)
Day 4
    1.  Describe American Memory collections
    2.  Demonstrate use of two collections of the American Memory collection : Selected Civil War Photographs
         and America's First Look into the Camera: Daguerreotype Portraits and Views, 1839-1862
    3.  Provide online time for students to research above American Memory collections.

Activity Four - Introduction to Visual Literacy (One class period -- Classroom)
Day 5
    1.  Discuss the role of photography in capturing reality.
    2.  Talk about Nathaniel Epp from Bull Run who manipulated photographs.
    3.  Does the Camera Ever Lie? activity from American Memory.

Activity Five- Visual Literacy  (Four class periods -- Classroom)
Day 6
    1. Look at photographs and daguerrotypes as primary source materials.
    2. Introduce format for analyzing photograph.
    3. Whole class activity of analyzing photograph.
Day 7
    1. Working in small groups, students will analyze selected photographs. Select two for the entire class to analyze.
    2. Share results of anaylsis with entire class.
    3. Repeat small group activity with second set of photographs.
    4.  Debrief activity.
Day 8
    1.  Have students select specific image from Images of Children from the Civil War Era
    2.  Students print image from screen for their analysis.
    3.  Have students work individually to analyze photographs or daguerrotypes using guide sheet.
    4.  Complete analysis.
Day 9
    1.  Use results of analysis to write caption for photograph.
    2.  Gallery walk of selected photographs from Images of Children in the Civil War Era

Activity Six - Visual Literacy  (Three class periods -- Classroom)
Days 10, 11 and 12
    1.  Write a first person characterization of the selected image.
    2.  Have students share their characterizations.
        Option 1.  Share characterizations in Readers Theater format
        Option 2.  Publish classroom volume of characaterizations.
        Option 3.  Publish students' characterizations on a web site.

Evaluation and Extension

• Visual literacy guide for the analysis and interpretation of the photographic image -- Assess visual literacy guide for completeness of responses.
• Caption for the photographic image of a child from the Civil War Era - Observe student exhibition of caption and photographic image during Gallery Walk.
• Literary portrait of child from the Civil War Era - Use a scoring guide (to be developed) to assess student writing.

Prerequisite skills:

•     Prior to lesson, students will distinguish primary and secondary sources.

•     Use historical fiction to identify causes and effects of the Civil War.
•     Identify research topics for further investigations.
•     Compare photographic images with illustrations of children in the Civil War Era.
•     Analyze primary text and compare with interpretation from photographic images.

caskeym@pdx.edu
Summer 1999