Lesson: Civil War Soldier Research
Author: Allison Huebner
Grade Level: High School
Common Core Standards:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of
primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an
understanding of the text as a whole.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information
presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in
words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.8 Evaluate an author’s premises, claims, and evidence
by corroborating or challenging them with other information.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.9 Integrate information from diverse sources, both
primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting
discrepancies among sources.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.7 Conduct short as well as more sustained research
projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem;
narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the
subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.8 Gather relevant information from multiple
authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the
strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the specific task, purpose, and
audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas,
avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format
for citation.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.9 Draw evidence from informational texts to support
analysis, reflection, and research.
Wisconsin Academic Standards:
B.12.2 Analyze primary and secondary sources related to a historical question to
evaluate their relevance, make comparisons, integrate new information with prior
knowledge, and come to a reasoned conclusion
B.12.5 Gather various types of historical evidence, including visual and
quantitative data, to analyze issues of freedom and equality, liberty and order,
region and nation, individual and community, law and conscience, diversity and
civic duty; form a reasoned conclusion in the light of other possible conclusions;
and develop a coherent argument in the light of other possible arguments
Essential Question: How did life change or stay the same in Wisconsin before, during
and after the Civil War?
Learner Outcomes – Students Will Be Able To:
Conduct historical research using primary sources.
Explain change and continuity in their own communities during the Civil War era.
Explain how the Civil War affected a particular individual who once lived in the
local community.
Produce a historical presentation using primary sources.
Procedure:
1. Introduction: Tell students, “In this assignment you will do some historical
research about your community both before, and during, the Civil War. What
was the community like? Who lived there? What occupations did they have?
What was the population? Was education or religion important – how will you
find that out? Did life change during the war? How?“
2. Either on classroom laptops or in a computer lab, direct students to the following
websites:
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/civilwar/
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/roster/
http://www.suvcw-wi.org/index2.html
http://evansfamilytreeclimb.blogspot.com/2008/11/conscription-lawsamericans-drafted.html
http://www.pchswi.org/archives/communities/almond.html
http://library.uwsp.edu/depts/archives/census/1860intro.htm
These sites will serve as a basis for research. It will also help students for the
teacher to obtain a membership and password at www.ancestry.com to help
students complete the project.
3. Tell students: “Once you have discovered the heritage of your community, you
will focus on its time during the Civil War and the local men who fought in the
war. You will then present your results on a display board for a broad audience.
Your extended exercise for Service-Learning hours will be to expand your
research to create a directory of information about the local soldiers. Copies will
be reproduced for the Almond Branch of the public library and for the Portage
County Historical Society.”
4. Pass out the Soldier Inventory worksheets to students. Students will complete
this sheet using the online resources listed above, plus any others they may find.
5. Next, pass out the book and website information cards modeled below that must
be completed when gathering each resource for the project.
6. Requirements:
Research topics on community history
a. Almond (village, township)
b. Bancroft
c. Lone Pine (neighbor of Almond – dissolved)
d. Pine Grove (township containing Bancroft)
 Do some background reading about conscription during Civil War
 Look up local census records from 1860
 Read some letters from soldiers
 Use note cards to record your source information
 Look up the names of soldiers from your community and complete
the handout
 Take a picture of soldier’s headstone
 Design and complete a display board of your research
7. Students will then take the information from their inventories to create a
presentation for the class, which may take the form of a PowerPoint, Prezi or
poster presentation.
Closure: Students will share projects with the class.
Assessment: Students will be evaluated based upon successfully meeting each
criterion listed above for the assignment.
You will create notecards to record your resources. Below are examples that you can use. I can
provide the cards if you do not have your own.
Book Information
Author
Card #
Title
Place of Publication: Publishing Company, Copyright Date
Short Summary of information you learned/will use on back
Example
Tess, Ralph
Card #1
Our Heritage: Almond and Vicinity.
Almond, Wisconsin: Almond Historical Society, 1986.
Found info on history of Almond
Website Information
Author
Card #
Name of Web Page
Name of Article (or book)
Author of Source
Date it was created or published
Date you used it
URL
Example
Rosholt, Malcolm
Our County, Our story; Portage County, Wisconsin:
Electronic Text
Our County, Our story; Portage County, Wisconsin
December 15, 2004
December 15, 2011
South Central Library System
http://library.uwsp.edu/pcl/history/ourcounty.htm
Card #2
Soldier Inventory
Name: ___________________________________________
Residence:________________________________________
Enlistment Location: ________________________________
Enlistment Age: _________
Rank: __________
Official Regiment: _______________________________________________
End of Service (circle one):
Discharged
Mustered Out
Died
write a summary detailing the answer circled above:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Other Remarks (taken prisoner, wounded, etc.)
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Date of Death (if not above) _________________
Burial Location: ________________________
Soldier’s Summary (any further information that you discovered not written above such as
family, occupation, etc.)
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________