Civil War Activities for Middle School
These Civil War activities should definitely be a part of your American history lesson plans.
There are many ways to help children relate to the historical events they are studying. We use books, music, art, and of course hands-on activities.
Over the years, I have found many projects and activities to help my kids learn more about the American Civil War. Adding some of them to your homeschooling lessons is a great way to get your kids engaged in the subject and to teach a challenging part of our nation’s history.
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Civil War for Kids
Lasting from 1861 to 1865, the American Civil War was a significant and complicated era in our country’s history. Our nation was divided on many issues, especially slavery, and families were torn apart as relatives fought against each other on opposite sides of the battlefields.
One could say that we’ve never quite recovered or truly come together as a nation since then.
I know this can be a challenging subject to teach, but it’s essential that you make it a priority in your homeschool. It is important for students to understand the role the events of this period played (and still play) in shaping the country we live in today.
Civil War Activities
Here are several hands-on activities and projects you can use as part of your lesson plans that will help bring this part of history to life for tweens.
Combine art and history by letting your kids draw a Civil War cannon with this chalk art tutorial.
During your lessons on the Underground Railroad, show your kids a glimpse into the hardships involved with the help of a walking simulation.
Listen to a variety of music that was prevalent during the time period.
Encourage your tweens to learn about, memorize, and recite the Gettysburg Address.
Add some life skills to your history lessons by working with your tweens to create your own Civil War uniforms.
Make a soldier’s meal of things like hardtack, shortbread, stew, and more using traditional Civil War recipes.
Help your kids learn more about the Underground Railroad and how quilts were used to communicate with this printable code breaking game.
Make a handkerchief doll during your study of the American Civil War.
There are over a hundred locations you can visit that were a part of the Civil War. Many of the sites that are still standing today are under the care of the National Park Service. If you're able, take a field trip to visit some of them as part of your American history study.
Have some fun learning about the Civil War with this trivia card game that's the perfect addition to your homeschool lesson plans.
Head into the kitchen with your tween and make some molasses cookies, a Civil War treat.
This book contains quick and easy projects you can do with your kids when you're studying American history. Arts & crafts, maps, activities, and more.
Here are some computer games that relate to the Civil War as well as games that were popular during the time period.
Play this game as you read The War Across Five Aprils as part of your Civil War study.
This Civil War unit study includes an interactive notebook that you can use with your kids.
If you can't visit a Civil War battlefield in person, take a virtual field trip instead. It's a great way for kids to get up close and personal with history.
I hope you’ve found some hands-on activities to add to your homeschool history lessons that will help you teach this challenging, yet important subject to your tweens. Projects like these will help tweens see how fascinating history can be.
Civil War Unit Study Ideas
If you’re looking for even more direction in teaching the Civil War, consider using one of these unit studies.
- Slavery & the Civil War Unit Study from Our Journey Westward
- Civil War 150 Educator’s Guide from History.com
- Time Travelers American History Study: The Civil War by Homeschool in the Woods
Resources for Studying the Civil War
Check out the Civil War shelf in my Amazon Influencer Storefront for books, videos, and more that you can use to help you plan out your history lessons to teach your tweens about this part of American history.
