Standard: NCSS, Individual Development and Identity

Performance Expectations: Articulate personal connections to time, place and social/cultural systems and analyze the role of perceptions, attitudes, values, and beliefs in the development of personal identity.

Outcome: Students will have a better understanding of perspectives on a issue that divides the U.S. even in today’s society. They will draw from prior knowledge to make an informed opinion.

Evaluation: The students will be graded on a test at the end of the unit. During the activity they will be evaluated on informed responses and how well they stayed true to their designated character.

Curriculum: 10^th grade U.S. History class

Instruction: At the start of the lesson to get the class thinking, the teacher would go around the room asking students to name one thing that they could not live without, one part of their life that they would never give up. Then relate it back to how the North and South felt at the time. The next part of the instruction would be to distribute character cards with either a north personality or southern personality during the Civil War time period. The students will be given time to prepare and look at their notes before they take part in a discussion/debate over whether or not the south had just reasons for leaving the union. After the debate there would be a line drawn on the board and each student would be responsible for placing their ‘X’ on the line for their opinion on the south. Each student would then write at least a one-page paper defending their ‘X’.