Ray+Shreckengost+Local+History+Project

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==Learning Activity 3-D-2: Local Documents, Data, and Cartoons==

[] This link contains a timeline titled "History of the 105th Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-1865." This timeline obviously focus on the 105th Regiment which consisted mostly of volunteers from Jefferson County. The timeline is taken from Kate M. Scott's //History of the One Hundred And Fifth Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers// (Philadelphia: New-World Publishing Co., 1877). I plan on focusing on the battles that are mentioned in the timeline. My Civil War unit focuses on many of these battles already. I plan to have my students research the battles and try to find information that details the 105th Regiment's involvement in the battles. Another possibility would be to have my students use the timeline to create the travel route of the 105th Regiment on a US map.

[] This link is titled "Free Geneology Biography of James McGhee." The source as a whole would not be considered a primary source. However, there are several quotes and testimonies directly taken from James McGhee who fought in the 105th Regiment. In one section McGhee recalls the battle of the Wilderness in which he was severely injured. Iplan to incorporate this retelling of his experiences into the lesson in which the students learn about the battle of the Wilderness. This battle was one of the deadliest battles during the entire Civil War. I could possibly have my students write a letter home from his viewpoint or create an illustration of the battle scene.

[] This link contains severa tables with statistics from the Civil War. The tables include "Available Troops", "Deaths", "Casualties", and "Cost of U.S. Wars". I definitely plan on incorporating some math into my history lessons using these statistics. I may have the students write word problems using the data in the various tables. I could also have the students use the data to create circle graphs. I also plan to use this site to discuss the terms "deaths" and "casualties." Many students think that these terms are synonymous when they are not.

[] This link is titled "Battle Lines: Letters From America's Wars." This link contains a letter written by David Smith (Private in the 12th New Jersey Volunteers") to his wife. This link doesn't involve a local or PA soldier, but I think that this link would be great to use in class. One reason I like this link is because the letter is read aloud to the students. Plus, a toolbar that can be scrolled up and down the letter puts the letter in plain text. I don't think the letter would be legible otherwise. This letter can be used to help my students better understand what a soldier's life was like. The letter gives an insight into the everyday, mundane routines of soldier life. We normally focus on the battle experiences, but there is a lot more to being a soldier than fighting in a war.

[] This link is titled "Political Cartoons of the Civil War." I definitely think finding a relevant political cartoon has been the most difficult search I have had yet in this course. The cartoon I plan to use is titled "Compromise with the South" and was created by the well known artist Thomas Nast. The image is located on page 20. The cartoon does not necessarily deal with PA or even Civil War soldiers directly, but the message is my focus. There was a great deal of uncertainly during the Civil War. Many Union troops became uninterested in fighting to free slaves. Many others thought the US should just let the CSA go on their own. There was also a time before Sherman's March when many thought Lincoln would definitely lose the 1864 election and the South would be granted a truce. I plan to use this political cartoon to focus on these viewpoints of historical figures and why they felt the way they did. We can also look at experiences during the Civil War that would make soldiers not want to continue fighting.

Learning Activity 4-D-1: Local Photos and Posters
[] This link provides biographical information of Thomas L. Kane, the founder of the town of Kane about an hour north of Brookville. The site also contains a recruiting poster titled "Volunteer Rifles." Kane founded one of the best known Civil War regiments of PA. The regiment was nicknamed the "Bucktails" because of the hats that they wore. I would use this poster (and the information provided on the site) to introduce a research topic. The local 105th regiment were titled the "Wildcats" because of the oil wells in northwestern PA. I would have my students research regiment nicknames and why the regiments received the nicknames.

[] This site includes a recruiting poster that was used to recruit soldiers from Jefferson County. I am working on finding a larger copy of the poster. I plan to use the poster to introduce the use of persuasion in recruitment posters from the Civil War time period.

[] This link provides recruiting posters aimed at African Americans in Philadelphia. I plan to use the poster titled "Men of Color of Philadelphia!" (1863). The poster provides insight into the reasons why African Americans would want to fight in the Civil War. I plan to use this poster to introduce the different regiments that were exclusively created for one ethnic group. Students can research their own backgrounds and find Union regiments across the country that contained men of the same ethnicity.

[] This link has a photograph of Major M.M. Dick of the 105th PA Infantry. This regiment contained many volunteers from Jefferson County and Brookville. I plan to use this photo to analyze the uniforms used by the 105th regiment. Then, the students will compare and contrast various Civil War uniforms using Internet research as well as several resources that I already have.

[] This link contains a photograph of the famous Army of the Potomac celebrating the end of the war by marching proudly along Pennsylvania Avenue. This photograph will be used to introduce research into the lives of the men of the 105th PA Infantry. I plan to have my students select a man from Brookville or Jefferson County who served in the 105th and research his life after the Civil War.

==Learning Activity 5-D-1: Local Audio and Music==

[] This link provides a primary source for the lyrics of "Ballad No. 1. When the Boys Come Marching Home" by A. Anderson. The song details a celebration of the return of Pennsylvania soldiers after their victories. I plan to use this song to introduce research into the various regiments from Pennsylvania that served in the Civil War. For example, the 95th regiment is mentioned in the song. Students in my class could research contributions of the 95th regiment, the battles they fought in, and the individuals in the 95th regiment.

[|http://www.jogtheweb.com/run/lvXgZzqiklsa/Civil-War-Music-Primary-Sources#3] This link provides another primary source, this time for the lyrics of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home." I plan to use this source to discuss the emotions that locals would feel when soldiers that they knew returned home. This will lead into researching how the 105th PA Volunteer regiment was honored on their return to Jefferson County.

[] This link provides a primary source with sheet music for "Just Before the Battle, Mother" by George F. Root. Root was a famous musician of the Civil War time period. He said that his songs were supposed to show the emotions of soldiers as well as the general public of the time. This song could be used to introduce tone and mood in Civil War music. After analyzing this song, students could locate additional Civil War songs and interpret the mood and tone of the songs that they located. This would help students to get a better understanding of the emotions being felt by various historical figures during the Civil War.

[] This link provides lyrics for "The Vacant Chair" with lyrics by H.S. Washburn and music by Gearge F. Root. This song deals with a family's reaction to losing a loved one in the Civil War. I plan to use this song to introduce the use of imagery and symbolism in Civil War music. An empty chair came to symbolize the loss that many people felt during the Civil War. After analyzing this song, students could look at other popular songs to locate examples of imagery and symbolism. They could also create illustrations that could be used as cover sheets for popular Civil War music.

[] This link provides lyrics for "Tramp! Tramp! Tramp!" by George F. Root. This song is written from the viewpoint of a Union soldier being held prisoner by the Confederacy. I plan to use this song to introduce the topic of prisoners of war. Students can research life at the infamous prisons such as Andersonville and Libby Prison. POW's of the Civil War often go unnoticed because of the other, more interesting topics of study and research. However, I think that this song is a great way to introduce the topic and motivate students to research life of POW's during the Civil War.

==Learning Activity 6-D-1: Local Video and Maps==

[] This link provides a map titled "Battlefields of Virgina." This map could be used along with the timeline I added in week three titled "History of the 105th Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-1865." This map could be used along with the timeline to plot the battles that the 105th Regiment fought in Virginia.

[] This link provides a map titled "Battle of the Wilderness." This map shows the positions of the Union and Confederate forces during the Battle of the Wilderness. I found this map on a website dedicated to the Burns family. Liberty Burns was from Jefferson County and he fought with the 105th Regiment. The map details Liberty's position in the Battle of the Wilderness. This map could be used to begin research on Liberty Burns. I think that students would be interested to learn about a local man who was involved in the Civil War. Plus, the website contains some very interesting information about Liberty Burns. The students could complete a variety of activities using the informaton from the website.

[] This link provides a map titled “Map of the Battle-Field of Gettysburg with Position of Troops.” This map details the positions of the Union and Confederate troops on July 2, 1863. Parts of the 105th Regiment fought in the III Corps. I think it would be interesting to locate the position of the 105th Regiment and research what that part of Gettysburg looks like today. Then, the students could write journal entries from the soldiers' viewpoints describing what they may have seen before going into battle.

[] This link provides a map titled “Passages of the Rappahannock and the Battle of Fredericksburg.” This map details the positions of the Union and Confederate forces at the Battle of Fredericksburg. The 105th Regiment fought in the Battle of Fredericksburg. This map could be used to discuss the importance of waterways during the Civil War. The main reason that the Union was defeated so badly was because Union forces had to wait for pontoon bridges before they could begin their attack. By that time, the Confederate leaders were well aware of the Union's position. The students could research other battles along major rivers and how these rivers affected the planning and outcomes of those battles.

[] This link provides a map titled "Battle of Second Manassas, VA." The position of the 105th Regiment can be seen at the northern point of the front line. First, this shows that the 105th definitely played an important role in the battle. Men in the regiment were right in the thick of the battle. This map could be used to begin researching the role that the 105th played in other battles. Students may not be able to find information dealing with all of the battles that the 105th participated in, but they will be able to find valuable information dealing with some of the battles. The students could create their own maps of the battles indicating the 105th's position throughout the battles.

==Learning Activity 8-B-1: Local History Project==

My final project focuses on the involvement of Jefferson County men in the Civil War. I decided to focus my project on local involvement in the Civil War because there are many local resources that deal with Jefferson County men who fought in the Civil War. I figured that I would be able to find resources on the Internet if there were so many available right in Brookville, PA. The project uses both local and national primary sources to introduce a student project that focuses on primary sources. The students will complete activities using primary sources, locate primary sources, and analyze primary sources in their own projects. All of the students’ work will be compiled into a portfolio with a cover page, table of contents page, and works cited page.

Local History Project:

I stated at the beginning of this course that I had used primary sources in the past. However, I had only used them occasionally in my history classes. I have learned a great deal the past eight weeks. I really feel like I can effectively use primary sources on a regular basis to improve my lessons and activities in my history classes. Many of my students have already commented on how much they enjoy using primary sources in my class. Completing the final project helped me to apply all of the skills I have learned in this class on a large scale. I enjoyed this project and I look forward to using the project in my classroom. ==Additional Notes and Resources==

Self-Assessment Sheet:

Student Portfolio Rubric: