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Abraham Lincoln's Bicentennial! This year is the year of Lincoln and Lincoln has hundreds of books written about him. What is very interesting about this thesis, however, it takes on a global history perspective. I bet you never thought Lincoln mattered that much outside of the United States? In honor of the bicentennial, I couldn't resist posting at least one resource on the man. I also enjoy the fact that it is a podcast. Podcasts are the future and teachers need to embrace the possibilities. Enjoy.

Youtube Playlist The Civil War and Reconstruction - 1850 -1861 Discover how the issue of slavery came to dominate American politics, and how political leaders struggled and failed to resolve the growing crisis in the nation. A House Divided: The Road to Civil War, 1850-1861 is a course that begins by examining how generations of historians have explained the crisis of the Union. After discussing the institution of slavery and its central role in the southern and national economies, it turns to an account of the political and social history of the 1850s. It traces how the issue of the expansion of slavery came to dominate national politics, and how political leaders struggled, unsuccessfully, to resolve the growing crisis. We will examine the impact of key events such as Bleeding Kansas, the Dred Scott decision, the Lincoln-Douglas debates, and John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry, and end with the dissolution of the Union in the winter of 1860-61. This course is part of the series, The Civil War and Reconstruction, which introduces students to the most pivotal era in American history. The Civil War transformed the nation by eliminating the threat of secession and destroying the institution of slavery. It raised questions that remain central to our understanding of ourselves as a people and a nation - the balance of power between local and national authority, the boundaries of citizenship, and the meanings of freedom and equality. The series will examine the causes of the war, the road to secession, the conduct of the Civil War, the coming of emancipation, and the struggle after the war to breathe meaning into the promise of freedom for four million emancipated slaves. One theme throughout the series is what might be called the politics of history - how the world in which a historian lives affects his or her view of the past, and how historical interpretations reinforce or challenge the social order of the present. Eric Foner, DeWitt Clinton Professor o

Slavery and African Americans in Antebellum America  |  Causes of the War  |  Abraham Lincoln and the Course of the War  |  The Art and Literature of the Civil War  |  Reconstruction and After in Art and Culture  |  Related EDSITEment Websites

PBS LearningMedia Video for Social Studies for 4-12

This is a bit of a comical website but I think it could be a fun way to seem cool to the students, while actually teaching them, covert learning. If your kids are into twitter, you can post these on the board or pass out copies in the beginning of class for a warm-up. I wouldn't have them view the actual site because the comments get a little inappropriate. You would certainly need to use discretion. Sometimes teachers need to seem like real people and if I was in high school, I would think a teacher that used this was cool.

This site provides accurate information on the American Civil War. Using sources from the award winning Ken Burns documentary "The Civil War" which provide any social studies teacher with accurate information yo use in designing lesson plans. 

How might teachers use this site?

Text Analysis of the Emancipation Proclamation.

The Presidential Election of 1860

Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877) - National Archives