Teacher's Guide for COBBLESTONE ^® Children of the Civil War

1. Students will read to gather information on the youngest members of the Confederate and Union troops to understand how and why they joined the fight and appreciate the struggles and horrors of their experiences.
2. Students will share and discuss information collected on a graphic organizer during their reading.

1. Set the stage with a brief review of the causes for the Civil War as outlined in a textbook source. Point out how this war was different from others that our country has been involved in. Americans were fighting Americans - on American soil! More than six hundred thousand Americans died in battle or from illness and disease. This is nearly as many as in all other U.S. wars combined.
2. Tell the students that the article they'll be reading tells about the youngest members of the Confederate and Union armies - children who were 11- to 14-years-old - who sometimes found themselves in the midst of gunfire even though their duties did not include fighting.

1. Point out the Confederate and Union boundaries on a U.S. map. Discuss how newly completed railroad networks made it easier to move troops and supplies during this struggle and how new, more effective rifles resulted in a greater number of casualties and seriously wounded soldiers.
2. Troops on both sides of the Civil War needed support at base camps as well as leaders in battle, just as today. In Civil War times, this support came from women who served as nurses in battlefield hospitals and young boys who did all kinds of jobs in the camp to help the troops and leaders. Many of these boys and nurses risked their lives to perform their duties when the battle raged close by.
3. Introduce the article. Read the title and author. Do a picture walk through the article, discussing pictures and captions. This will build expectations for the reading.
4. Read aloud the Editor's Note and invite students' comments and reactions. Could they imagine themselves or someone they know doing these things?
5. Go over the categories on the graphic organizers. They will read to find information for these areas.

1. Students read the article.
2. Discuss the reading with a focus on the categories of the organizer while encouraging personal interpretations and comments.
3. Students will work with a partner to begin filling in the organizer.

1. The following texts could be made available in the classroom library for students to select during independent reading time. This thematic list includes a range of difficulty levels.
   
   

   The Day Fort Sumter Was Fired On	author: Jim Haskins
   Freedom Crossing	author: Margaret Goff Clark
   Charlie Skedaddle	author: Patricia Beatty
   Shades of Gray	author: Carolyn Reeder
   Sojourner Truth: Ain't I a Woman	author: Patricia C. McKissack and Fredrick McKissack
   The Long Road to Gettysburg	author: Jim Murphy
   Undying Glory	author: Clinton Cox
   Thunder at Gettysburg	author: Patricia Lee Gauch
   Frederick Douglas	author: Sheila Keenan
   Follow the Drinking Gourd	author: Jeanette Winter
   A Separate Battle	author: Ina Chang
   Nettie's Trip South	author: Ann Turner
   When Will This Cruel War be Over	author: Barry Denenberg
   A Picture of Freedom	author: Patricia C. McKissack

2. Students could do further research on drummer boys mentioned by name in the article. They'll report findings to the class.
3. Students could write a letter home as a young nurse or drummer boy with the Confederate or Union Army. Compile these into a class book and place a copy in the library.
4. Students could write a script for a mock interview with drummer boys in the field. They would enact this script with minimal props and perform for other classes.

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Updated: 2/9/10 07:04 am
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