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.
CIVIL WAR AND RECONSTRUCTION (1850-1877)
Standard 1: The causes of the Civil War.
Standard 2: The course and character of the Civil War and its effects on the American people
Common Core
Grade Two
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.3 : Describe the connection between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.4 : Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 2 topic or subject area.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.6 : Identify the main purpose of a text, including what the author wants to answer, explain, or describe.
Grade Three
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.1 : Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.3 : Describe the relationships between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.7 : Use information gained from illustrations and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (eg, where, when, why, and how key events occur).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.9 : Compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on the same topic.
Grade Four
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.3 : Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text , including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.4 : Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.6 : Compare and contrast a firsthand and secondhand account of the same event or topic; describe the differences in focus and information provided.
Grade Five
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.3 : Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.4 : Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.6 : Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and differences in the point of view they represent.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.7 : Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.
Grade Six-Eight
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6-8.1 : Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6-8.2 : Determine the central ideas or information of primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6-8.3 : Identify key steps in a text's description of a process related to history/social studies.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6-8.7 : Integrate visual information (eg., photographs or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6-8.9 : Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.
Grade Nine-Ten
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.1 : Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending to such features as the date and origin of the information.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.3 : Analyze in detail a series of events described in a text; determine whether earlier events caused later ones or simply preceded them.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.9 : Compare and contrast treatments of the same topic in several primary and secondary sources.
Grade Eleven-Twelve
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.4 : Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including analyzing how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term over the course of a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.7 : Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media in order to address a question or solve a problem.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.9 : Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.
State Standards
Our programs are aligned with both national standards and Virginia Standards of Learning. While our programs can be tailored to suit learners of any age, they are initially designed for students in upper elementary and secondary schools.
2015 Virginia Studies
VS.7 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the issues that divided our nation and led to the Civil War by
a) identifying the events and differences between northern and southern states that divided Virginians and led to secession, war, and the creation of West Virginia;
b) describing Virginia’s role in the war, including identifying major battles that took place in Virginia;
c) describing the roles played by whites, enslaved African Americans, free African Americans, and American Indians.
2023 Virginia Studies
Skills VS The student will apply history and social science skills to the content by
a. analyzing and interpreting information sources including, but not limited to artifacts, primary and secondary sources, charts, graphs, and diagrams;
b. applying geographic skills to identify and understand geographic features and connections;
c. developing questions, enhancing curiosity, and engaging in critical thinking and analysis;
d. using evidence to construct timelines, classify events, and distinguish fact from opinion;
e. comparing and contrasting people, places, and events;
f. identifying cause-and-effect relationships to clarify and explain content;
g. using economic decision-making models to make informed economic decisions and to explain the incentives and consequences of a specific choice;
h. practicing civility, respect, hard work, honesty, trustworthiness, and responsible citizenship skills; and
i. developing products that reflect an understanding of content.
VS.7 The student will apply history and social science skills to understand the key people, events, and issues of the Civil War and Virginia’s role by
a. explaining the role of John Brown and the impact of the raid at Harper’s Ferry;
b. describing how the institution of slavery was the cause of the Civil War, and secondary factors that contributed to the secession of the southern states;
c. explaining the significance of the Underground Railroad and the contributions of Harriet Tubman;
d. explaining major events and issues that divided Virginians and led to secession, war, and the creation of West Virginia;
e. identifying major battles that took place in Virginia;
f. identifying and explaining the leadership roles of Virginians including, but not limited to Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, Robert E. Lee, William Harvey Carney, Winfield Scott, and Powhatan Beaty; and
g. evaluating the experiences and contributions of Indigenous people and enslaved and free Blacks and their allies during the war including, but not limited to Elizabeth Van Lew and Mary Bowser.
2015 United States History to 1865
USI.9 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the causes, major events, and effects of the Civil War by
a) describing the cultural, economic, and constitutional issues that divided the nation;
b) explaining how the issues of states’ rights and slavery increased sectional tensions;
c) identifying on a map the states that seceded from the Union and those that remained in the Union;
d) describing the roles of Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, and Frederick Douglass in events leading to and during the war;
e) using maps to explain critical developments in the war, including major battles;
f) describing the effects of war from the perspectives of Union and Confederate soldiers (including African American soldiers), women, and enslaved African Americans.
2023 United States History to 1865
Skills USI The student will apply history and social science skills to the content by
a. synthesizing evidence from information sources including, but not limited to artifacts, primary and secondary sources, charts, graphs, and diagrams to understand events in United States history;
b. applying geographic skills to determine patterns and trends of people, places, or events;
c. developing questions, enhancing curiosity, and engaging in critical thinking and analysis;
d. integrating evidence to construct and analyze timelines, classify events, and distinguish fact from opinion;
e. comparing and contrasting historical, cultural, economic, and political perspectives;
f. determining and explaining cause-and-effect relationships;
g. using economic decision-making models to make a decision and explain the incentives and consequences of a specific choice;
h. engaging and communicating as a civil and informed individual with persons with different perspectives; and
i. developing products that reflect an understanding of content.
USI.9The student will apply history and social science skills to understand the cause, major events, and effects of the Civil War by
a. describing how slavery and its expansion was the primary cause of the cultural, economic, and constitutional issues that divided the nation and led to the secession of southern states;
b. describing the differences in the economies of the North and the South, growth of agriculture and industry, and how those economies impacted the outcome of the war;
c. evaluating the leadership and impact of Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War;
d. describing how individuals influenced the course of the Civil War including, but not limited to Jefferson Davis, Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, William Tecumseh Sherman, Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, and Frederick Douglass;
e. describing major political texts during the war including, but not limited to Lincoln’s Inaugural Address, the Emancipation Proclamation, the Gettysburg Address, and Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address; and
f. analyzing the effects of the war from various perspectives of Union and Confederate soldiers, Indigenous people, women, European Americans, and enslaved and free Blacks during the war including, but not limited to Clara Barton, John Brown, Robert Smalls, Harriet Tubman, Elizabeth Van Lew, and Mary Bowser.
2015 Virginia and US History
VUS.7 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the Civil War and Reconstruction Era and their importance as major turning points in American history by
a) evaluating the multiple causes of the Civil War, including the role of the institution of slavery as a principal cause of the conflict;
b) identifying the major events and the roles of key leaders of the Civil War Era, with emphasis on Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, and Frederick Douglass;
c) analyzing the significance of the Emancipation Proclamation and the principles outlined in Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address;
2023 Virginia and US History
Skills VUS The student will apply history and social science skills to the content by
a. selecting and synthesizing evidence from information sources including, but not limited to artifacts, primary and secondary sources, charts, graphs, and diagrams, to question and understand information about events in Virginia and United States history;
b. applying geographic skills to determine and/or predict patterns and trends of people, places, and events;
c. questioning and using inquiry to construct arguments, using evidence from multiple sources;
d. investigating and analyzing evidence from multiple sources to construct arguments and draw conclusions;
e. comparing and contrasting historical, cultural, economic, and political perspectives;
f. determining cause and effect to analyze connections;
g. using economic decision-making models to analyze and explain the incentives for and consequences of a specific choice;
h. engaging and communicating as an informed individual with different perspectives;
i. developing products that reflect an understanding of research and content to make real-life connections; and
j. contextualizing corroborating and evaluating sources for credibility, propaganda, and bias to determine patterns and trends in Virginia and United States history.
VUS.8 The student will apply history and social science skills to analyze the development and abolition of slavery in the United States by
a. explaining how slavery is the antithesis of freedom;
b. describing the impacts of abolitionists including, but not limited to Sojourner Truth, William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglass, and Harriet Beecher Stowe;
c. analyzing key policies and actions including, but not limited to the Missouri Compromise, the Compromise of 1850, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, Dred Scott v. Sandford, and the Emancipation Proclamation; and
d. explaining the extension of rights provided in the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the Constitution of the United States.
VUS.9a,b,cThe student will apply history and social science skills to analyze the major turning points of the Civil War and Reconstruction eras by
a. describing major events and the roles of key leaders of the Civil War Era including, but not limited to Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, and Frederick Douglass;
b. evaluating and explaining the significance and development of Abraham Lincoln’s leadership and political statements including, but not limited to the significance of the Emancipation Proclamation and the principles outlined in the Gettysburg Address;
c. evaluating and explaining the impact of the war on Americans, with emphasis on Virginians, enslaved and free Blacks, the common soldier, and the home front;