Objective
SWBAT think critically to answer the bigger picture question: Does the government provide for its soldiers adequately? Students will use evidence to support their ideas and to argue both sides of the argument in a classroom debate.
Students will
- reflect on and define human needs,
- read critically a series of primary source documents from NJ Civil War soldiers,
- draw conclusions using the evidence from the primary source documents,
- use the information to develop an argument either supporting or negating the idea that the US government did properly take care of her soldiers,
- summarize the findings from the activity by writing a persuasive essay addressing the issues argued in the debate.
Suggested Pre-Reading
A Soldier's Heart by Gary Paulsen — This is a book of part fact and part historical fiction about a young soldier from Minnesota named Charley Goddard. His excitement and his confrontation with the reality of war is depicted in this easy to read book. Throughout the activities in these lessons sections of the book will be referred to as a reference.