Grade Eight Social Studies Content Area Unit
Unit Title
Civil War: The “Underground Railroad”
Unit Length
6-9 weeks
Grade Level Expectations (GLE)
The instructor should conceptualize a hypothesis about the political, economic, and cultural history of the United States.
The class should analyze the historical eras, ideologies, individuals, and critical elements of the American revolution.
Generalizations
Students will understand;
- The plight of slaves in the United States that sparked the resistance.
- The resistance to slavery
- Relationships between different cultural groups and contributors of conflicts and cooperation.
Guiding questions
How were the free and slave states transformed during the Civil War?
What were the pros and cons of each side?
Why was slavery both a pro and con in different regions in the United States?
How did the aftermath of the Civil War shape contemporary American society?
Critical content
Students will understand;
- The connection between the abolishment of slavery and the American Civil War.
- How physical attributes of land determined the establishment of human settlements.
- The origin, continuity, and aftermath of the American Revolution.
Key skills
Students will;
- Understand the timeline of the “Underground Railroad.”
- Understand the impact of the abolishment of slavery in the Civil War.
- Identify the roles played by significant figures like Abraham Lincoln and Harriet Tubman in the American revolution.
Unit Description
The unit focuses on the era of the “Underground Railway” and the eventual abolition of slavery. Further, it analyzes the geographical, cultural, and economic factors that helped shaped contemporary American society.
Differentiation
The teacher will create teams based on abilities and assign specific tasks. Also, they will take notes on the capabilities and performance of different students to help in designing future classes. Students with learning disabilities will receive extra practice to ensure they understand concepts better.
Lesson Plan 1: Civil War
Time Allocation
{Minutes}
Lesson Phase
Details
10
Introduction
Create an objective for the unit, introduce with an attention grabber that captures the attention of students.
Introduce the phrase “Underground Railroad” and ask students to discuss what it probably meant in the 19th century (Blackett, 2014).
10-15
Foundation
Analyze previous sessions.
Identify key points, phrases, and goals for the next lesson.
Discuss the phrase.
Introduce slavery, women, uneducated citizens, economies, and the plight of laborers.
Goal: To help students comprehend the events and factors that built the Underground Railroad and the American Civil War.
5
Brain Activation
Ask questions, discuss phrases, share knowledge, and apply a brainstorming activity.
Ask students what various words like abolitionist mean.
Assess the meaning of the phrase “All men are created equal” and its significance in American democracy.
Evaluate the significance of figures like Harriet Tubman in the Civil War.
10-15
Introducing new information
Introduce critical points for the session and conduct a class discussion.
Discuss the “Underground Railroad” from the textbook by analyzing both pictures and text. Students should add new information collected to their class notes.
5-10
Clarification
Provide sample issues and encourage independent thinking.
All students are required to write their reflection on the history of the “Underground Railroad.”
10-15
Review
Children work with the instructor and hold discussions in small groups.
Students should organize in groups and discuss the role of Harriet Tubman in the “Underground Railroad.”
15
Individual practice
Students do homework independently. Individuals with learning disabilities get extra practice.
Students individually select a phrase from the textbook and analyze its meaning and significance in history.
10
Closure
Conclude the session and answer all problematic queries.
Prepare for the next lesson.
Students exchange the selected phrases with a partner and discuss the significance. The instructor will collect the sheets for application in the next class.
Lesson Plan 2: Civil War
Grade
8th
Length
80 minutes (not inclusive of the final assessment)
Goals
Students will comprehend the occurrences that sparked the rise of the American Civil War.
Objectives
- Students can compare the economy of the U.S. with other states
- Students can identify the significant factors that led to the Civil War.
NCSS Standards
- Culture
- Power and governance
- People, locations, and the environment
- Time and change (NCSS, 2020).
Materials
- A highlight of the American Civil War.
- A work chart of Culture and Economics.
- The Underground Railroad timeline worksheet.
- Essay
- Case study
Anticipatory set
Read through the highlight of the “American Civil War” together as a class.
Activity 1
The entire class reviews the book “Get on Board” by James Haskins.
Activity 2
Read the “Underground Railroad” timeline to the class and issue a worksheet.
Students should organize in groups and fill out the worksheet.
Watch the “Escaping slavery on the Underground Railroad” video from the 4:00 to the 7:00 mark.
Activity 3
Issue the Culture and Economics Charts to children and help them to analyze the content.
They should understand that the aftermath of the civil war can’t be traced back to specific people.
Activity 4
Hand out the Underground Railroad timeline worksheet and instruct students to complete them independently.
Review and analyze several worksheets as a class to ensure everyone understands the topic.
Closure
Conduct a comprehensive discussion of the topic through a case study. Students can also broaden their knowledge through additional research in the library.
Assessment
- Essay
- Underground Railroad Timeline worksheet (informal)
- Culture and Economies timeline worksheet.
Lesson Plan 3: The Underground Railroad
Indicators
Understanding society Evaluate relationships between different cultural groups and identify sources of conflict.
- Citizens’ rights
Students will learn the meaning of participating in civic duties and the attainment of public goals.
They will also learn about the abolitionist movement and the termination of slavery.
Strategies
- Core activities
This unit introduces the class to the Underground Railroad and its essence. Students are then required to analyze various documents, including contemporary material, to assess the significance of the history of the Underground Railroad.
Vocabulary
Slavery
Underground railroad
Differentiated learning
Students will listen to a podcast narration of the Underground railroad story and critique its accuracy.
Also, they will perform a play that reenacts the movement of slaves in the Underground Railroad. They will dress up in ancient attire and perform in front of the class. The play will aid children with learning disabilities to understand the concepts of the lesson better.
Assessment
Students will undertake an informal assessment to evaluate their understanding of the unit.