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Students will utilize Google Earth to build a route map of a participant in the Border War between Missouri and Kansas, noting stops and events along their path in the war.

Get student to make connections between documents and history using Civil War primary sources.

The students will analyze editorial cartoons created in the context of the Election of 1860. Students will use the primary sources to identify the major issues of this election and how those issues shaped the elections outcome.

Students must understand the progression of events in the 1850s to comprehend how difficult it became to reconcile differing opinions in the nation over slavery, states rights, and territorial expansion. Chronological analysis and cause/effect are both important skills for students to master prior to the national Advanced Placement United States History exam.

Through this lesson students will be able to make a more personal connection to history, they will come to understand the deep wounds that resulted from the conflict, and they will be able to discern the lasting effects of the conflict.

I want students to understand that constitutional interpretation, particularly in matters concerning war powers, is an ambiguous process. Students will gain better understanding of what the Constitution has to say about war powers, as well as increasing their understanding of the Civil War.  They will also practice presenting their findings to others.

Be able to compare the difference of opinions depending on sides in the Civil War using primary sources.

Students in St. Louis are not often exposed to the Border War and thus have no real background knowledge of why there is a natural rivalry between Kansans and Missourians. A lesson exploring this topic directly relates to teaching students.

Students will analyze letters, audio, and art to learn about soldiers in the Civil War.

Students analyze primary source documents and then write letters for and against legislation related to migrant labor.