TeachersFirst's Gettysburg by the Numbers: The Big Picture
To fully appreciate the Battle of Gettysburg, you need to start with the basics. This collection of TeachersFirst Editors’ Choice resources related to the Civil War -- and specifically the Battle of Gettysburg -- will give you the BIG Picture about the battle. Take the time to collect the basics, and then go back to the starting page and dive into the Numbers. You will never see history the same way again.
Use this collection of educator-reviewed resources, along with this printable pdf to discover:
Who? Who were the armies involved? Why were they fighting? Who were their leaders?
When? What were the dates of the battle? How does this fit into the overall timeline of the Civil War?
Where? Where is Gettysburg? How far is it from Washington DC? From Virginia? What is important about this location compared to other battles of the Civil War (Hints: whose “territory” is it part of? How far north, south, east. or west of other battles?)
What? What happened at Gettysburg? List information about the days leading up to the battle, each day of the battle, and immediately after the battle. Include any important events during the battle, such as Pickett’s Charge.
Why? Why do historians single out the Battle of Gettysburg from other battles of the Civil War? Why is it important or different?
What else? What factors lead to the results of the battle? What happened in Gettysburg approximately four months later? Why was that November event important?
Browse the reviewed resources below, or return to the starting page to begin exploring the numbers.
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African-American Soldiers in the Civil War - Library of Congress
Grades
6 to 12
tag(s): africa (140), african american (110), civil war (136), lincoln (64)
In the Classroom
The site could be the basis for dozens of lesson ideas, as well as an ideal starting point for a research paper. Have students view authentic letters from Abraham Lincoln on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Challenge students to write a letter (or a blog) in response to Lincoln's letter.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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American Battlefield Trust - American Battlefield Trust
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): battles (18), civil war (136), emancipation proclamation (11), gettysburg (15), gettysburg address (11), Juneteenth (22), lincoln (64), slavery (77)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site as an excellent resource for Civil War materials. Display different battle information on an interactive whiteboard or with a projector to discuss as a class. Share this site with students to use as a resource for class projects. Ask them to collect facts and resources using a bookmarking tool such as Wakelet, reviewed here. Have students use a mapping tool such as Google Earth, reviewed here, to create an audio (and visual) tour of pertinent battle sites. Challenge your students to use a site such as Sutori, reviewed here, to create an interactive timeline of important battles. With Sutori you can include text, images and collaboration. Have students make a multimedia presentation using Genial.ly, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Battle of Gettysburg - Esri.com
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): civil war (136), gettysburg (15)
In the Classroom
Explore the map and timeline on your interactive whiteboard with your class. Use the sources PDF and this page from TeachersFirst's Gettysburg by the Numbers to find additional Civil War and Gettysburg information. Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students explore the map independently or in small groups. Have students create an annotated image including text boxes and related links using a tool such as Thinglink, reviewed here. Use information from this site and have students create their own battle timelines (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Timeline JS, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Civil War 150 - Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery
Grades
4 to 12In the Classroom
Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about a Civil War soldier or important person from that time. Enhance learning by having students create timelines of Civil War events (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Timeline Infographic Templates, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Civil War Interactive Poster - TeachingHistory.org
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): civil war (136), emancipation proclamation (11), gettysburg (15), history day (39), lincoln (64), slavery (77)
In the Classroom
This site is perfect for students to emcee on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Open up each quadrant to view images and documents provided. Have students discuss their reactions and thoughts on each of the representations before clicking on the asterisk to find specific information. Use the teaching resources and ideas provided to add context to Civil War lessons. Challenge students to create a talking avatar using a photo or other image (legally permitted to be reproduced). The avatars can be used to explain information provided by one of the images. Use a site such as Blabberize, reviewed here. Blabberize allows you to add speech and annotate images. To find Creative Commons images for student projects (with credit, of course), try Vecteezy, reviewed here. Challenge your students to use a site such as Timeline Infograhics Templates, reviewed here, to create an interactive timeline of information from this interactive poster along with other information learned during your Civil War unit. With Timeline Infographics Templates you can include text, images, and collaboration.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Civil War Time-Line - A Nation Divided - The History Place
Grades
4 to 12In the Classroom
Use this site for research about the Civil War. Have cooperative learning groups research various battles of the Civil War. Or have students create their own interactive timelines using a tool such as Preceden, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Field Musicians of the Civil War - tapsbugler (Jari Villanueva)
Grades
5 to 12In the Classroom
Play the music and video during an intro to your Civil War unit to grab the attention of auditory learners. Inspire students to find out why music was far more than entertainment for soldiers. Challenge students to learn more about music and other communication tools during the Civil War in TeachersFirst's Gettysburg by the Numbers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Gettysburg Address on PBS - Adam Gault
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): civil war (136), gettysburg (15), gettysburg address (11), lincoln (64), presidents (130)
In the Classroom
For those who are not strong readers, the audio-video combination provided here may make the concepts in the Gettysburg Address more accessible. For other students, there may be deeper, more complex questions sparked by the video. Did the creator of the video capture the concepts authored by Abraham Lincoln adequately? This video could be the "jumping off place" for a variety of questions the class might consider or project ideas for individual students. How might you do it differently? What about other well-known speeches or documents? How would you illustrate them for a similar video? Challenge students to create their own video using FlexClip, reviewed here to accompany a famous speech and share the video using a site such as SchoolTube, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Gettysburg by the Numbers - TeachersFirst
Grades
5 to 10tag(s): civil war (136), gettysburg (15)
In the Classroom
Gettysburg exemplifies many aspects of the Civil War experience and of U.S. life during the 1860s. Use this resource as a whole class introduction to the Civil War or specifically to the Battle of Gettysburg. Extensive teacher materials include downloadable and customizable handouts for students to "get the basics" about the battle or extend their understanding through small group or individual projects on battle-related topics that interest them. Coordinate with your math teacher to reinforce concepts of proportion, percent, ratio, and graphing with real data about Gettysburg. Differentiate for your students by helping them select from more concrete or more open-ended "questions" included with each detail about the battle. You can make this a one-day "quick tour" or a week long journey. Find project ideas included in these questions. There is even a customizable project rubric in the teacher materials. Be sure to share this link on your class web page for curious students (and families) to explore on their own outside of class!Comments
Excellent resource for researchArthur, TX, Grades: 0 - 12
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Maps ETC - Florida's Educational Technology Clearinghouse
Grades
6 to 12Maps are also available in PDF format so you can download and print for classroom use. Note however, the very specific terms of the license under which these maps are available. A limit of 25 maps can be used in a single project without special permission, and a link to Florida's ETC must be included when maps are used on websites. The license is clearly spelled out and would also serve as a good exemplar to use with students to teach them how to credit the resources they find on the internet.
tag(s): maps (207)
In the Classroom
Each of the maps is available as a GIF or JPEG file to use on an interactive whiteboard (or projector), or to insert in a document or website. Use this site for nearly any historical research project. Have students make a multimedia presentation using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge tools reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Musical Resources - The National Civil War Field Music School
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): civil war (136)
In the Classroom
Share this resource as a project option for your musical students during a unit on the Civil War. Share the site with your music or band teacher to collaborate on a Civil War Day event.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Poetry and Music of the War Between the States - civilwarpoetry.org
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): 1800s (75), battles (18), civil war (136), poetry (190)
In the Classroom
Include this site with your Civil War unit resources. Have students upload a photo they have taken and add voice bubbles to explain what they learned using a tool such as Phrase.it, reviewed here. Or challenge cooperative learning groups to use one of the many other multimedia presentation TeachersFirst Edge tools found here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Civil War: Soldiers and Sailors Database - National Park Service
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): africa (140), african american (110), battles (18), civil war (136)
In the Classroom
Use this site as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on a projector. Demonstrate how to use this site for research about various topics involved in the Civil War. This site does require basic searching/research skills. Some pages include a lot of text, so be sure help your weaker readers and ENL/ELL students by sharing the vocabulary words prior to reading, either on a handout or by projecting on an interactive whiteboard and highlighting them in the text as you come to them.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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