Tennessee During the Civil War

This lesson is designed to give students an interactive digital experience focusing on key battles throughout Tennessee. It relies heavily on use of the Tennessee Civil War GIS project, an interactive website that relies on geographical information allows students to explore Civil War battles and skirmishes in many map layers.

Weblink address (URL): 
Tennessee During the Civil War
Home Page- source

Standards & Objectives

Learning objectives: 

In the course of the lesson, students will:

  • Analyze the Tennessee Civil War GIS Project and key battles within the state
  • Examine data about various counties within the state and make references about their loyalties during the war
  • Write a short essay about which Tennessee battle they feel is most significant based on the data given through the Tennessee Civil War GIS project website
Essential and guiding questions: 
  • What were some of the key Civil War battles in the state of Tennessee?
  • How were some counties within the state divided among the issue of slavery and why?

Lesson Variations

Blooms taxonomy level: 
Understanding

Helpful Hints

Materials Needed:

  • Laptops, tablets, or some device with access to the internet
  • Civil War GIS Worksheet (on following pages)