Urbana - Champaign during the Civil War
Fellowship Lesson 2009
Deb Heater
To download this lesson in PDF format, click here.
Lesson
2: Understand the extent that Illinois was
involved in the Civil War as well as what was happening in Central Illinois at
this time.
Abstract: In
this lesson studentÕs will read local newspapers form the Civil War era to
determine how the local people were affected by the war.
Essential
Questions:
- What
was going on in Champaign County during the Civil War?
- Where
did the people in Champaign County get their news from?
Assessment:
Students will be evaluated on their participation and on the short response at
the end of the lesson.
Setting
the Purpose:
Students will read and discuss the events going on in Central Illinois
at the time of the Civil War and how they impacted the people of Urbana. They will then move on to discuss how
prisoner of war soldiers were treated at Illinois camps.
Procedure:
- Introduce
lesson and expectations. Remind
students that yesterday we learned how people in Illinois helped with the war
effort. Today we are moving closer
to home. The information we are
reading today was printed in local papers. While the papers were local, the vast majority of the news
came from big city papers, not local reporters.
- Break students
into groups. (There are 5
different articles) Each group
should get a copy of the original newspaper article and a typed copy. The group also has a group worksheet to
fill out.
- Groups
should read the article, discuss it, complete the attached worksheet and
prepare a 3 to 5 minute presentation.
- Once
all groups have completed their worksheets, each group will get up and present
their article. A 2 minute question
time should follow each group presentation.
Analysis
of Primary Sources:
- June 6,
1881 article from Champaign County Union ÒWar NewsÓ.
- Jan 30,
1861 article in Champaign county Union ÒHow Amos Kendall would treat the
southern insurrectionists.Ó
- June
13, 1863 article from Champaign County Union ÒThree Year Volunteers.Ó
- June
13, 1863 article from Champaign County Union ÒDesperation of the Rebels.Ó
- January
30, 1861 article from the Illinois Gazette ÒFighting Oppression in
Mississippi.Ó
Ties to National Primary source:
Articles
come from national news feeds.
List of
Materials and Resources:
- Packets of information for each group
-
Original article
-
Typed copy of article
-
Worksheet
Attachments:
- 5
articles
o Typed
copy of newspaper article titled ÒHow Amos Kendall would Treat the Southern
Insurrectionists.Ó January 30,
1861 Champaign County Democrat.
o Copy of
newspaper article titled ÒFrightful Oppression in MississippiÓ from January 30,
1861 issue of the Illinois Gazette
o Copy of
Newspaper article titled Ò War NewsÓ from Champaign County Union – June
6, 1861
o Copy of
newspaper article titled ÒThree year VolunteersÓ from June 13, 1863 edition of
The Illinois Gazette.
- 5 typed
copies of articles
- Worksheet
– Primary source worksheet - Newspapers