Product Description

History explodes in this activity guide spanning the turmoil preceding secession, the first shots fired at Fort Sumter, the fierce battles on land and sea, and finally the Confederate surrender at Appomattox. Making butternut dye for a Rebel uniform, learning drills and signals with flags, decoding wigwag, baking hardtack, reenacting battles, and making a medicine kit bring this pivotal period in our nation's history to life. Fascinating sidebars tell of slaves escaping on the Underground Railroad, the adventures of nine-year-old drummer boy Johnny Clem, animal mascots who traveled with the troops, and friendships between enemies. The resource section includes short biographies of important figures from both sides of the war, listings of Civil War sites across the country, pertinent Web sites, glossary, and an index.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #20582 in Books
• Published on: 1999-11-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781556523557
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Library Journal
Grade 4-8-Using a clear style and lively tone, this book provides a look at the Civil War and its leaders and includes activities such as battle reenactments and recipes for soldiers' rations. The contributions of women, African Americans, and even children are described. Sidebars provide biographical and other information about individual soldiers and events. Occasional quotes provide a humanistic view of the war. Antislavery is offered as the main reason for the war, with only a brief mention that other reasons even existed. Maps and black-and-white reproductions are scattered throughout. A lengthy resource list of historical sites, museums, and Web sites is appended. Most of the activities require adult supervision and are geared toward groups, making them ideal for classrooms.
Sarah Smith, Harrison Community Library, MI
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"The works themselves ingeniously address the child audience and provide a wide range of creative explorations." -- Duke Gifted Letter

About the Author
Janis Herbert is the author of Leonardo da Vinci for Kids. She lives in Hayward, California.

Customer Reviews

A concise history of the Civil War and 21 activities
The two main elements of "The Civil War for Kids: A History With 21 Activities" work independently of each other. In the main text Janis Herbert provides a concise history of the Civil War that provides a more in-depth look at that period of American history than what young students are likely to find in their textbooks at school. Herbert begins with the turmoil preceding succession and the first shots fired at Fort Sumter, the battles fought on land and seas, up to the Confederate surrender at Appomattox. The text is supplemented with dozens of sidebar stories providing details on everything from Lincoln's beard and Johnny Clem to what Army engineers did and what "Chickamaugua" meant. The book is illustrated with historic photographs and drawings, as well as battlefield maps. There is a time-line of the Civil War up front and a glossary, guide to officers, list of resources, bibliography and index in the back.

The other key part of this book are the 21 activities that are scattered throughout its pages and provide a wide variety of experiences to give young readers in or out of class. Some of the activities are fairly detailed, such as making a North Star Safe Quilt or your own soldier's uniform, and acting out the battle of Antietam (really, but you need 30 kids). Others are fairly simple, like making a coffee can drum and having a Rebel yell contest. Several of the activities are specific to the fighting of the war, such as creating a code, signaling with a wigwag, measuring the depth of a pond or river, building a lean-to- shelter, and making battlefield bandages. A few of the exercises are duplications of things people would have actually done during the war, such as making berry ink, a housewife sewing kit, homemade butternut dye, and hardtack. Teachers would not be expected to use even half of these exercises, but those teaching a unit on the Civil War can certainly find a couple of choice activities to use with their students. The same is true for all of the other books on history and the arts with 21 activities that you can find.

Great hands on activities
We are using this book for a homeschool unit on the Civil War with eight-year-old twins. The chapters give them an interesting overview of this history of the war, but the hands on activities have really made them excited about what they are learning. We have made hardtack (recipe included in the book), facsimile uniforms, lean-tos, and quilts. Most of the activities can easily be accomplished by one or two kids, but some are more appropriate for an entire classroom. The graphics and photographs are exceptional. I am eager to use other books by Chicago Review Press to supplement our study.

Civil War made real for kids in special education
I recently used this book with my students who have both learning disabilities and emotional disturbances. I used it in conjuction with the state mandated US History book. I found the extra information I was able to inteject into my lectures to be interesting. My students enjoyed the extra tidbits. They gathered around the book to look at the 9 year-old soldier. They wrote letters as if they were soldiers with the ink they made from the book's recipe. I think it helped to enrich the Civil War lessons I had planned. I recommend this book to other teachers. With a little tweaking, I think that the activities are appropriate for students in elementary school as well as in high school.