Teacher Resources

• Vocabulary Cards 
• Teacher Slide Deck 
• Handout H Answer Key 
• Teacher Prep Resources 

Student Resources

• Handout A: Vocabulary Word Study 
• Handout B: Sectionalism Vocabulary Annotation Activity 
• Handout Set C: Experiences of Enslaved People Primary Sources 
• Handout D: Talk, Read, Talk, Write: On Liberty and Slavery 
• Handout E: Lesson Reading 
• Handout Set F: Causes of the Civil War Stations 
• Handout G: Student Stations Handout 
• Handout H: Election of 1860 Tables and Map Activity 
• Handout I: Election of 1860 Newspapers 
• Handout J: Newspaper Article Organizer 
• Handout K: Newspaper Assignment Sheet 
• Handout L: Newspaper Templates 
• Handout M: Student Self-Assessment 

This lesson is designed around inquiry questions. There is one essential question, and several guiding questions around which the content is based. The lesson takes place in 5 stages:  

• Anticipate- Students build background knowledge needed to be successful in the lesson. 
• Engage- Students are ‘hooked” into the lesson. 
• Explore- Students grapple with the main content of the unit (usually 2-3 parts). 
• Assess- Students demonstrate their knowledge through a performance assessment. 
• Reflect- Students reflect on their learning in the lesson. 
• The sections below provide a brief overview of the unit’s structure. It offers a snapshot of the organization and flow of the entire unit. 

The following detailed sections break down the five stages of the lesson. Each stage is discussed thoroughly with actionable steps to guide you through the teaching process effectively. 

Anticipate

Vocabulary Word Study

To anticipate the lesson, invite students to conduct a word study to understand the founding principle focuses of the lesson: natural rights and liberty. 

Glossary term(s): term(s) that can be used during this part of the lesson for pre-teach opportunities: 

• Liberty 
• Natural Rights 

To begin, provide each student with a copy of Handout A, pencils, coloring utensils, and dictionaries or devices for research. Then, provide students with adequate time to complete, approximately 5-10 minutes, or assign it for homework. 

When time has elapsed or students have completed the vocabulary handout, review with students by asking 1-3 students to share their writing for each section of the organizer.  

Optional: When students complete the organizer, review the definitions and illustrations from the lesson vocabulary cards. 

Finally, lead a whole group discussion inviting students to answer the discussion questions aloud.   

• What are some examples of natural rights? 
• What are some examples of liberty? 
• How are natural rights and liberty connected ideas?  
• Can you have liberty without natural rights? Explain. 
• Consider these words from the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” 
• What does it mean to “hold” truths?  
• It means to believe in them, and work to support them.  
• What are the truths they were saying they hold?  
• Equality and natural rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. 
• Why does the Declaration include liberty as a natural right? 
• What would it mean if we lived up to these ideals? What would it look like? What would it look like if we failed to live up to them? 
• How can we ensure more liberty and respect for natural rights in our classroom? Our school? 

Before moving on to the next part of the lesson, tell students: “We will be thinking a lot about natural rights and liberty in this lesson. At the end of the lesson, you will be creating a newspaper. You will need to understand and be able to use these words. Be sure to keep these ideas in mind as we move through the lesson and ask any questions you have along the way.”  

Teacher Note: Natural rights and liberty can seem intimidating concepts, but students are more experienced with them than they think. Encourage students to relate natural rights and libertyto terms they may know like respect, fairness, and freedom. You can use the golden rule as an example. Students might also think of their right to spend their allowance how they wish, or freedom to choose what to do at recess as examples of liberty on their terms.

Vocabulary Annotation Activity 

In this activity, students use an annotation symbols guide to read a passage and help the class select vocabulary words to focus on during their study in this lesson.  

Glossary term(s): term(s) that students may be used during this part of the lesson and are included in the lesson vocabulary cards to support student understanding throughout the lesson. 

• Agriculture 
• Economy 
• Abolition 
• Slavery 
• Industrial 
• Liberty 
• Natural rights 
• Sectionalism 
• Priorities 
• Regional 

To begin, distribute Handout B: Vocabulary Annotation Activity and writing utensils to the class. Take a few moments before beginning the activity to read the directions and overview your expectations with students. The teacher slide deck  will assist with instruction and assignment slides including pictures and prompts. 

Students then use the annotation guide to read and mark the passage on their own. The passage contains key vocabulary from the lesson. This serves as an informal pre-assessment for the teacher and a prior knowledge activation for the students.  

Teacher note: If your English Language Arts teaching partner or school district uses a particular annotation system, this is a great opportunity to utilize it and create cross-curricular connections for your students. You can complete the annotation activity with any annotation guide. 

Once students have completed their annotation, they move on to a vocabulary selection in Part Two. There, students select five vocabulary words they think will be most important for the class to learn based on their annotations.  

Then, use a digital crowdsourcing platform like a shared Google Doc, Poll Everywhere, or use a non-tech option like writing on the classroom whiteboard to collect student responses. Students will submit their top five words that the class should learn.  

Finally, conduct a classroom discussion to build consensus around the words that the class should focus on. You can decide together on 5-8 focus words for the lesson. 

• What words repeat most often? 
• What words are most important for our understanding of the passage? 
• Are there any words you think we have mastered and do not need to be included? 
• Which words can we quickly define, but don’t need to study deeply? 

Engage (20-30 minutes) 

Students interact with recordings and transcripts of formerly enslaved individuals to connect to prior knowledge and understand more about the lives of enslaved people. 

Experiences of the Enslaved Primary Sources- Know, Learn, Connect

Glossary term(s): term(s) that can be used during this part of the lesson for pre-teach opportunities: 

• Slavery 
• Transcript 

Before class begins, print Handout Set C: Experiences of Enslaved People Primary Sources and prepare the audio recordings for class listening.  

Teacher notes: There are two primary sources available in Handout Set C, and many more available with transcripts online: https://www.loc.gov/collections/voices-remembering-slavery/. Feel free to add examples to fit the needs of your class.  

Also, remember that these oral histories were recorded in the 1940s and subjects were often over 80 years old and recalling their youth at the time of recording. Oral histories such as these are immensely valuable but rely on the memory of the individual and so they may be exaggerated or misremembered.   

Some components of this lesson contain terminology that is no longer used because the terms are recognized to be offensive or derogatory. These terms are retained in their original usage in order to present them accurately in their historical context for student learning, including understanding why these are not acceptable today. 

Know 

To begin, distribute a copy of Handout Set C to each student. Tell students that these two sources are transcripts, or written versions, of audio recordings from the 1940s. In the recordings, formerly enslaved individuals share their stories of lives during slavery. This is called a primary source, learning about history from the people who lived it.  

Have students consider what they know about slavery.  Create a word web or list on the board to capture their ideas, being careful to clarify or correct any misunderstandings. 

Learn 

Then, draw students’ attention to the first source, Interview with Bob Ledbetter. Ask students to read along with the transcript as they listen to the recording of Bob’s voice.  

Then, debrief as a group. Model for students how to reflect on what Bob said using the transcript and the annotations provided to make meaning. For example: I’m not sure I understood the joke that John, the interviewer, told. I want to look back at that. It says, “a judge asking a colored boy on the witness stand, he said, uh, ” Jim, can you read writing?” He said, ” No sir, Judge. I can’t even read reading.” Why might that be funny? 

Once the group has a grasp of the meaning and significance of the first source, repeat this step with the second source, Interview with Harriet Smith.   

Connect 

Use a classroom discussion to make connections between the two sources and what they can tell students about the experiences of enslaved people. Allow students to ask questions and add to the conversation. Be careful to clarify and correct any misunderstandings as you discuss.  

Discussion Topics:  

• What do these recordings tell us about the lives of enslaved people? 
  • Bob did not go to school. He had to learn to read at night.  
  • Bob was committed to being a good person with guiding principles. 
  • Harriet worked hard: plowing, picking cotton, harvesting fruits. 
  • Harriet was proud of her strength and abilities. 
• How did slavery affect the lives of enslaved people?  
  • Harriet did not know how old she was. 
  • They still remember their enslavement. 
  • Whole families were enslaved together in some places.  
  • They could not decide their job, where they lived, or who owned them. They did not have liberty, and their natural rights were not respected.  
  • They did not keep the products of their work, since it was forced and unpaid. 
• What emotions do these memories and words evoke for the people being interviewed? What about for you? 
• Bob mentions that “I know what’s right and I tried my best to do what’s right in everything I do.” What virtue does Bob live by, according to the elementary principles and virtues?  
  • Justice 
  • Responsibility 
• Overall, between our prior knowledge and what we have learned from these recordings, what do we understand about slavery?  
  • Slavery was a practice of keeping people as property and denying them their natural rights. Enslaved people were not free and did not enjoy the fruits of their labor. The practice of slavery in the United States stripped enslaved Black people of their liberty and natural rights.  

 

Explore  

Explore 1: How did slavery deny liberty and natural rights?

Students investigate a primary source poem from a formerly enslaved author. Drawing from this activity and perhaps the engage activity, students then use what they have learned to write in the style of a newspaper article reflecting on the unjust nature of slavery. 

 Glossary term(s): term(s) that can be used during this part of the lesson for pre-teach opportunities: 

• Due Process 
• Natural Rights 
• Liberty 

Talk, Read, Talk, Write 

To begin, distribute Handout D: Talk, Read, Talk, Write: On Liberty and Slavery. This handout will function as instructions, outline, and recording sheet for students during the Talk, Read, Talk, Write activity.  

Divide the class into groups of 3-4 students. Prompt students to prepare their work area by having a writing utensil and being seated in a way they can see and hear their group. Explain to the students that they will be talking with their group, reading, and writing during this activity to analyze and understand a primary source from the period before the Civil War.  

Talk 

Introduce the first discussion prompt by reading the definitions of liberty and natural rights aloud. Students can underline, highlight, or make notes at this stage to keep important ideas in mind for their discussion. Then allow students a few minutes to discuss the question: How does slavery violate, or conflict with, these ideas? 

Scaffolding note: Provide students with sentence stems to start the conversation:  

• These ideas conflict with the existence of slavery by… 
• Liberty and natural rights contradict with slavery because…  

Read

Next, prepare students to read the primary source excerpts from On Liberty and Slavery by George Moses Horton. Students should read the poem twice. First, they read the poem in its original form, focusing on the left column on their handout. On the second read, ask students to stop at each stanza, indicated by the sections on the handout, and use the vocabulary and context column on the right to enhance their understanding.  

Once students have completed their reading, prepare students for the next discussion. Ask students to return to the poem on their own and highlight or underline words that express great joy and highlight in another color or circle words that express great sorrow.  

Talk 

Then, allow the student groups to discuss. Students compare their annotations and compile a list of all the words expressing intense emotions they found. After this, they should discuss what the poet says causes his great suffering and what would bring him great joy. Here students should identify enslavement as the author’s source of suffering and the idea of liberty as the source of happiness.  

To wrap up the final discussion phase, ask students to reflect on the identity of the poet that wrote On Liberty and Slavery and how reading the words of an enslaved person informs their views differently than just reading about slavery. This can connect to the engage primary source recordings as well.  

Additional Discussion Prompts: 

• How do the words of someone who was enslaved give us a different way of seeing slavery compared to reading history books or stories? 
• What do you think about slavery after reading the poem? Does it change the way you think about it compared to what you have learned in other ways? 
• When we know who wrote the poem and what they said, how does it help us understand what it was like to be enslaved? 

Write 

Students then write to complete the activity. In the final reflection they answer these questions:  

• How does Moses’ use of the word liberty in the poem compare to the definition of liberty? 
• The ideals of natural rights and liberty are central to the Declaration of Independence. It says, “all men are created equal” and are entitled to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” How do these ideals show the unjust nature of slavery? 

Formative Assessment: Newspaper Opinion Article

In this formative assessment, students learn how to plan a newspaper article and then practice by creating their own.  

Distribute to students Handout J: Newspaper Article Organizer. This handout supports students in planning a newspaper article and matches the mini-lesson in the teacher slide deck and 1-point rubric.  

Use the teacher slide deck to lead the students through a mini lesson on planning a newspaper article. Student newspaper articles should include:  

• Answers to the questions: Who, What, Where, When, Why?  
• Headline  
• Newsworthiness: the story is important to the community it’s written for 
• Short: 4-5 sentences 

In the newspaper article organizer, students will ponder the topic “How does the existence of slavery conflict with the principle of justice?” Students should use the primary source poem and/or primary sources from the Engage activity to support their argument.  

1-point rubric 

The following rubric is provided to help guide student work and grade if needed. Additional blank spaces are provided for you to modify the rubric for your needs.  

Evidence of Mastery	Expectation	Room for Growth
	Style   The writing is in the style of a newspaper opinion article, including a headline.
	Article Questions  The news article answers the questions Who, What Where, When, and Why.
	Organization  Writing has a clear message and can be understood easily.
	Content  Writing is historically and factually accurate.
	Writing Quality  Writing is neat and easy to read. It uses capital letters and periods in all sentences.

 

Teacher Note: If your school, district, or teaching partners use a particular writing rubric, use it to evaluate student writing in this activity. If not, print the rubric from the Teacher Resources file and then provide written free-form comments to students.  

Explore 2: How did slavery lead to sectionalism in the United States? 

Students read to understand how regional differences and different views of slavery led to sectionalism in the United States. Then they participate in a stations activity to understand the events that occurred due to these tensions before the outbreak of the Civil War.  

 Glossary term(s): term(s) that can be used during this part of the lesson for pre-teach opportunities: 

• Sectionalism 
• Slavery 
• Industrial 
• Abolition 
• Economy 
• Agriculture 

Before class, print Handout Set F: Causes of the Civil War Stations and hang them or place them at tables around the room at locations that students can access. They will need room to read the station card at each station and write on their student handout. 

Part 1: Partner Reading 

To begin, partner students to read Handout E: Lesson Reading. Students should complete part 1 of Handout G: Student Stations Handout. In this part of the handout students identify the North and South’s stance on slavery, economic characteristics, and then describe the region in their own words. Students will need about 15-20 minutes to complete this part of the activity. You may want to check students’ answers or hold a group discussion to clarify misunderstandings before moving on to part 2. 

Scaffolding note: There are two versions of the lesson reading. Each option has the Lexile level, word count, and identified vocabulary so you can choose the right version for your unique group of learners.  

Part 2: Stations 

When students have completed the assignment or time has expired, transition students to the stations activity. Set your expectations for students before the stations begin. Students can work with their partner from part 1 or work individually to visit each station and complete Handout G Part 2.  

At each station, students will complete the following steps:  

• Read the station card: The card showcases a year or time period and an important event that illustrates the causes of the Civil War.  
• Describe the Time Period in your own words: In the first box of the student handout, students summarize the events of the card. 
• Predict Northern reaction and predict Southern reaction: Using what they learned about the differences between North and South, students predict the reaction of someone from the North in the center box, and the South in the final box. This reaction could be an opinion of the event, or a physical reaction like what a person might do in response.   

Scaffolding note: To extend this activity for learners needing a challenge you can have students return to their predictions and evaluate their accuracy or correct them. 

Formative Assessment: “Current” Event Article 

In this formative assessment, students use what they have learned to create a current event article. This will assess students learning in the Explore activity and provide writing practice for the summative assessment at the end of the unit.  

To begin, remind students of the important parts of a newspaper article for this lesson by using the teacher slide deck. The slide deck contains slides to help you cover topics with students like:  

• Using the 5Ws: Who, What, Where, When, and Why?  

• Creating a Headline  

• Role-playing a newspaper reporter 

Scaffolding note: Handout J: Newspaper Article Organizer can be used as an extra step in this formative assessment to guide students in selecting information and ensuring they have all of the pieces necessary to satisfy the rubric. For younger students or those needing modified assignments, just completing the organizer may be acceptable as a final product. 

Then, provide students with a piece of plain paper or a choice of newspaper article templates from Handout Set L and art supplies. Instruct students to create their own opinion article about rising sectional tension from either a Northern or Southern perspective. Students will write their newspaper article as if they are reporters from that region in the lead up to the Civil War. 

Students can choose from the following events:  

• Compromise of 1850 
• Kansas-Nebraska Act  
• Dred Scott v. Sanford 
• Harper’s Ferry  

For this activity, students can be restricted to using the lesson reading and station materials, or you may make the decision to allow students to use outside resources. Vet outside resources according to your school or district policies.  

1-point Rubric 

The following rubric is provided to help guide student work and grade if needed. Additional blank spaces are provided for you to modify the rubric for your needs. 

Evidence of Mastery	Expectation	Room for Growth
	Style   The writing is in the style of a newspaper “current” event article, including a headline and reporter’s point of view.
	Article Questions  The news article answers the questions Who, What Where, When, and Why.
	Organization  Writing has a clear message and can be understood easily.
	Content  The writing is historically accurate.
	Writing Quality  Writing is neat and easy to read. It uses capital letters and periods in all sentences.

 

Explore #3: How did the Presidential Election of 1860 reflect sectionalism and tensions that led to war? 

In the final activity of the lesson, students investigate the candidates in the presidential election of 1860, their platforms, and the results of the election.  

Glossary term(s): term(s) that can be used during this part of the lesson for pre-teach opportunities: 

• Popular Sovereignty  

To begin, discuss with students that the election highlighted sectional divisions in America and was the cause for states in the South to secede or separate from the Union. Display the guiding question: What was the effect of the presidential election of 1860? Tell students, to begin they will look at data and information that will show them the candidates and outcome of the election, then they will look at reactions to the election.  

Distribute Handout H: Election of 1860. This handout showcases tables and maps students will analyze and use to answer questions. There are 10 true/false questions and 4 short answer questions. An answer key is available.  

Scaffolding note: For younger students or students who need more support, the handout can be modified by removing questions or students can work with a partner to complete the handout. For students who need more challenge, add the task of changing false statements into true statements by correcting them.   

Optional: Use the mock ballot warmup activity for day one of this Bill of Rights Institute lesson on the Election of 1860. It illustrates for students how the South felt about Lincoln winning the presidency when he was not on voting ballots in much of the South.  

Then bring the class back together for a debrief and group discussion.  

• “What questions did you struggle with? Let’s review those answers.” 
• Summarize the candidates in the presidential election of 1860. “There were 4 candidates. What did they stand for and who supported them?” 
• “The election of 1860 resulted in southern states seceding or leaving the union to form their own government. Based on the information you saw in the handout, was this justified?” Encourage students to consider Lincoln won the popular and electoral vote.  
• “Now consider an additional piece of information: Abraham Lincoln was not on many voting ballots in the South. This means Lincoln had so little support in the South, he was not even an option for them to choose. Does this change your perspective at all?” 
• If you chose to complete the optional mock ballot activity, tie student experiences to this question.  

Finally, distribute Handout I: Election of 1860 Newspapers. These excerpts of newspaper articles show reactions of the North and South to the election of Abraham Lincoln. Students can work independently or with partners on the handout. Students will answer two questions connected to each newspaper article:  

• Use the map to determine what region of the country this newspaper is from. 
• How does the article reflect sectionalism?

Scaffolding note: If your students are younger or need more support with primary sources, consider using an I do, we do, you do strategy with the newspaper excerpts in Handout I. Use the first source to show students how to read the source critically using the supports provided and answer the questions. Then ask for students to volunteer answers as the whole group works through the second source. Then, let students try the third source on their own.  

Formative Assessment #3: Comics

In this formative assessment, students create a comic in preparation for the summative assessment in which students will be able to choose comic as an option on their own newspaper.  

To begin, use the teacher slide deck to lead students through a mini lesson on comics. Student comics should include:  

• Panels 
• Speech bubbles 
• Captions 
• Colorful illustrations  

Once students have an idea of what a comic includes, set them to creating a comic. Students will choose a candidate from the election of 1860 and create a 5-6 panel comic showing their story in the election of 1860 and what section of the country supported them. The comic should illustrate an answer to the guiding question How did the presidential candidates in 1860 reflect sectionalism and tensions that led to war? 

Comic templates can be found in the templates for the summative assessment in Handout Set L: Newspaper Templates 

Assess

In this lesson’s summative assessment task, students use all the historical content they have learned and the skills they developed to create a mock newspaper. 

Before class begins, create copies of Handout J: Newspaper Article Organizer, Handout K: Newspaper Assignment, Handout Set L: Newspaper Templates, provide pieces of construction paper (any size), glue, scissors, and staplers as needed.  

Students will choose which newspaper templates they would like to use, complete them, then glue them onto the construction paper to create a four-page book fold newspaper. Students can use one large piece of construction paper, or two letter sized pieces and staple them to create the book.  

Use the teacher slide deck to describe the assignment, lead students through planning their newspaper, and viewing the performance assessment rubric for this task.  

Then students can obtain their materials to complete the newspaper in class, or for homework.  

Each student newspaper will have a “Headline page” with a title, a headline article with “photo,” and a 3-box preview of the columns inside. Students then choose three additional columns to include on the inside and back of their newspaper. Options include:  

• Advertisements 
• An Interview with a Historical Figure 
• Comics 
• “Current” Event 
• Opinion Article 

Additional options for challenge or older learners. These may require additional time and research to complete:  

• An Advice column 
• A Travel column 
• On this day… 
• Sports 
• Fashion 

Scaffolding note: For younger learners or those that need more support, it may be appropriate to do the headline page and skip the other pages of the newspaper.  

When students have completed and submitted their newspapers, provide timely feedback on their evidence of mastery and room to grow by writing free-form comments on the 1-point rubric. 

1-point Rubric 

Evidence of Mastery	Expectations	Room to Grow
	The newspaper front page features a headline article with title and photo, and three more column previews.
	All content of the newspaper is about the causes of the Civil War.
	The newspaper addresses the lesson essential question: How did regional differences over slavery lead to sectionalism and the Civil War?
	The newspaper has correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
	The newspaper contains articles that are interesting information, eye-catching titles, and colorful pictures.

Reflect

Students reflect on their learning in the lesson through two activities. First, students complete a guided self-assessment of their learning to reflect and set goals for the next lesson. Second, they participate in a hexagonal thinking activity which challenges them to recall important ideas from the lesson and make connections. 

Self-Assessment 

As a part of the summative assessment process, allow students an opportunity to reflect on their learning in this unit with the Handout M: Lesson Student Self-Assessment handout. 

Students can complete the handout individually or with prompts from the teacher. However you choose to facilitate the student reflection, be sure that each student has their own paper and time to reflect independently so that the activity is a true self-reflection.  

Scaffolding note: It can be helpful to model with a think-aloud the first time students are self-reflecting. To use a think-aloud in your classroom, plan ahead. Before the activity, identify places in the handout that students may struggle. Then while assigning the activity, review the handout and stop in those places. Model for students how they might support themselves. For instance, a teacher may choose to stop on an unfamiliar vocabulary word on the handout to define it. Additionally, teachers may read a complex sentence, stop, acknowledge the complexity, and re-read it for more clarity. Then model how to form a response.  

Hexagonal Thinking 

Before class begins, prepare papers in a hexagon shape. Each student will need 3-4 pieces of paper.  

• Begin with a demonstration of the hexagonal thinking activity. Show the class an example of 3-4 hexagons that you as the teacher hold. Pose a question such as “What is your favorite pet? Then model for students how to use attributes and concepts to connect the hexagons with a think-aloud and demonstration.  
• For example: “Well cats and dogs are both pets with four legs. We can start by connecting those. Fish might connect to cats, because they like to eat fish. That leaves me with hamsters which are small like fish, they also both live in small, enclosed spaces.” 

Then launch into the lesson reflection activity. Distribute the hexagonal pieces of paper to students along with markers, colored pencils, and other drawing materials.  

• Each student will start by writing a concept, word, or idea on a hexagon that relates to the essential question: How did regional differences over slavery lead to sectionalism and the Civil War? 
• For each of their remaining hexagons, students should write a concept, word, or idea that relates to any of the supporting questions from the lesson.
• How did slavery deny liberty and natural rights?
• How did slavery and economic differences lead to sectionalism in the United States?
• How did the presidential election of 1860 reflect sectionalism and tensions that led to war?

Once the hexagons are complete, have students share their hexagons with a small group. In their group, students will work to “connect” each of their hexagons to the ideas of their group like pieces of a puzzle.  

• The hexagons should connect based on some conceptual similarity. For instance, students might connect “slavery” to “causes of the civil war,” or “Abraham Lincoln” to “election of 1860.” 

When the small groups have connected their ideas, as represented by their hexagons, have each group move their hexagons to a large table or empty floor area. Then, have all groups in the class work to connect their small group hexagons to create a web of the whole class’s ideas.  

When all hexagons have been moved and connected, reflect together on the connections students notice and what they learned or noticed through the activity.  

Here are example reflection questions you may use with your students:  

• What connections did you notice between the different hexagons? 
• Were there any surprising links between concepts that you did not expect? 
• What strategies did you use to connect your ideas on the hexagons? 
• How did working with others help you see the connections between different concepts? 
• Which concept or connection was the most interesting to you, and why? 
• What new insights did you gain about the causes of the Civil War through this activity?