Bring the Civil War and Reconstruction era to life with this 18-page activity bundle designed for 3rd–5th grade students! This pack includes kid-friendly readings, timeline cards, mapping activities, vocabulary puzzles, primary source practice, and a fun key-figure guessing game—everything you need for an engaging, print-and-go unit.
Students learn about the Underground Railroad, major causes of the Civil War, important Union and Confederate leaders, key events like the Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address, and the Reconstruction Amendments. Each activity is based directly on the included student pages, making this resource ideal for classrooms, homeschool families, learning centers, and small-group instruction.
✨ What’s Included (18 Pages- 6 activities)
✔ Underground Railroad Reading & Diary Entry Prompt
A beautifully written overview of the Underground Railroad and a reflective diary-entry writing activity (creative writing).
✔ Civil War Reading Passage & Map Activity
Includes a student-friendly explanation of Union vs. Confederacy, causes of the war, key figures, and major outcomes. Then, students color, label, and categorize Union states, Confederate states, and territories using clear instructions.
✔ Civil War Timeline Craft
Cut-and-paste timeline that students build and color covering major events—Missouri Compromise, Nat Turner’s Rebellion, Fugitive Slave Law, Dred Scott decision, Lincoln’s election, Emancipation Proclamation, surrender at Appomattox, and more.
✔ Civil War Key Figures Guessing Game
A fun, interactive card game featuring key figures such as Harriet Tubman, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, Frederick Douglass, Clara Barton, and Sojourner Truth. 2+ players.
✔ Gettysburg Address Activity
Students read Lincoln’s original speech and complete a fill-in-the-blank kid-friendly version, helping build primary source skills.
✔ Reconstruction Reading Passage + Crossword Puzzle
Includes a clear explanation of the Freedmen’s Bureau, Reconstruction Amendments, and challenges faced by freedmen after the war for students to read, then a fun crossword puzzle to practice vocabulary on segregation, Jim Crow laws, amendments, Freedmen’s Bureau, Civil War, and Reconstruction concepts. Answer Key included.
📘 Standards AlignmentC3 Framework (Grades 3–5)
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D2.His.1–6: Chronology, cause/effect, and historical context
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D2.His.14: Interpretation of historical sources
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D2.Civ.1–4: Government, rights, and civic responsibilities
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D2.Geo.1–3: Geographic patterns during the Civil War
Common Core ELA Integration
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RI.3–5: Informational reading (Underground Railroad, Civil War, Reconstruction)
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W.3–5: Writing (diary entry, timeline reflections)
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L.3–5: Vocabulary development (crossword, key terms)
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SL.3–5: Oral discussion and partner activities (Guessing Game)
Typical State Social Studies Standards (3rd–5th Grade)
- Causes and consequences of the Civil War
- Union vs. Confederacy; major battles and leaders
- Emancipation Proclamation & Gettysburg Address
- Underground Railroad
- Reconstruction Amendments (13th, 14th, 15th)
- Effects of Reconstruction on the nation
🎯 Perfect For
- 3rd–5th Grade Social Studies
- Homeschool families
- Civil War units & Early American History
- Centers, partner work, and extensions
- Sub plans and print-and-go lessons
*These projects are from Unit 8 of our full-year Early American History curriculum.
