Bob Whalen slm521mc – Course Module

Antietam Visit

Objectives:

· Students will be able to access the Internet and research the Battle of Antietam while improving Internet skills, computer knowledge, and use of technology.

· Students will compare advantages of the North and South in the Battle of Antietam

· Students will relate differing points of view of the North and South

· Students will identify key events of the Battle of Antietam

Introduction:

There were many battles in the Civil War. We don’t have time to study them all, so we are going to look at one battle in great detail –one that happened locally in Maryland. As a matter of fact, we will be taking a field trip to Antietam National Battlefield in May. I want you to be prepared as much as possible for your visit. The intent of this project is for you to do research and find out what things you should look for when we visit the battlefield. I want you to have a good understanding of what took place at the Battle of Antietam. Some historians consider the Battle of Antietam a turning point of the Civil War.

Activity:

Read one of the battle summaries to get an overview of the Battle of Antietam.

http://www2.cr.nps.gov/abpp/battles/md003.htm

http://www.collectorsnet.com/cwtimes/antietam.htm

Think about past battles that we have studied this year. What are some questions that come to mind when you think of these battles. Now write down 10 questions you may want to ask yourself about the Battle of Antietam. Start off with: Who, Where, When, What, Why, How?

Assignment:

After you have finished your ten questions, you will be visiting some websites to acquire specific information about the Battle of Antietam. Your job is to research one of the three phases of the Battle of Antietam and describe it in great detail. You will report on the event either from the North’s point of view or the South’s point of view. You will need to include a graphic about your event. Take notes on the following sites to gather information on your phase of the battle

Things to Think About:

Who were the major generals involved in the Battle of Antietam?
Compare the number of men between the North and South.
Compare fighting strategies in each of the different phases.
What were the casualties of the battle?
Why is the battle historically important?
What historical document did Lincoln issue after this battle? Why now?

First view the National Park Service site at Antietam to study the battle in detail.

Antietam National Battlefield – This website by the National Park Service gives an overview of the Battle of Antietam. Categories include: Table of Contents, Planning Your Visit, Special Subjects, Picture Gallery, Battlefield Information, Upcoming Events, National Park Service. The site has an excellent picture collection as well as details of the 3 phases of the battle – morning, midday, and afternoon- http://www.nps.gov/anti/battle.htm

View the following sites to acquire additional data about the Battle of Antietam:

http://www.civilwarhome.com/antietam.htm

http://www.rockingham.k12.va.us/EMS/The%20Battle%20of%20Antietam/antietam.htm

http://www.pbs.org/civilwar/classroom/lesson_antietam.html

View the following websites to find a graphic/photo of the Battle of Antietam

http://www.elohi.com/photo/antietam/

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/v?ammem/cwar:0126-0156:T8

http://www.aotw.org/

Assessment:

You are to write a friendly letter to a friend, using the information that you gathered in your notes. The letter will represent a soldier from the North or South, who was part of the battle that day. Your letter contains the heading, salutation, body, closing and signature in the correct placement. You will describe your phase of the battle in great detail. You will be asked to attach a graphic/photo to your letter that represents some part of the battle. You need to include a caption that explains why you chose your graphic.

Evalution:

Category	Exemplary 4	Accomplished 3	Developing 2	Beginning 1	Score
Content	Information was accurate, detailed, and historically significant.	Information was mostly accurate, with details and historically significant.	Information was sometimes accurate with some details and somewhat historically significant.	Information was not accurate with little or no details and not historically significant.
Format	Letter contains heading, salutation, body, closing and signature	Letter contains most of the main parts of a letter.	Letter contains some of the main parts of a letter.	Letter contains little or not main parts of a letter.
Organization	Main idea, many details, writing makes sense.	Main idea, need to add details, question as to meaning of your letter.	Hints of a main idea, few details, little meaning behind your letter.	No main idea, need details that explain your letter
Voice	Used a clear, voice easy to identify who you are.	Used voice most of the time and identified who you are.	Used voice somewhat, uncertain at times who you are.	Little evidence of voice, confusion as to who you are.
Graphic	Illustrates most important aspect of the event with caption.	Illustrates important aspect of the event with caption.	Illustrates some aspect of the event, may include caption.	Confusion as to what illustration represents, may include caption.