Civil War

--Terrell A. Young, Barbara A. Ward, and Deanna Day
Discusses 15 books published in 2007-09, "any one of which would make an excellent addition to a classroom collection."

• http://publications.socialstudies.org/yl/2103/21030930.pdf

--T. Lee Williams
A critical review of four books from this popular juvenile historical fiction series, focusing on their depiction of the experience and institution of slavery in the United States.

• http://publications.socialstudies.org/yl/2103/21030926.pdf

--Tracy Rock and Barbara Levin
Each student selects a notable woman, researches her biography, tells her story in the first person, then answers questions from classmates. Short bios given for Elizabeth Cady Stanton; Sojourner Truth; Harriet Tubman; and Mary Walker, M.D.

• http://publications.socialstudies.org/yl/1803/pullout.pdf

--Brenda Betts
A brief survey of four major U.S. migrations of homeless children: the Cherokee Trail of Tears; the Underground Railroad; the Orphan Train Riders; and the One Thousand Children program (during the Holocaust). Includes brief accounts from four children.

• http://publications.socialstudies.org/yl/1803/180309.pdf

--Brooke Graham Doyle
The Confederacy’s answer to revenue deficits during the Civil War was to print more money, leading to hyperinflation on an unprecedented scale.

• http://publications.socialstudies.org/se/6506/650607.html

--Karen Needles and Lee Ann Potter
Slave trader Nathaniel Gordon was found guilty of illegally transporting African slaves in 1861. A trail of documents recounts the legal battle waged by his supporters to try and stop his execution.

• http://publications.socialstudies.org/se/6606/660601.shtml

--Cheryl Mason Bolick
Online research archives are making it easier for students to do in-depth research with primary sources on a historic topic. Here are activities to help students learn how the Fugitive Slave Law affected one man’s life.

• http://publications.socialstudies.org/se/6603/660306.shtml

--Stephanie Wasta and Carolyn Lott
Eli Landers, a young Confederate soldier in the Civil War, wrote poignant letters home to his mother, in which he described the battles he fought in, his fears and dreams, and the suffering he endured and witnessed.

• http://publications.socialstudies.org/se/6602/660207.shtml

--Susan Hoffman Fishman
The attempted escape of more than seventy slaves aboard a ship called the Pearl spotlights issues of morality and law, slavery in a democratic society, and the inherent challenges in deciphering history.

• http://publications.socialstudies.org/se/6705/6705261.pdf

--Benjamin Justice
Martin Scorsese’s movie joins a long list of films that have attempted to cater to the public’s fascination with history. Although promises of historical accuracy may woo movie goers to the theater, the author argues that big budget films should not pass fiction off as fact.

• http://publications.socialstudies.org/se/6704/6704213.pdf