ERA 5: Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877)
Slaughter on Cemetery Ridge, by Stephen Sears
Guiding Questions
What is the significance of the Battle at Gettysburg?
Considering the human cost of the Civil War, was it worth the outcomes?
How does a writer’s use character and/or language illustrate his point of view?
How do readers recognize a nonfiction piece versus a fiction piece?
Question Focus Example of Task 24: Large-scale slaughter is a necessary by-product of successful military strategy.
The Battle of Gettysburg
Teacher-to-Teacher
This collection emphasizes the incredible human cost of the Battle of Gettysburg, considered the turning point in the Civil War. The collection features an article outlining the pivotal events surrounding Pickett’s failed charge at Cemetery Ridge, as well as battlefield communication between the Confederate generals. The death toll statistics and photographs add perspective and relevance to Lincoln’s Gettysburg address, especially for logical/ mathematical learners.
Literature Connection: Killer Angels by Michael Shaara, The Artilleryman’s Vision (poem) by Walt Whitman
- Slaughter on Cemetery Ridge (Winter 2010 | Volume: 59, Issue: 4) articles_ah
- Battlefield Dispatches Gettysburg- July 3, 1863 historical_documents
- Gettysburg Address historical_documents
- Civil War Battle Statistics historical_documents
- Pennsylvania, Gettysburg. A Harvest of Death historical_images