Lesson+Plan

**__ LESSON PLAN __** **__Subject:__** American History/Social Studies **Grade Level**: High School (9th-12th grade) **__Topic:__** The Civil War (specifically, the battle of Gettysburg) **__Topic Question:__** During the battle, what weaponry was used and what kind of damage did it cause to the infantry? **__Target Class:__** Our class will be comprised of no more than a total of 25-30 students. These students are currently being educated in the American Civil War. This one particular lesson plan shall involve the climatic Gettysburg battle fought in 1863. **__Lesson Plan Curriculum:__** The point of this lesson is to educate the students to gain insight into 2 different areas of school subjects: science and history. While learning important details concerning a pivotal battle between the Union and Confederacy during the Civil War, the students will also gain insight into the science of ballistics and forensics by analyzing (and by firsthand observation) of the various weapons (guns, knives, cannons, etc.) that were used on the battlefield and how their use decided the ultimate fate of the battle. **__Activity:__** After a brief overview of the battle of Gettysburg, the students will be given various weapons (no longer in use) and learn how they operate. The students will be divided into groups according to the amount of weapons that are presented. The groups will then physically examine each example of weaponry or artillery that is presented and understand both: how the weapon operates and how much potential damage it can cause during an intense battle. Through visual pictures, video demonstrations and examination of the artifacts, students will learn how the weapons work and the effectiveness of each weapon's use on the battlefield.Each group will then create a PowerPoint presentation (or video demonstration) to show the other students a demonstration of how their particular weapon would’ve operated under combat conditions. **9.2 D Analyze** a work of art from its historical & cultural perspective **9.2 E **Analyze how historical events and culture impart forms, technique and purpose to works of art **9.2 F **Know and apply appropriate vocabulary used between social studies and humanities **8.2 B **Identify and evaluate primary documents, material artifacts, and historic sites important in Pennsylvania history **8.3 A **Identify and analyze the political and cultural contributions of individuals and groups to United States history 90-100=A, A+ 85-90=B, B+, A-  75-85=C, B-  70-75=D, C  <70 = F   Categories  || “Cadet” (<70-80 points) || “Lieutenant” (80-85 points) || “Colonel” (85-90 points) || “General (90-100 points) || Knowledge of Battle || Students can only recall certain details and participants but lacks a general understanding of the Gettysburg battle, the most important details, and the impact on the Civil War. ||  Students have learned all key participants, dates, events, and aspects of the battle, but does not put any emphasis or detailed explanation on the different components concerning this battle. ||  Students have met all criteria for the teachers instructions. They display a variety of knowledge on all key details relating to the battle of Gettysburg and are able to share these details with the class in a very informative fashion  || Students go beyond the criteria set for them by extra research and displaying a keen interest in subject material. Students provide class with knowledge of battle that includes pictures, quotes, statistics, and are able to answer questions put forward by the rest of the class. || Knowledge of Weaponry  || Students display little or no basic knowledge concerning the ballistics/forensics concerning this battle. At most, students are able to identify the different weapons but fail to display any knowledge of their workings or potential damage || Students know the various weapons that were used and the potential damage each one could inflict, yet only cite facts and figures that one can easily find the textbook. Fail to make presentation of knowledge interesting and informative || Students are able to display an interested knowledge on all the weapons used on the battlefield. They are able to provide a detailed explanation of the weapons and the various degrees of damage they can cause. Spends a considerable amount of time on each weapon and provides visual images to display || Students display a working knowledge of various weapons are able to provide an in-class demonstration of how they work. In a non-hazardous fashion, students show rest of the class the workings of the various guns and cannons and how they would be used on the battlefield. Able to provide actual replicas of weapons on display || Group Participation || Students, for the most part, work as individuals and only meet sporadically for short periods of time to touch base with each other. ||  Students stay together yet seem to lack general overall communication between each other. Evaluate how each will work, but fail to give each other advice or constructive criticism. ||  Students work with each other well by having open discussions and critiquing each other’s research and double-checking work making sure it is presented in an acceptable fashion. ||  Students go over plan and go over teacher their ideas. After receiving feedback from teacher, students revise their ideas and go over each individual component and making sure it is completed according to teacher’s guidelines || PowerPoint presentation || PowerPoint is merely a presentation of pages of facts. No creativity or visual/audio examples for entertainment. ||  Students create PowerPoint that has animated facts and numerous pages of info., but again, does not provide detailed descriptions nor visual/audio media  || Students create a valid PowerPoint using numerous slides, animated graphics, detailed information, and visual/audio pictures. ||  Students create PowerPoint using slides, graphics, detailed info, pictures and audio, as well as hyperlinks to motion-picture examples and good use of background music. || **__Assessment:__** Students will be assessed based on both the knowledge they have obtained and the way that they demonstrate and convey this knowledge to the rest of the class. Using the above rubric, the teacher/evaluator will dispense points that will take into consideration the amount of learned knowledge the students have acquired and their creativity in displaying this knowledge. **__Materials:__** computer, PowerPoint program, in-class artifacts and exhibits // [] //__
 * __ EDUS 516 __**
 * PDE Academic Standards: **
 * __ Grade Rubric __**
 * __ Scores: __**
 * __ References: __**// A Nation Divided-The Battle of Gettysburg-Weaponry-Retrieved January 26th, 2008 //

This specific web page gives valuable information using both written and visual information. For one interested in knowing the kinds of weapons used at the Battle of Gettysburg and how they worked and the damage they could inflict, this is the website to go to. It has pictures and information on the guns, ammunition, and cannons that were used in the battle. __ // American Civil War-Gettysburg-Retrieved January. 26th, 2008 // // [] //__

Without a doubt, one of the best websites that offers detailed information on all the aspects of the Civil war, especially the Battle of Gettysburg. With pictures, videos, maps, and lists of books, etc., almost any type of information you need concerning this battle is found here. It also provides links to other websites if you need any additional information. __ // Bilby, Joseph G (2007). Small Arms at Gettysburg: Infantry and Cavalry Weapons in America's Greatest Battle. Westholme Publishing. // __ This book covers all of the individual soldier's weapons--muskets, rifle-muskets, carbines, repeaters, sharpshooter arms, revolvers, and swords--providing a detailed examination of their history and development, technology, capabilities, and use on the field at Gettysburg. Here we learn that the smoothbore musket, although beloved by some who carried it, sang its swan song, the rifle-musket began to come into its own, and the repeating rifle, although tactically mishandled, gave a glimpse of future promise. This is the story of the weapons and men who carried them into battle during three days in July 1863. __