Teaching the Civil War with Technology

As promised in an earlier post about the PA Civil War 150 Website, there are more new resources and content for teachers and students (and anyone interested in the Civil War) to engage with the Civil War through technology. PACivilWar150.com recently unveiled its newest multimedia exhibit “Interactive Soldier.” (see image) The Interactive Soldier explores Civil War-era infantry, artillery and uniforms as demonstrated by re-enactors from the 11^th PA Volunteer Infantry Company K and Purcell’s Battery and 1^st PA Battery A re-enactment groups.

In the uniforms section, you can rotate the soldiers in a 360-degree view of their clothes, gear and military decorations. The stars callout important details about the uniforms with a zoomed-in view and description, such as the forage cap worn by Captain Felice, which could be used to store food and personal items during travel. (see image)

Your students can select commands for an infantry unit to execute on the battlefield in the Infantry section, where there are more than a dozen battlefield commands—from “stacking arms,” for intertwining the bayonets of the rifles to stand up on the ground, to “kneel by files,” where soldiers kneel in order to fire their rifles at different levels. Students can also watch a demonstration of the process of loading and firing an authentic Civil War cannon in the Artillery section.

And keep an eye out for more new content that’s coming soon to the website, including Civil War tourism experiences, intimate stories of real Pennsylvanians who persevered through the war, and lesson plans for teachers. Expect the new content to be pretty interesting. Here are a few teasers to get you excited:

• Medicine Then & Now: An in-depth look at how medical practices have evolved since the Civil War reveals how doctors were forced to learn new surgical techniques on the job when faced with thousands of casualties during battles.
• “French Mary”: Despite being robbed by her husband at an encampment and removed from the army payroll because of her gender, the bold and fiery Marie Tepe Leonard was not deterred from serving for the Union Army cause—sporting a skirt, of course.
• Martin Robison Delany: A vigorous proponent of African American participation in the U.S. military, Martin Delany became the highest ranking African American officer of a field regiment during war in U.S. military history serving as a Major in the 104^th regiment of the U.S. Colored Troops.

So bookmark PACivilWar150.com and check back often.

Posted under Websites

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (also on Twitter @phmc) launched a new website dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and the role Pennsylvania played in that war.  In addition to the new website, the commission also announced that there will be a Pennsylvania Civil War Road Show.  According to a press release, the Road Show will be “a traveling museum experience based in a 53-foot tractor trailer that will bring interactive exhibits and unique programming to all 67 counties in the state from 2011 to 2015.”

According to Barbara Franco, the Executive Director for the PHMC, “The Pennsylvania Civil War 150 commemoration is far more than a formal remembrance. It is a collection of stories brought to life that are as epic as the fields at Gettysburg or as small as the struggles of a soldier’s wife working to survive her husband’s absence on a Pennsylvania farm. Through these stories, Pennsylvania Civil War 150 will renew interest and engagement in our state’s heritage.”

The new (and very interactive ) website is packed with information for you and your students to learn about Pennsylvania’s role in the Civil War.  They have broken the website into four distinct sections:  Understanding, The War, Through People and Then and Now.

Under the section on Understanding, the website provides some excellent information related to understanding the cause and events leading up the the Civil War.  The TIMELINE section shows events beginning in 1780 with PA Abolishing Slavery up to 1877 (Compromise of 1877).  This section also provides pictures and a narrative of various primary sources related to a particular year.  The Understanding section also provides information on Pennsylvania’s Role, the Home Front, Slavery, and the Role of Religion.

Within the WAR section of the website, visitors can learn about Battlefields and Tactics along with the Weaponry and Uniforms of Civil War soldiers.

The THROUGH PEOPLE section of the website contains some outstanding stories from Pennsylvanians on how they experienced the Civil War.  There are stories of Children, prominent politicians like Governor Curtain, and stories of women and other civilians.  This section has some great photographs of the individuals that can easily be used to start a classroom conversation.

The Then and Now section provides some brief snapshots into how various things such as Industry & Commerce, Government and Politics and Media and Communications (check out the photo).

In addition to all of the stories, photographs, bibliographic references and primary sources, the website offers ways for you and your students to participate in the discussion and to share your stories.  You can also Experience the Civil War through an an interactive map along with a great collection of artifacts.  These resources provide more great opportunities for teachers and students to explore and discuss.

Finally, there is a terrific section dedicated to resources for Teachers.  This section provides some great links to resources and lessons for teaching the Civil War which are aligned to the Pa State History Standards.

Check out the full PRESS RELEASE

So, take some time and explore this great new resource.  There is more to come with this website so be sure to check back often for new resources.

Posted under Lesson Ideas, Primary Sources, Websites