Literacy Project: The Civil War

Literacy Project: The Civil War Jessica A. Myers Missouri Southern State University

Literacy Project: The Civil War

The following literacy project is a compilation of some of the different literacy strategies that we practiced during Content Literacy this semester. Each strategy is meant to show how it could be used in content classes other than English or Communication Arts. The subject I chose to use is History; with the specific topic being the causes and consequences of the Civil War in our country. I will briefly explain why I decided on that topic, my reason for choosing the texts for this project, and what standards I used when preparing the strategy examples. I chose the topic of the Civil War for this project because I felt that I would have a fairly easy time finding texts to use for the project. My personal interest in the Civil War also influenced my decision to use this topic. From there I decided that the grade I would focus on would be fifth grade. I chose fifth grade because the GLE standard allowed for a more in depth study of the Civil War, as it requires students to understand the causes and consequences of Civil War and the reconstruction in the South that followed. I decided to mostly focus on the war itself, more than the reconstruction, which is obvious from the texts I chose for each example strategy. The texts within this project give a variety of reading levels and genres for my students to choose from and work with. I chose these texts first based on the types of text that were required for the project and second based on how I thought I could use them. For example, I choose to use the article The Accidental Battle of Balls Bluff, because it was from a magazine, which met one requirement, and I believed it would be a great text to use when scaffolding. I knew I could use it for scaffolding a reading strategy because it was higher than fifth grade reading level, so it would require teacher assistance, but it would still teach the vocabulary and information I wanted my students to know. There are several other texts that are

Literacy Project: The Civil War

higher reading levels and many that fall into lower reading levels in my text set, which I chose intentionally, so that every student would be able to find a text they could read independently. Each strategy I used in this project were meant to meet standards from the Missouri GLE and the Common Core State Standards. Each one has a standard from the history GLE and one from the CCSS literacy standards. Again this was a requirement for the project, but I had the freedom to choose which standards to use on each example. My GLE standard remained the same on each because every example went with the theme of Civil War. The CCSS standard did change on each example because they each showed a different literacy strategy. After completing this project, I believe that it is an educational tool that I could, and will, use in my classroom. I like the idea of using these strategies in a unit plan, so that I can teach content subject, while also incorporating literacy. I think it is important to put literacy strategies in as many lessons as possible, so that students are constantly practicing good literacy skills and learning how to be proficient readers.

Literacy Project: The Civil War

Annotated Bibliography

Grant, U. S. (1961, April). The civil war. The National Geographic, 119(4), 437-447. This article covers the major events of the Civil War and includes a lot of pictures. Could be used to create a timeline or, if I cut it into sections, it could be used to cover each battle. Morgan, J. A., III. (2011). The accidental battle of Ball's Bluff. Hallowed Ground Magazine, 12(3). Retrieved from http://www.civilwar.org/hallowed-groundmagazine/fall-2011/accidental-battle-of-balls-bluff.html This article tells of the lesser known battle of Balls bluff and how it shouldnt have happened in the first place. This could also be used as a writing prompt about miscommunication. Fernandez, S. H. (1863, October 5). The battle of Chigamauga. Wisconsin State Journal, pp. 3, 4. Retrieved from http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/wlhba This is a great primary source because the newspaper article is a letter home from a soldier. It will give students a good idea of what the war was like. List of wounded. (1862, June 28). Richmond Dispatch, pp. 3, c. 2-3. Retrieved from http://www.mdgorman.com/Written_Accounts/Dispatch/richmond_dispatch.htm This is simply a list of wounded from the hospitals in Richmond. I think it could be used as a discussion piece about how families would have felt during the war. It also shows how bad the war was from the perspective of how many casualties there were. Alexander, C. (2012). Emancipation! A skit from September 1862 [Nook ebook]. Retrieved from Barnesandnoble.com This is a skit about the southerners and slaves reactions to the emancipation proclamation. This will be a great way to use diversity in teaching because the students can act out the play. It could be split into sections and multiple groups could present their sections to the class; this way everyone is involved. Bader, B. (2014). Who was Robert E. Lee? New York, NY: Penguin Young Readers Group. This book is a biography about Robert E. Lee that is specifically for children. It will not be too difficult for most of the students to read because it is for ages 8 to 12. The book also covers the major battles that Lee was a part of during the Civil War. Cooke, T. (2012). The turning point: 1863. Mankato, MN: Black Rabbit Books. The Turning Point discusses how the South was facing defeat in the West and decided that their best hope for victory was to invade the North, which led to the Battle of

Literacy Project: The Civil War

Gettysburg. The book also includes maps, a parallel timeline of development in the US and other countries, and side notes about important people. Anderson, T. (2012). Tillie Peirce: Teen eyewitness to the battle of Gettysburg. Minneapolis, MN: Twenty-First Century Books. During the Battle of Gettysburg, Tillie Peirce witnessed firsthand to death and fear of war. She wrote her memoirs about what she saw, which Anderson has put into this book along with real pictures. The main point of this book is the impact that war has on civilians. Haskins, J., Sullivan, O. R., & Cox, C., (2002). Black stars of Civil War times. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated. This book gives information about brave African American men and women during the Civil War. Helps students understand what life was like for African Americans at that time. Covers both Civil War and Reformation periods. Denenberg, B. (1996). When will this cruel war be over?: The Civil War diary of Emma Simpson, gordonsville, virginia, 1864. New York, NY: Scholastic Press. Fictional story about a southern girl named Emma Simpson, written in diary form. The story follows the hardships her family faces as the war drags on and supplies become limited. Gives the perspective of what southerners thought of the war. Part of the Dear America series, which are very popular with young girls. Rinaldi, A. (2005). Girl in blue. New York, NY: Scholastic Press. A fictional story about a teen girl in the North who finds out she is to be married off to a neighbor. She doesnt want to marry him so she disguises herself as a boy and enlists in the army. The story focuses on her experiences in the army and her fight not to be exposed as a girl. Osborne, M. P. (2000). Civil war on Sunday. New York, NY: Random House Books for Young Readers. This is book 21 in the Magic Tree House series. The fictional book follows another adventure of Jack and Annie as they travel back in time to the Civil War. They meet a Civil war nurse named Clara Barton and help her tend to wounded soldiers. Riddleburger, S. (2009). Stonewall Hinkleman and the battle of Bull Run. New York, NY: The Penguin Group. A fictional story that will caught the attention of male readers. Stonewall Hinkleman hates participating in the historical Civil War reenactments that his parents make him go to every weekend. At one of these events he is suddenly transported back in time to the real battle of Bull Run along with another reenacted named Mr. Dupree, who wants to change the outcome of the Civil War. Stonewall must save the course of history before Mr. Dupree changes it.

Literacy Project: The Civil War

Myers, L. (2011). Escape by night: A Civil War adventure. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, LLC. A short chapter book about a young boy named Tommy in Georgia during the Civil War who comes across a Yankee soldier. Tommy is then faced with the decision of whether or not to help the soldier escape to freedom. Includes some illustrations. McCabe, W. G. (1862). Christmas night of 62. Retrieved from http://www.civilwarpoetry.org/confederate/soldierlife/xmas62.html This is a poem written by a confederate soldier. The poem talks about what the soldier is experiencing on the cold Christmas night and how his memories take him back to Christmases he used to have with his family. Root, G. F. (n.d.). The battle cry of freedom. Retrieved from http://www.civilwarpoetry.org/union/songs/battcry.html This is a union battle song. This is a good example of how troops were rallied by using music. Very much a patriotic song. Tenniel, J. (1861). A family quarrel. Retrieved from http://www.comixconnection.com/uploaded_images/Tenniel610928a-775562.jpg This is a political cartoon that represents that fact that the civil war was a fight between brothers, fathers, and so on. It shows a male dressed in the American flag and a female dressed in the confederate flag quarreling. There is also an African slave in the background. Noble, T. H. (2006). The last brother: A Civil War tale. Ann Arbor, MI: Sleeping Bear Press. This is a picture book about a boy named Gabe who is a bugler in the Union army. He also has a little brother with him that is a foot soldier. He meets another bugler while doing his duty and becomes friends with him. The only problem is, his new friend is with the confederate army. Bauer, P. (2009). B is for battle cry: A Civil War alphabet. Ann Arbor, MI: Sleeping Bear Press. This picture book is includes beautiful illustrations of civil war battles and important people. The book uses the alphabet to explain the civil war, for example, A is for Abraham Lincoln and then the author explains who he is and is part in the civil war. Nussbaum, G. (2013). Retrieved from http://mrnussbaum.com/civil-war-for-kids/ This website is interactive and allows students to find further information on their own. There is an interactive battle map, activities like crosswords, and much more. National Park Service. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.nps.gov/civilwar/index.htm This website gives information on the civil war from battles to stories. It does require more guidance from an adult but it has a lot of good information.

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Word Sort Girl in Blue Rinaldi, A. (2005) Girl in blue. New York, NY: Scholastic Press. SS 3aI05 i. Identify political, economical and social causes and consequences of the Civil War and Reconstruction CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.4 Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area. Directions: Each group will review the categories provided and into which you will sort the vocabulary terms/concepts. (For an Open Word Sort, instruct the student teams to suggest categories for organizing the words.) You will have about 10 minutes to assign the words to the appropriate categories. We will have a class discussion with each group presenting your word list for one of the categories. You will be asked to defend your sorting of terms by sharing the common features of the categories and how each specific term/concept meets the criteria. Sarah Louise Hoed fields Game hunter Accomplishments Remedies Neddy Compton Union Uniform Forage caps Trousers Rations Canteen Disguise Army Terms Recruiting Flint Union Greys Armory Sergeant Regiment Infantry Enlistment

This word sort could be given after students read the book Girl in Blue, to assess their comprehension of the story. As an assessment, all I would need to do is look at how the student sorted the words to be able to tell how well they understood the reading. This is an effective strategy because students will need to have read the story before they would be able to complete the word sort, so it keeps the students responsible for their work. It is also a good strategy because it allows students to practice their vocabulary in a less boring way. And categorizing the words can lead to a better understanding of the meaning of the words, because it creates relationships between words.

Literacy Project: The Civil War

Vocabulary Self-Awareness Chart The Accidental Battle of Ball's Bluff Morgan, J. A. (2011). The accidental battle of ball's bluff. Hallowed Ground Magazine, 12(3). Retrieved from http://www.civilwar.org/hallowed-ground-magazine/fall-2011/accidentalbattle-of-balls-bluff.html SS 3aI05 i. Identify political, economical and social causes and consequences of the Civil War and Reconstruction CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.4 Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area. Student Directions: 1. Examine the list of words you have written in the first column 2. Put a + next to each word you know well, and give an accurate example and definition of the word. Your definition and example must relate to the unit of study. 3. Place a check next to any words for which you can write only a definition or an example, but not both. 4. Place a ? next to words that are new to you. 5. Add any additional words you feel are important to know or are unfamiliar to you. You will use this chart throughout the unit. By the end of the unit should have the entire chart completed. Because you will be revising this chart, write in pencil.
word skirmishing + + Example A fight or battle Definition An unplanned fight between small parts of armies.

division demonstration reconnaissance raid Confederates diversion pickets Federals

A group

I will model the process of using this chart for students prior to the reading. After modeling, I will have students fill in their charts and read the story. After reading, students will revise their definitions. Student will continue to use this chart throughout the unit and revise definitions as their knowledge expands.

Literacy Project: The Civil War Question Answer Relationship (QAR) APA Reference(s) Fernandez, S. H. (1863, October 5). The battle of Chigamauga. Wisconsin State Journal, pp. 3, 4. Retrieved from http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/wlhba Content Standards SS 3aI05 i. Identify political, economical and social causes and consequences of the Civil War and Reconstruction CCSS ELA Standards CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.8 Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which point(s). Student directions: Answer the following questions after reading The Battle of Chigamauga. Determine the type of question (On My Own, In The Text, etc.) and answer using evidence from the reading.

IN THE TEXT Right There questions (2)

Question 1. Whose corps surprise attacked the writers brigade at 4 am on the morning of the 18th? 2. The writers brigade took prisoners the belonged to which corps? 1. What caused the confusion for the soldiers at the bottom of the hill that were ordered to retire?

Answer Longstreets corps attacked the writers brigade on the 18th. The prisoners were from Longstreets and Hills corps. Coronal Hobart wanted to protect his men, and when he saw that retreating together would make them easier to shoot, he told his men to take care of themselves. This cause the men to get lost in the confusion of the fight and they had to regroup that night to straighten things out. He is referring to a corps lead by Rose that traveled through his brigades camp on their way to Richmond to fight with Meade.

Think and Search questions (2)

2. Explain what the writer is referring to when he says Yesterday our Rose rode through the whole army. IN YOUR HEAD Author and You questions (1)

1. Based on the information in the letter, how do you think the writer felt during the battle? Use the text to support your answer

I think that the writer was scared because when the battle first began and his group was attacked by Longstreets corps, he states that it certainly was a surprise to have thousands of perfect demons let loose on us, in the dark thick woods. This tells me he was scared because he calls the enemy demons, which are scary creatures, and he describes the woods as dark and think, which is

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scary because it would be hard to see each other. I also think the writer was feeling courageous because later, when he write about October 20th , he says everyman understood perfectly Sunday morning that he was to do battle with an enemy superior in numbers, to be sure, but not in bravery. This tells me that although he was scared he believed himself and his friends to be brave enough to beat the enemy anyway and that is part of being courageous. One time I had to be brave because I was starting at a new school and didnt know anyone. I was really scared and nervous, but I really wanted to make new friends at this school. So, I decided to be brave and talk to as many other kids in the class as possible that day so that I would make new friends. It was hard but since I was brave enough to do it I met my best friend Mallory.

On Your Own questions (1)

1. Have you ever had to do something that required you to be brave? What did you do?

Rubric for Author and Me (adjust your rubric to match your question) 4 3 2 Student states how they think Student states how they Student states how they the writer felt during the think the writer felt during think the writer felt during battle. Two pieces of the battle. At least one the battle and uses at least information from the text are piece of information from one piece of information used to support the answer. the text is used to support from the text OR uses The student thoroughly the answer and the student background explains background uses some background knowledge/experiences to knowledge or experiences to knowledge or experience support and explain, further support their answer. to further explain and support their answer. Rubric for On My Own (adjust your rubric to match your question) 4 3 2 Student stated a situation in The student stated a Student presented a which they had to be brave. situation in which they had vaguely stated situation in They explained the situation to be brave and provided which they had to be brave and reasons for the various at least two reasons why and what they did with choices. Student states the they had to be brave. only minimal explanation. final action with a thorough explanation of what they had to do.

1 Student states how they think the writer felt during the battle but does not use information from the text or personal knowledge/experience to support or explain.

1 Student failed to clearly present the situation. No clear explanation was stated.

When and why I would use this strategy I would use this strategy as part of my content instruction in subjects like history or science because it ensures that students are reading the text for meaning. History and Science book are very hard to understand, with QAR I can breakdown the information into sections, which will help students comprehend the information more fully. These subject also tend to ask questions that fit into the QAR because they are either in the text questions or critical thinking questions, like the in my head questions. So, using QAR helps student understand what is being asked of them.

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Graphic Organizer APA Reference(s) Myers, L. (2011). Escape by night: A Civil War adventure. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, LLC.

Content Standards
SS 3aI05

i. Identify political, economical and social causes and consequences of the Civil War and Reconstruction

CCSS ELA Standards CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.2 Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.

Student directions: While reading Escape by Night: A Civil War Adventure, fill in the tree diagram with the main ideas and supporting details from the story.

When and why I would use this: I would use graphic organizers with content area expository texts, as well as narrative text, because graphic organizers allow students to create a visual representation of the information they read. I think this strategy can, and should, be used in every subject area, because graphic organizers help students more fully comprehend the text.

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Escape by Night Organizer

If dead, why would he be in the church?

Soldier is not dead, just wounded. Arm shot off.

Tommy finds out in hospital that the soldier is from union.

Tommy returns his notebook anyway.

Tommy doesnt know if the soldier is dead because he was taken into the church, but brought in on a wagon of dead soldiers

Tommy saw the soldier being carried into the makeshift hospital inside the church.

Tommy wants to help the wounded soldier by returning his notebook to him, but is unsure if he should try to help him because he doesnt know who he is or what side he was fighting for.

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Cornell Notes APA Reference(s) Bauer, P. (2009) B is for battle cry: A civil war alphabet. Ann Arbor, MI: Sleeping Bear Press.

Content Standards
SS 3aI05

i. Identify political, economical and social causes and consequences of the Civil War and Reconstruction CCSS ELA Standards CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.3 Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.

Student directions: Using the Cornell notetaking that we have practiced, take notes about the Civil War as you read B is for Battle Cry.

Cornell Method Big Ideas Abraham Lincoln Details and Notes 16th president of the US Born in Kentucky, Feb. 12, 1809 His father discouraged learning, but his step mother encouraged Lincoln to learn. As a young man he taught himself the law and became the Representative for Illinois. Married Mary Todd and had four sons; only two sons survived to be adults. Ran in Presidential election of 1860 and won. Led our nation during the Civil War After war ended he was assassinated on April 14, 1865 by John Wilkes Booth during a play Lincoln was attending at Ford theater.

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Battles

Confederacy

Gettysburg, Chickamauga, Bull Run, and Shiloh were the most important. Some battles have more than one name because Northerners named them after the areas physical features and Southerners were more likely to name them after nearby villages, churches and taverns. See the elephant is a slang term for going to battle.

When and why I would use this: I think note taking skills are very important for students to have, so they can succeed in school. I think I could apply this strategy and other notetaking strategies in any of the content subjects I will teach. I plan to use notetaking as often as possible in my lessons, so that student will have plenty of practice with it, and will be able to use these strategies on their own.

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Shared Reading
Title: Civil War on Sunday Reference: Osborne, M. P. (2000) Civil war on Sunday. New York, NY: Random House Books for Young Readers. Grade Level: 5th Content Area: Social Studies Content GLE: SS 3aI05 Identify political, economical and social causes and consequences of the Civil War and Reconstruction CCSS: CCSS.ELA- Literacy.RI.5.1 Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. CCSS.ELA- Literacy.RI.5.3 Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text. CCSS.ELA- Literacy.RI.5.4 Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic of subject area. Directions: The first column is information straight from the text you are working from. The second column is word for word what you would say to the students and where you put your think aloud. The third column is to write what strategies are being used during your think aloud.
Text Civil War on Sunday Teacher commentary during the think aloud As I look at the title of this book, I predict that the boy and girl will help wounded soldiers. I wonder what is happening in the background of the picture with all the smoke? I will have to read on to see if my prediction are correct. I wonder why there was a flash of light? Strategies modeled/ practiced Making predictions Motivation Questioning

Jack looked out his window. It was a dreary Sunday afternoon. There were dark clouds in the sky. Thunder rumbled in the distance. Jack stared down the street at the Frog Creek woods. When is the magic tree house coming back? He wondered. Hey, guess what! Annie said. She charged into Jacks room. I

Questioning

Literacy Project: The Civil War saw a light flash in the woods! It was just lightning, said Jack. No, it was magic! A swirl of light! said Annie I think the tree house just came back! Im sure it was just lightning, Jack said. Didnt you hear the thunder? Yeah, said Annie. But lets go check anyway. She started out of Jacks room. Then she peeked back in. Bring your backpack, just in case! she said. Jack was always glad for a chance to look for the magic tree house. He grabbed his backpack and followed Annie down the stairs. Where are you to going? their mom called. Out to play, said Annie. Dont go far, said their mom. And come in if it starts to rain. We will, said Jack. Dont worry. They slipped out the front door. Then they ran up the street and into the Frog Creek woods. The woods were dark under the storm clouds. A cool wind shook the leaves. Soon jack and Annie came to the tallest oak tree. Oh, man, said Jack. You were right! The magic tree house stood out against the gray sky. Morgan! called Annie. There was no sign of the enchantress. Lets go up! said Jack. He grabbed the rope ladder and started up. Annie followed. They climbed into the tree house. It was hard to see in the dim light. Look, said Annie. She pointed to a piece of paper and a book lying on the floor. Jack picked up the paper. Annie picked up the book. Listen, said Jack. He held the paper close to the window and read aloud: Dear Jack and Annie, Camelot is in trouble. To save the kingdom, please find these four special kinds of writing for my library: Something to follow, Something

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I predict that the tree house has returned just like Annie was hoping for. In other tree house book we have read the tree house make a magic light in the woods when it travels.

Making predictions

Making text-to-text connections

As I read this page, I could see the dark woods and the way the branches swayed in the wind! My prediction was correct! The tree house did come back like Annie said!

Visualizing

Confirming predictions

I wonder what Morgan means in her letter when she talks about four special types of writing? I predict that Annie and Jack will find one of the types of writing on this adventure.

Questioning

Predicting

Literacy Project: The Civil War to send, Something to learn, Something to lend. Thank you, Morgan. Camelot is in trouble? said Jack. Whats that mean? I dont know, said Annie. But we better hurry and find these writings. Lets go look for the first: Something to follow. I wonder where we should look for it, said Jack. Whats the title of the book youre holding? Annie held the book close to the window to read the title. Yikes, she said softly. She showed the book to Jack On the cover was a painting of a peaceful looking field and a blue sky. The title said The Civil War. The Civil War? said Jack. Cool. Annie frowned. Cool? She said. Wars not cool. It sort of is, Jack said uncomfortably. He knew war was bad. But some parts of it seemed fun, like a game. I guess well find out, said Annie. She pointed at the cover. I wish we could go there. Thunder boomed through the woods. The wind started to blow. The tree house started to spin. It spun faster and faster. Then everything was still. Absolutely still.

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I wonder what the book is about. Since the title of this book is Civil War on Sunday. Maybe the book Annie is holding will be about the Civil War.

Questioning

Predicting

My prediction was right again that the book was going to be about the Civil War. The author again made me feel like I was in the tree house because I visualized the wind blowing and the tree house spinning. I will have to read on to see if my other predictions will be correct.

Confirming predictions

Visualizing

Motivation to read the next chapter.

Summary: Using shared reading with narrative text is a great strategy for expanding students knowledge of a subject because they can connect the story to what they learned in other readings and subjects. This strategy allows students to predict, confirm or modify their predictions, use context clues to identify vocabulary, activate prior knowledge, and visualize the information. I would use this strategy during reading and discussing the text. By modeling this strategy, I will encourage students to use this strategy during their independent reading.