Center for Technology and Teacher Education - Social Studies Module:Using Maps to Uncover a Soldier's Life

Using Maps to Uncover a Soldier's Life

K-12 Objectives:

Identify various map properties such as cardinal directions and legends
Demonstrate understanding of the geographic concept of scale
Use an interactive map to deduce the specifics of troop movement, direction and distance traveled, etc.
Analyze the connection between geography and patterns of settlement
Examine the life of a Confederate soldier based on troop movements as well as letters and diaries

Materials:

This lesson requires an Internet connected computer which has Flash installed on it. Flash is a software program that allows the computer to display certain interactive parts of pages, such as animation. Click here to download Flash for free. Not all computers or browser will support Flash. Click here to make sure your computer and your browser can support Flash.
A ball of string
A supplemental map, preferably of the entire United States or just the East Coast (this will be used for comparing scale only)

Standards:

Standards in Historical Thinking
2: Historical Comprehension
4: Historical Research Capabilities
Standard 5A The student understands the movements of large groups of people into his or her own and other states in the United States now and long ago.
Era 5: Civil War and Reconstruction

Virginia Standards of Learning

3.5
4.2
4.4
4.7
5.7
5.9

National Council for the Social Studies

II. Time, Continuity, and Change

Center for Technology and Teacher Education, University of Virginia,

The idea for this module came from Sherry Shin of the University of Virginia and was adapted by Brooke Graham of the University of Virginia.