Lesson Plans

Educators may wish to utilize Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt, a novel of historical fiction about the experiences of a farm family living in Illinois during the time of the Civil War.

Students will gain a deeper understanding of the events that happened in Arkansas during the Civil War by reading a variety of informational texts from various sources, including electronic sources.

Students will study civilian Arkansans during the Civil War. These Arkansans faced many challenges, including outlaw bands known as Jayhawkers, who ravaged the people and the land. Additionally, students will study the events leading up to the war and the post-Civil War era.

Students will examine the impact of the Civil War on the economic, social, and political systems of Arkansas. Each student will also research an assigned character from this era. Students will then write and perform a part in a role-playing simulation.

The major goal of the unit is to guide students as they research an Arkansas Civil War topic, the Engagement at Poison Spring, in preparation for a classroom debate.

Students will assume the role of a newspaper reporter from the Civil War period. After appropriate research utilizing print, non-print, or electronic resources, students will write a newspaper article about the exodus of slaves during the Civil War period in Arkansas history.

Students will research and analyze the Red River Expedition in Arkansas during the American Civil War utilizing both primary and secondary sources. Students will identify the location of a particular battle in Arkansas from the Red River Campaign and present their battle report to the class.

Students will learn the importance of the Emancipation Proclamation and its importance in the Civil War.