The Civil War: Through the Eyes of Hoosier Women-Sarah Bush Johnson Lincoln

Abstract

Topic (Overall theme): “Through the Eyes of Hoosier Women” highlights one person—a woman—and her life as she sees it paralleling major events, places and people leading up to and during the Civil War. The introductory strategies—walking timeline and first-person presentation--initiate a research and creative study that can focus on other women (and men) and their roles, influences, challenges and accomplishments related to any major historical event, whether local or global. Classroom sessions: The lesson, designed for two or more sessions, sets the stage for further research into roles of women during the Civil War period by demonstrating with a first- person presentation (Script) and providing a guide sheet (Bio-Data Sheet). Further sessions may lead students to research and interpret by “seeing through the eyes” of selected persons. (See Attachment for a list of Hoosier women who lived at the time of the Civil War.) Purpose: To introduce students to the personalized views, roles, responsibilities, challenges and influences of Hoosier women (and men) representing different locations, lifestyles and perspectives related to the Civil War; To reinforce research, mapping, chronology and higher order thinking skills (interpretation, creativity, investigative research), as well as reading, writing, speaking, math and the arts skills.