ARG CIVIL WAR GAME

Lesson Plan for US HISTORY

Prepared by Marcus Byrd

OVERVIEW & PURPOSE

To understand the tensions that led to the Civil War students will be placed on one side
or another and defend the positions of each. Some will be abolitionist while others will
be slave owners. Some will be lawyers and some will be soldiers. Each learning about the
beliefs and perspectives that led to the civil war.

ENGAGE

If you were playing Family Feud and the question being answered was What was the
cause of the Civil War? the number one and would be slavery. Obviously, war is much
more complex than that, however slavery played an important role. In todays society
slavery is considered evil. The Civil War took place and approximately 94,000
confederate soldiers died fighting.

Why would 94,000 soldiers die to protect an evil system?

EXPLORE

The students will be assigned various roles that they will explore. During their
exploration of their character, they will need to suspend their previous dispositions in
order to accurately relate to the historical characters. As students explore the
information available to them (and seek out their own findings) they will begin to build a
case against their foes.

Students will learn about various aspects of the historical attitudes through researching
various elements of slavery and the Civil War. They will be presented with slides of
images that contain information through augmented reality that come to life as they
research.
Each Aura can be accessed in this slides presentation

Or through subscribe through my Aurasma Channel: http://auras.ma/s/yNL0T

EXPLAIN

Students will use previous findings and observations to make reasonable claims
regarding Civil War controversies. They will explain their positions as it relates to the
roles of historical characters of the era.

Playing the Game

How to Win: Collectively gain four points from your arguments.

How to get a Point: Convince your classmates that your side of the issue is the
right side.

Students will create a valid argument or defense for their side of each of the
following concerns:
The Abolition Movement: Noble(N) or Defiled(S)
Uncle Toms Cabin: Reality(N) or Extremist(S)
The Succession: Justifiable(S) or Illegal(N)
Lincoln: Unifying(N) or Divisive(S)
Who Started the War: North(S) or South(N)
What is Worse: Slavery(N) or Sharecropping(S)
Paternalism: Fact(S) or Fiction(N)

Selecting a Side: Students will be randomly divided into each role until all the roles
have been assigned.

Use the random selector to choose roles: https://www.classtools.net/random-name-

picker/2_eUWDei

Roles:

NORTHERN ROLES SOUTHERN ROLES

Slave Poor GA Farmer
Member of Lincoln's Cabinet Plantation Owner
Senator from Ohio Senator from Tennessee
Follower of John Brown Family Murdered By John Brown
Abolitionist Slave Trader

NEUTRAL ROLES
Baptist Minister
 Former Slave/Sharecropper
Free Soiler
Citizen of Maryland

EXTEND

Previously held dispositions are welcome again. Students choose the best name for the
war. Historians have used various names for the war throughout the years. Now its time
for students to draw conclusions of their own. Knowing what they learned about their
characters, they must choose and provide their rationale for the name that they select.
Civil War
War Between the States
War of the Rebellion
The Great Rebellion
The War of Northern Aggression
The War of Southern Aggression
Freedom War
Mr. Lincolns War / Mr. Davis War
War of Secession

EVALUATE

In order to win the game, players must successfully convince their classmates of their
position in a trial. Each class member is able to vote on the side that makes the best
claims. The side that has the most votes will receive a point. There are seven issues. A
point can be awarded for each issue. The first side to four points wins.

The students will be encouraged to use the following rubric to make their judgements.
Persuasive Speech Rubric