The Life of a Civil War Soldier – Post-site Activity 1/ Educator and Interpreter Led

Grade Level: Fourth Grade
Time to Complete: 45 mins.
Title of Lesson: Writing a Soldier’s Letter

South Carolina Curriculum Standards Addressed:
• 4.1.15 – Compare and contrast the ways of life in the North and South.
• 4.1.18 – Describe the Civil War and its effects on the nation.
• 4.5.5 – Describe how American citizens can participate in their government to influence the decisions and actions of that government.

Lesson Description:
This lesson is designed to follow up on the previous letter written by the student as they prepared to join the army. This letter will be written to the student’s family describing their experiences in the war, and to include three things they learned there.

Materials / Resources Provided:
• Sample letters will be provided

Focus Questions:
1. What could a soldier from the South expect to find when he returned home at the war’s end, and how did it differ from the experience of that of a Northern soldier?
2. How did citizen influence effect the governmental policies of post war America?
3. What was a common effect of the war on soldiers from both the North and the South in regards to infrastructure and economy?