Civil War Writing Activities

The Peacemaker	An Eye for an Eye

An Eye for an Eye - This activity requires students to consider the actions of John Brown at Pottawatomie and write about the idea of "an eye for an eye."

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Counting Chickens Before They Hatch - A Lesson From Shiloh - This writing prompt requires students to relate to P.G.T. Beauregard’s "complete victory" telegraph at Shiloh by writing about a time they "counted" chickens, or, examples from literature of movies.

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The Great Squander - This historical prompt challenges students to consider the great opportunities squandered by Union General George McClellan prior to Antietam. Then, to think of and write about a time when they may have squandered a "golden" opportunity.

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The Emancipation Proclamation: I'll Always Remember Where I was - This historical prompts requires students to imagine the earth-shaking effect the news of the Emancipation Proclamation had on Americans in 1862. In the spirit of the Emancipation Proclamation, students must write about the biggest news event of their lives and describe its impact.

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Lee's Greatest Victory - Chancellorsville - This activity requires students to relate to Lee's "Greatest Victory" at Chancellorsville, by describing their greatest moment at sports, music, dance, or even video games.

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Forgiveness - The Disaster that was Pickett's Charge - Following the ill-fated infantry charge known as Pickett's Charge, on the last day of Gettysburg, Confederate Major General George Pickett was said to have harbored a life-long bitterness toward Robert E. Lee, who ordered the charge. This writing prompt requires students to think about the concept of forgiveness and describe the process he or she goes through when deciding whether or not to forgive some

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Hindsight is 20/20 - The Aftermath of Pickett's Charge - This writing activity explores the meaning of the metaphor "hindsight is 20/20"—the idea that it's easy to see the best course of action after a situation has already happened. Students will examine how this metaphor applies to General James Longstreet's warning before Pickett’s Charge at the Battle of Gettysburg and how it was ignored, resulting in disastrous consequences.Students will then reflect on a time when they or someone else experienced a similar moment—when a decision seemed right at the time but turned out to be a mistake in hindsight. They may choose to write about a situation in literature, movies, or real-life.

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Straight Out of Vicksburg - The 82-year Grudge - This writing prompt describes the “grudge” the citizens of Vicksburg, Mississippi held against the United States Government after the fall of their city in July of 1863. Independence Day was not celebrated in the Mississippi River town until after World War II. This writing prompt requires students to describe a grudge they have had, or, to describe one in literature, or sports, or if someone has had a grudge against them.

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The One - The Union Army Finally Finds Their Guy - The United States finally found "the one" nearly three years after the first shots of the Civil War were fired at Fort Sumter. Finally, it had a military leader capable of guiding the massive Army of the Potomac to victory. "The one" was Ulysses S. Grant. There were many reasons why he could be considered "the one." This essay requires students to discover and elaborate on those reasons.

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Primary Source Analysis: Magnanimity - The Generous Terms of Surrender at Appomattox - This printable activity requires students to analyze the actual conversation between Lee and Grant that led to the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia and to describe a similar display of magnanimity and grace in their own lives, or in literature or movies.

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Demoralizing the Enemy: Harsh Realities From Sherman's March to the Sea - This writing prompt requires students to relate to Sherman's "scorched earth" warfare during his march through Georgia by writing about a time that their team crushed an opponent, or, when they were on a team that was crushed by an opponent.

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Two Last Names - When his parents named him after Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, Jefferson Davis became one of those people whose name was made up of two last names.Now imagine you’ve been given the chance to change your name for one day. The only rule is that your new name must be made up of two last names—the last names of two people you greatly admire.

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Difficult Choices - Lee's Dilemma - This handout requires users to think about the difficult decision that faced Robert E. Lee at the onset of the Civil War – take the command of the Union Army, or, fight for the Confederacy? Students then must relate a similar experience where he or she had to choose one side or the other and the associated opportunity cost.

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Peccadillos - This writing activity requires students to read about the many peccadillos of Stonewall Jackson before analyzing and writing about one of their own, or one of an anonymous friend or character in literature, movies, or sports.

* Comes with full lesson plan

* Comes with full lesson plan

Kate Chase - The Original Influencer 150 Years Before YouTube and Insta - This activity requires students to compare and contrast Kate Chase, a prominent Washington socialite, with modern-day influencers.

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Virtual History Teacher Studies in Elaboration -Studies in Elaboration - These fun activities requires students to role play as history teachers grading student tests that reflect poor efforts. "Teachers" must grade the tests and then elaborate on student answers to make them complete answers.

Harriet Tubman |