Multiple Intelligences

Unit Plan Template

EDUC 522

Unit Title: The Civil War
Teacher: Craig Astor
Grade Level: 8
Subject: US History
Time Frame: 15 Days

Objectives: At the completion of this unit, students will have utilized technology
to interact with course content in ways that will have engaged them across
multiple intelligences. They will discuss some of the social, political, and
personal issues that Americans confronted during the Civil War era, prepare and
give arguments for or against southern secession, reenact being a civil war
soldier, reflect on life as a soldier in a blog, read, define, sketch and summarize a
chapter, foster discussions over Skype, examine real letters written by civil war
soldiers of all types, categorize letters that are read by evidence from the letter,
evaluate a map of all civil war battlefields, arrange lego pieces on a map of the
Antietam creek battle field, view images on Flickr of the battlefield then and
now, film a video describing the Battle of Antietam, complete with accurate
troop movement, using the iPad to film and iMovie to edit, correct peers videos
with teacher made rubric, discuss and compare the casualties on D-Day and
WWII with those at Antietam and the Civil War, differentiating between data and
inputting that data, creating a bar graph, organize a new set of data pertaining
solely to Civil War casualties into a pie chart, listening and interpreting songs
from the civil war and labeling the song as from the point of view of the North or
the South, and finally recording their own version of a Civil War song in
Garageband, and posting it to soundcloud.com.

Intelligences:
Verbal/Linguistic, Interpersonal, Bodily/Kinesthetic, Intrapersonal,
Naturalist,Visual-Spatial, Musical/Rythmic, Logical/Mathematical
Common Core standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.2
Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source;
provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or
opinions.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including
vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.7
Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or
maps) with other information in print and digital texts.
Technology standards:

1. Creativity and innovation
Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative
products and processes using technology.
a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes
b. Create original works as a means of personal or group expression
c. Use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues
2. Communication and collaboration
Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively,
including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of
others. a. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a
variety of digital environments and media
b. Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety
of media and formats
d. Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems
3. Research and information uency
Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.
b. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a
variety of sources and media
d. Process data and report results
4. Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making
Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve
problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.
a. Identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation
c. Collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions
5. Digital citizenship
Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and
practice legal and ethical behavior.
a. Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology
b. Exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration,
learning, and productivity
c. Demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning
d. Exhibit leadership for digital citizenship
6. Technology operations and concepts
Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and
operations.
a. Understand and use technology systems
b. Select and use applications effectively and productively
d. Transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies
Technologies and Materials: (digital and non-digital)

Pencils
Paper
iPad (1 per student)
Computer (if needed)
Chrome (or other internet browser)
Headphones
Teacher Website with embedded songs and lyrics
Google Docs
Google Presentation
Google Spreadsheets
Google Forms
iMovie software
soundcloud.com
YouTube
Lego blocks
Civil War Replicas (gun, bullets, clothing, and other military equipment)
Flickr
Edmodo
Blogger
Skype
Survey Monkey
LCD Projector and screen
Powerpoint or Prezi (if needed)
notability.com App
dictionary.com App

Other websites used:
http://astor612.weebly.com/songs-of-the-civil-war.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnI5WuzS-
wY&list=PLbSAFu9Kvl1cD4L0_F8NawX8FupiFWjS_&feature=share

http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/antietam/maps/antietam-animated-map.html
Procedures:

Day 1:
Piggybacking off of the unit (Causes of Civil War) that has just been previously nished,
Students will be split up into two groups and begin to prepare arguments for and against
the south seceding from the union, using internet sources to support their argument.
They will split up responsibilities between their group members and anything left un-
done will be considered homework, due the next day.
Day 2:
The groups will meet to nish organizing their thoughts and do last minute preparations
for their arguments. Then, they will give their arguments. Students can use presentation
software Powerpoint, Prezi, Keynote, or Google Presentations to help organize their
thoughts for their presentations, The other students will listen to arguments about the
validity of the reasons for the south to secede from the union and meet together in their
groups to analyze their thoughts and in small groups, arrange the arguments in order
from most compelling to least compelling, posting their answers to the class Edmodo for
homework.
Day 3:
A Civil War re-enactor will visit the class as a guest speaker will share about his equip-
ment and tell stories about life as a soldier in the war. Students will take turns holding a
replica gun, bullets, clothing, and other military equipment and repeat what each piece
of equipment is while holding each item. Students will dramatize what a typical Civil to
War Soldier had to face on a daily basis, by reflecting on a digital picture taken of them.
From their reflections they will compose a blog post detailing how it literally feels to
carry so much weight, making sure to finish the assignment for homework if need be.
Day 4:
Students will read Chapter 15, Section 1, summarizing the chapter and recording their
summary on a note in their notability app. Students will use the dictionary.com app to
read, define, and sketch the key terms for Ch. 15 on the Civil War on their google docs
worksheet, completing both on their iPads. Students will use their definitions of key
terms for Ch. 15 on the Civil War, categorizing the words based on whether they apply
to the North, South, or Both, using a Venn Diagram on their google docs worksheet,
completing both on their iPads. Teacher will roam about the room, helping and directing
students when needed. For homework, students will Skype with a classmate to define,
discuss, and interpret the key terms for 15.1 in a way that a 10 year old could understand
them.
Day 5
To begin the class, students will, in small groups, evaluate the effectiveness of using
Skype to foster discussions for an online class discussing the Key terms in the chapter
on the civil war. The next lesson will begin with a short video clip from the movie Glo-
ry to introduce the students to the 54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry.
Then, using their iPads, students will listen to an account read of a primary source doc-
ument of an African American soldier fighting in the 54th Regiment Massachusetts Vol-
unteer Infantry, reflect on the soldiers may have faced in the training, and summarize the
account on a Google Docs document.
Intelligences:




Verbal/Linguistic







Verbal/Linguistic







Bodily-
Kinesthetic




Verbal/Linguistic

Interpersonal






Interpersonal

Interpersonal

Verbal/Linguistic
Procedures:

Day 5 (Continued)

Students will then use the notability app to illustrate one of the African American
soldiers fighting in the 54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, trying to show
the emotion of what they wrote. When finished, they will examine a letter written by a
Rebel soldier from Virginia, identify the main point of what is written, and use their
notability app to highlight the supporting details to that main point. For homework, they
will compare and contrast the letter of Rebel soldier, to that of the African American
soldier, and fill out a Venn Diagram highlighting the major similarities and differences.
Day 6
To begin the class, students will share their findings from their Venn Diagrams, and will
fill one out on the board as a class. Next, they will examine 3 letters written by soldiers,
identify the rank of the soldier based on the descriptions in the letter, of and record their
answers on a survey monkey" survey on the teachers website. Following the survey,
students will listen to an account of a letter written by the wife of a Civil War soldier,
reflect on what life away from the war may have been like, and then formulate several
diary journals as if he or she were a spouse, friend, or brother of a soldier in the form of
an internet blog post. Finish the blog post and share on Edmodo for homework if not
done in class.
Day 7
Today begins with a mapStudents will examine a map of the United States in 1863
which is projected on the screen and evaluate the reasons why some states had more
battles in them than others. Students will then watch the videos: Civil War Photography
- The Dead of Antietam and Burnsides Bridge. After watching the second video,
which combines an animated map with movie-like reenactments, the students will then
examine a Battle of Antietam map and using their map handout and blue and Gray lego
pieces, they will arrange the pieces into the formations of the Union and Rebel Armies.
Teacher will informally assess as he/she walks around the room. Students will take a
picture with their iPads of their finished map. For homework, students will look at a
slideshow, on Flickr, examining images of Civil war battle fields and determining what
area of the country the battlefield is using geographical clues of the terrain, flora, and
fauna.
Day 8
Using the picture of their Antietam Map from the previous day, students will walk out
the field on the edge of campus, locate the best place to film the formations of union and
confederate soldiers, and using themselves to represent the soldiers, they will physically
line up where they were in the battle of Antietam and film themselves using the iPad
camera. In their video, they will discuss the battle formation strategies of both armies,
and show the positions of the troops in the form of a battle reenactment.
Day 9
Students will continue to film and begin editing with iMovie when they have all of the
footage they need. The will have the entire period to film and edit.
Intelligences:



Visual/Spatial
Bodily/Kinesthetic

Naturalist




Naturalist

Intrapersonal


Verbal/Linguistic





Visual/spatial


Bodily/Kinesthetic


Naturalist




Naturalist

Bodily/Kinesthetic



Visual/spatial

Bodily/Kinesthetic
Procedures:
Day 10
Students will continue to film and begin editing with iMovie when they have all of the
footage they need. The will have the entire period to film and edit. Homework will be to
finish the video.
Day 11
Students will present the videos to the class today. Students will have to correct their
peers videos with the teacher provided rubric.
Day 12
Teacher will show a video of the D-Day Omaha beach scene from Saving Private Ryan,
followed by a video summarizing the events and impact of D-Day. Class will discuss the
impact of that day and what it might have been like to be a soldier on that beach. Then,
utilizing the teacher given website, Students will differentiate between wars while
viewing casualty data from world war II to the civil war. Students will us that data to
construct their own bar graph, comparing casualty data from World War II to the Civil
War. Students will finish the assignment for homework.
Day 13
Students will share their bar graphs with the class. Students will then be given a new set
of data, containing only Civil War casualties, and will identify the different types of
casualties there are from the chart with the names of battles and the numbers of
casualties based on the web page linked from the teachers website. Students will then
organize the set of data in a new way, creating a pie chart, labeling the Casualties of War
pie chart in the correct way, finishing the assignment for homework if need be.
Day 14
Students will go on the teachers website, listen to various songs from the Civil war and
recognize the sound the music as from the era of the Civil War, identify whether the
song is from the civil war or from modern day, read the lyrics, and interpret what they
think the lyrics are saying, and finally analyze the lyrics, identifying if the song was
from the North or the South. They will record their answers, as well as the reasons for
their answers by filling out a quiz using Google forms. When finished, Students will
choose a different song of the civil war and sing it, recording it on the garageband app
on their iPads, finishing the song and posting the recorded song to the class via a
soundcloud.com playlist.
Day 15
Students will listen to the Civil War songs of their peers and using a rubric from the
website, Assess the songs for content and completion, and also voting for their favorite
rendition. Students will be able to sing their song in front of the class for extra credit.




Intelligences:


Visual/spatial



Visual/spatial
Verbal/Linguistic



Visual/Spatial

Logical/
Mathematical




Logical/
Mathematical






Musical/Rhythmic

Visual/Spatial

Verbal/Linguistic



Musical/Rhythmic

Verbal/Linguistic

Product: (Described in the procedures above)
Assessment (quantitative rubric):