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Voices from the Civil War Document Analysis Graphic Organizer

Explore the stories of Northerners and Southerners during the Civil War and their views of the conflict.

Objectives

  • I can compare different perspectives on the Civil War from various groups of people.
  • I can evaluate the impact of the Civil War on daily lives of soldiers and civilians.
  • I can connect historical examples of civic virtue to contemporary civic engagement.

Directions: Look closely at the photograph provided. Take your time to examine all the details. Use the See-Think-Wonder chart to record your observations and thoughts. There are reflection questions and sentence stems to help prompt your thinking. Write at least 3-4 entries for each column.

See Think Wonder
  • What do you see?
  • List the objects, people, and details you observe.
  • Be specific and descriptive.
  • “The photograph shows…”
  • “I can clearly see…”
  • What do you think about that?
  • What conclusions can you draw from what you see?
  • How might these details connect to what you know about the Civil War?
  • “The photographer may have wanted to show…”
  • “This makes me think about…”
  • What does it make you wonder?
  • What would you like to learn more about?

 

Directions: Complete as much of the graphic organizer as possible for each document. Some portions may have less information depending on the document.

Document Voice Intent Environment Who Details and Civic Virtues Questions
Sullivan Ballou’s Last Letter, 1861
Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant, 1885
A Woman’s Wartime Journal, Dolly Sumner Lunt, 1918
Hannah Johnson’s Letter to President Lincoln, 1863
Letter from J.O. Smith, 1862