In this activity, students will use a timeline storyboard to portray the major events that precede the Civil War. By examining John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry, the election of 1860, the eventual secession of South Carolina, and the bombing of Fort Sumter, students will understand and analyze the events that lead to the outbreak of the Civil War. Other events that can be used include: the Dred Scott decision, the several acts and legislation previously mentioned, or the Election of 1856. This will allow students to understand, in a more literal sense, how and why the Civil War finally came about.
For an alternative to the timeline layout, have students create a timeline poster to incorporate into a presentation or gallery walk. You can add more than one template to this assignment to give students lots of options!
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Student Instructions
Create a timeline detailing the important events leading to the Civil War.
Organize your classroom for a gallery walk by displaying each student’s Civil War timeline around the room. This interactive setup encourages students to move, observe, and discuss their peers’ work, making history come alive.
Give each student or group a specific focus—such as noting historical accuracy or creative presentation—while reviewing timelines. This ensures students pay close attention to details and provide thoughtful feedback.
Demonstrate how to give kind, specific feedback using one sample timeline. This helps students understand expectations and builds a positive classroom culture.
Lead a short discussion where students share new insights or surprising facts learned from others' timelines. This reinforces key events and deepens understanding of the Civil War’s causes.
Key events leading to the Civil War include the Dred Scott decision, John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry, the Election of 1860, South Carolina’s secession, and the bombing of Fort Sumter. These events intensified tensions between the North and South, ultimately triggering the conflict.
To teach the causes of the Civil War with a timeline activity, have students research significant events, place them in chronological order, and describe each event’s impact. Students can create storyboards or posters, illustrating and explaining the sequence that led to war.
A storyboard timeline is a visual activity where students illustrate and describe key historical events in order. This method helps students grasp cause-and-effect relationships and see how events connect to larger historical outcomes.
The Dred Scott decision was a major Supreme Court case that contributed to the Civil War. It ruled that African Americans were not citizens and that Congress could not ban slavery in the territories, deepening the nation’s divisions.
Civil War lessons can be made interactive by having students create timeline posters, participate in gallery walks, or use digital tools for storyboards. These approaches engage students and encourage deeper analysis of historical events.