StudySync Lesson Plan
Lee Surrenders to Grant, April 9th, 1865
Objectives
1.
Engage students in Horace Porter’s retelling of the pivotal meeting that brought the U.S.
Civil War to a close, using the excerpt to come to a better understanding of Generals Lee
and Grant, and the circumstances surrounding the Confederate surrender.
2. Practice and reinforce the following Grades 9-10 ELA Common Core Standards for
reading and writing about history & social studies, writing, and speaking and listening:
READING: HISTORY & SOCIAL STUDIES – RH.9-10.1-6, 8-10
WRITING: HISTORY & SOCIAL STUDIES – WHST.9-10.1-2, 4-10
WRITING – W.9-10.3
SPEAKING AND LISTENING – SL.9-10.1-6
Time
140 minutes (with up to an additional 250 minutes of extension possibilities)
Materials
SyncTV Premium Lesson: Lee Surrenders to Grant, April 9th, 1865 by Horace Porter
Overview
Horace Porter served under Union General Ulysses S. Grant in the U.S. Civil War, which gave him
firsthand access to the meeting in which General Robert E. Lee agreed to surrender on behalf of
the Confederate army. With the staggering death toll of the four-year bloodbath at over 750,000
and the capital of the Confederacy having just fallen at the hands of the Union, Lee saw no
choice but to give in. A vivid portrait of the two leaders emerges in Porter’s account, which
depicts, in this excerpt, how the generals came to a truce regarding which possessions Lee’s
men would be allowed to keep. Students may be surprised to read how this reconciliation went
down without violence or hostility, how Lee is gracious and thankful in defeat, and how Grant is
ultimately merciful in his demands – but the tension in the meeting is still palpable and deeply
rooted. Close examination of this excerpt will offer students the opportunity to examine a most
important chapter of U.S. history through a primary source and prepare them for in-depth
academic discussion and writing, consistent with the ELA Common Core Standards for Grades 910.
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Lesson Plan: Lee Surrenders to Grant
Background (10 minutes)
1.
Watch the Preview (SL.9-10.1-2). As a group, watch the video preview of the premium
lesson. After viewing, use the following questions to spur a discussion:
a. How was the Civil War fought differently than the wars of the 20th and 21st
centuries? What elements of battle contributed to the staggering loss of life in the
four-year conflict? Why was General Lee ultimately forced to surrender?
b. How do you expect the discussion of the South’s surrender to play out? Predict
what will happen throughout the course of this meeting, and how both sides will
respond to each other’s demands or requests. Will the South be hostile and
resentful? Will the North be proud and cruel?
c. Do you think a Civil War could happen again in the United States? Or will the
nation never again devolve into this kind of internal strife and bloodshed? Discuss
whether our bloody and divided past is really behind us–and if so, how far?
Extension (additional 60 minutes)
d. Define (WHST.9-10.7 and SL.9-10.1, 3). What are the differences between primary,
secondary, and tertiary sources? (A good breakdown of the differences can be
found here: http://www.lib.umd.edu/ues/guides/primary-sources) Discuss the
different strengths and weaknesses of each? Which do you think is most valuable
to historians looking to get the most accurate depiction of a specific event?
e. Explore (WHST.9-10.7-8 and SL.9-10.1-3). Have students visit
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/robert-e-lee-surrenders, where they will
read a brief description of the meeting that occurred on April 9, 1865 and watch
an accompanying video. Is this a primary, secondary or tertiary source? What
other sources did this incorporate, and how do they strengthen or weaken its
validity?
f.
Create (WHST.9-10.7-9 and SL.9-10.1-3, 5). In pairs, have students identify an
important event that took place during the U.S. Civil War (a battle, a speech, etc.)
and write a short paragraph about it, providing images, recordings and/or video to
accompany their description. Once this is complete, the class should work
together to arrange their events in chronological order and create a master visual
timeline of the Civil War.
Engaging the Text (130 minutes)
2. Read the Text (30 minutes)
a. Read and Annotate (RH.9-10.1-5). Have students read and annotate the
introduction and excerpt. If students are completing as a homework assignment,
ask them to write any questions they have into the annotation tool–these
questions are visible to you after the students submit their writing assignments or
beforehand if you use the “Mimic” function to access the students’ accounts.
b. Discuss (SL.9-10.1, 3). Have students get into small groups or pairs and briefly
discuss the questions and inferences they had while reading. As a class, discuss
the following: What surprised you about this meeting? Did it play out as you’d
expected, or were the attitudes and demeanors on display a little different? How
so?
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Lesson Plan: Lee Surrenders to Grant
Extension (additional 20 minutes)
c. Listen and Discuss (SL.9-10.1-2). As a class, listen to the audio reading of the text.
Ask students to share how their understanding of the text changed after listening.
What additional images came to mind? Does the excerpt come alive more when
being read or when being listened to?
d. Comprehend (RH.9-10.1-5, 10). Have students complete the multiple-choice
questions. Collect papers or discuss answers as a class.
3. Watch SyncTV (30 minutes)
a. Watch. Either watch the SyncTV discussion as a class or ask students to watch it
on their individual computers.
b. Discuss (SL.9-10.1-5 and RH.9-10.1-5, 10). After watching the model discussion,
have a conversation with the class about the ideas discussed in the SyncTV
episode. What new thoughts do they have after hearing the students' discussion?
Next, divide students into small groups (3-4 students). Move around the room
monitoring groups as students follow the SyncTV episode as a model to discuss
some of the following questions:
i. Discuss the implications of Lee’s quote, “[The Confederate army’s]
organization in this respect differs from that of the United States.” What
does this quote tell us, both directly and indirectly, about how the South
feels about surrender?
ii. The generals are polite and gracious in settling the terms of the South’s
concession, but how would you characterize their true feelings? Are there
any other subtle moments or hints in this excerpt that give you deeper
insight into the tension and difficulty behind the façade of political
decorum?
iii. Make a list of attributes of General Robert E. Lee, citing passages from the
excerpt as evidence. What can we learn about Lee’s personality and
nature as a leader from this excerpt? Do you think this meeting sheds any
kind of light on General Lee? If so, how?
iv. Now do the same for General Ulysses S. Grant. How would you
characterize Grant’s behavior and why do you think he chooses to conduct
himself in this way? Do we learn more about Grant’s nature from this
excerpt? How?
v. Do you think the agreement that is reached by Generals Lee and Grant is
just and appropriate? Should Lee have demanded more conciliation from
Grant? Should Grant have been harsher in his demands? Why?
vi. What admirable qualities of leadership do the two generals demonstrate?
How are these qualities instrumental in brokering a deal that is considerate
to both sides?
Extension (additional 80 minutes)
c. Write (WHST.9-10.2, 4 and W.9-10.3 and SL.9-10.1). Place students in pairs, one of
them as General Lee and one of them as General Grant. Have them write a three-
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Lesson Plan: Lee Surrenders to Grant
minute dialog between the two men as they discuss the terms of the South’s
surrender to Union forces. Include the discussion presented in this excerpt but
come up with other matters of contention that the two generals must settle. Have
them come to an agreement of some sort at the conclusion of the dialog.
d. Perform (SL.9-10.4-6). Have the pairs of students act out their dialogs before the
class. Students should try to emulate the manner of speaking appropriate to time
and place, and do their best to capture both the formalities of political decorum
and the tensions boiling underneath the surface. Film the dialogs, if desired, and
publish the best ones online on a class Facebook (or other social media) page.
4. Think (10 minutes)
a. Respond (WHST.9-10.1, 4). Ask students to read the “Think” questions, watch the
corresponding video clips, and respond to the questions, either in class or for
homework.
5. Write (60 minutes)
a. Discuss (SL.9-10.1). Read the prompt you have chosen for students, and then
solicit questions regarding the prompt or the assignment expectations. Whichever
prompt you have chosen, make sure you are clear about the assignment
expectations and the rubric by which you and the other students will be evaluating
them.
b. Organize (RH.9-10.1-5, 10 and WHST.9-10.1-2, 5). Ask students to go back and
annotate the text with the prompt in mind. They should be organizing their
thoughts and the points they’ll address in their writing as they make annotations. If
you’ve worked on outlining or other organizational tools for writing, this is a good
place to apply them.
c. Write (WHST.9-10.1-2, 4-6, 8-10). Have students go through the writing process of
planning, revising, editing, and publishing their writing responses.
d. Review (WHST.9-10.4-6). Use the StudySync “Review” feature to have students
complete one to two evaluations of their peers’ work based on your chosen
review rubric. Have the students look at and reflect upon the peer evaluations of
their own writing. What might you do differently in a revision? How might you
strengthen the writing and the ideas?
Extension (additional 90 minutes)
e. Write (WHST.9-10.1-2, 4-6, 8-10). For homework, have students write an essay
using one of the prompts you did not choose to do in class. Students should
publish their responses online.
f.
Write Argumentatively (WHST.9-10.1, 4, 9). Why did Grant ultimately agree to
allow former Confederate soldiers to keep their horses? In an essay response of
at least 300 words, argue what you perceive to be the true motive behind Grant’s
acquiescence. Was he filled with compassion and empathy for the plight of the
farmer, or was there a deeper, more strategic political aim at hand? Finally,
speculate on how we can understand (to the extent possible) the true motives of
our leaders and elected officials.
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Lesson Plan: Lee Surrenders to Grant
SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS
Key Vocabulary
1.
allude (v.) – Made an indirect reference to something
2. artillerists (n.) – Soldiers responsible for maintaining and using cannons
3. cavalrymen (n.) – Soldiers who are mounted on horseback
4. concession (n.) – The act of conceding or giving up something
5. conciliate (v.) – To win over or soothe the anger of
6. countenance (n.) – The look on one’s face
7. demonstrative (adj.) – Showing one’s feelings or emotions
8. paroles (n.) – The conditional releases of prisoners
9. ranks (n.) – In an army, the common status, below officers
10. side-arms (n.) – Small weapons generally carried at the waist, such as pistols or swords
Reading Comprehension Questions
1.
The “slight change of countenance” on Lee’s face suggests that he found the stipulations
regarding the officer’s personal property to be ________________.
a. cruel
b. confusing
c. abhorrent
d. lenient
2. Grant shows Lee the terms of surrender ________________.
a. as a gesture of courtesy.
b. in case Lee wants to suggest changes.
c. to show how generous the North is.
d. to shame Lee and the Confederacy.
3. “Its organization in this respect differs from that of the United States.”
Lee’s quote here indicates that _________________.
a. he feels the South lost because of a lack of organization
b. he wishes to change the rules of property-owning in the Southern military
c. even though the war is over, he is not ready to embrace reunification
d. he is deceitful and insincere in his compliance with Grant’s demands
4. The sentence about keeping private property applies to _________________.
a. cavalrymen and artillerists
b. officers only
c. officers and non-officers
d. horse owners only
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Lesson Plan: Lee Surrenders to Grant
5. From this excerpt we can infer that officers are probably ranked ________________
cavalrymen and artillerists.
a. higher than
b. lower than
c. the same as
d. none of the above
6. Lee continues to ask about keeping horses and mules probably because of
_______________.
a. concern for his soldiers
b. outrage at the terms of surrender
c. knowing that Grant is lenient
d. the desire to get whatever he can
7. Grant is unaware that Confederate soldiers ________________.
a. want peace.
b. have side-arms.
c. own their horses.
d. own their farms.
8. What best describes Grant’s response to Lee’s request for soldiers to retain their horses?
a. He sees the reasons for the concession but refuses.
b. He immediately decides to rewrite the terms.
c. He does not see the necessity but agrees.
d. He promises to allow leniency in the matter.
9. When deciding whether to honor Lee’s request, Grant ultimately considers
________________.
a. his great respect for Lee as a rival
b. his empathy with poor Southern farmers
c. his own future political capital at stake
d. his concern for the safety of the horses
10. Based on the description of General Lee in the last paragraph of the excerpt, we can infer
that he is usually _______________.
a. gracious
b. stoic
c. combative
d. demonstrative
Answer Key
1. D
2. B
3. C
4. B
5. A
6. A
7. C
8. D
9. B
10. B
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Lesson Plan: Lee Surrenders to Grant
Further Assignments
1.
This excerpt is taken from Horace Porter’s memoir, Campaigning with Grant, a wellwritten account of Grant’s role in winning the war. Have students read the entirety of
Porter’s memoir, then discuss or write about any or all of the following questions: What
was Porter’s relationship to Grant and how might it have affected what he wrote about the
general? Based on Porter’s book, how would you describe Grant’s qualities as a leader?
What were some of the hardest decisions Grant had to make as a general and what do
his decisions suggest about his leadership during the war? (RH.9-10.1-5, 8, 10)
2. Pick another important event in U.S. History and fine one primary, secondary, and tertiary
source related to the event. Write a paragraph for each source detailing a) whom it was
written by, b) the writer’s relationship to the events in question, c) its value as a historical
document, and d) its weaknesses or limitations in bringing us to a better understanding
about the event. (WHST.9-10.7-9 and RH.9-10.6, 8-9)
3. Generals Lee and Grant were famous as leaders who inspired their soldiers. We
encounter leadership in many places other than in war zones, ranging from athletic teams
to school theater productions. Think of people you know who are effective leaders. Write
a response answering the following questions: What makes them good leaders? Do they
have qualities that remind you of Lee or Grant? What could Lee and Grant learn from
them, and vice versa? (WHST.9-10.4, 9)
4. The people who were present at Appomattox Court House for Lee’s surrender all knew
that the history of the United States was at a dramatic turning point. Ask students if they
have ever felt that way about an historical event during their own lifetimes. Create a Blast!
Topic asking students to post about said events and concisely explain their importance.
(WHST.9-10.2, 4, 9)
5. Have students visit http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/appomatx.htm and read the
account of Lee and Grant’s pivotal meeting. Either in class or as a separate homework
assignment, have students compare and contrast this account with other primary and
secondary sources they have previously read. Does this account describe things any
differently or choose to emphasize any alternate details? How does this version stack up
against the others? (RH.9-10.6, 8-9 and WHST.9-10.4, 7-9)
6. One of the best ways to learn about the Civil War is through art. Visit the following
website to see paintings and more that were inspired by the war: www.civilwarinart.org.
Have students select a particular work of art and write a short descriptive paragraph
about the event being depicted. Why is this event important and/or memorable, and what
role did it play in furthering and/or ending the conflict? (ELL)
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Lesson Plan: Lee Surrenders to Grant