American History Teachers' Collaborative: Using the War as a Selling Point

Using the War as a Selling Point: Discovering a Local Community during the Civil War through Ads and Artifacts (Grades 3-5)

Katie Hickey Snyder

Summer Fellowship 2009

To download this lesson in PDF format, click here.

Lesson 3

In small groups, students guess use of the unique artifacts in collection.

For this lesson, students should be seated in small groups (4-5).

Procedures

Using LCD projector, Smart board, or computer lab, show class examples unique Civil War artifacts. The use of these artifacts should not be obvious. Suggested artifacts:

Teacher will print out a picture of each artifact and put them up around room.
Provide each small group with 7 post-its (one for each picture of unique artifact).
At table groups, students discuss the possible use of each artifact.
At table groups, students write their guess of what each artifact is, on post-it.
Students attach post-its to picture of artifact.
Discuss guesses as a whole group.
Display picture of artifact. Go around to each small group to discuss their guess and what led them to that conclusion.
Tell students what the artifact actually was (see annotated bibliography).

Ties to National Primary Source

Ties to similar national primary source artifacts found at the Smithsonian can be located at the following website: