Format
1. The program will begin with an introduction of the presenter, museum, and topic.
2. The presenter will identify the essential questions of the program and provide necessary historical context.
3. The presenter will guide participants through an analysis of several primary sources (letters, photographs, & other material culture) that present different perspectives on death & mourning customs.
4. Participants will engage in a discussion of death & mourning before, during, and after the American Civil War.
5. Time is allowed for questions and answers.
Essential Questions:
1. Why was the Civil War a turning point in how Americans viewed death?
2. How did the catastrophic fatalities affect the survivors?
3. How do photos and letters act as primary sources during the Civil War?
4. What do mourning customs tell us about past societies?
Objectives
The participant will:
-Explore the changing perspectives of war and death before, during, and after the Civil War
-Analyze primary sources in order to compare perspectives before, during, and after the Civil War
-Engage in a discussion about funerary & mourning customs in America
-Develop an understanding about the impact war has on customs
Standards Alignment
National Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.6-8.RH.1 -- Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.6-8.RH.2 -- Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.6-8.RH.9 -- Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.9-10.RH.9 -- Compare and contrast treatments of the same topic in several primary and secondary sources.