Nonfiction Connections: The Civil War: Supporting Common Core with Great Readings in American History

This curriculum, Nonfiction Connections: Supporting Common Core with Great Readings in American History, provides multiple opportunities for English Language Arts or history/social studies teachers to fulfill the mandates of the Common Core State Standards with challenging, engaging lesson plans. The lessons call on students to closely examine challenging nonfiction text (including primary source documents), engage in collaborative discussion and team learning activities, and create a variety of written products. They align with CCSS ELA Reading Standards for Informational Text 6-12 and Reading Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies for grades 6-12. The informational text overviews for most lessons are written on a 9th-10th grade reading level. The lessons are adapted from curriculum developed by the Johns Hopkins University Talent Development Secondary (TDS) program to accompany Joy Hakim’s award-winning 10-volume series, A History of US (HOFUS). They draw from the Teaching Guide and Resource Book written by Susan Dangel and Maria Garriott to accompany Volume 6: War, Terrible War. Purchase of the Hakim text is not required to use these lessons, but it is an excellent resource both for its strong, literary nonfiction voice and its extensive use of primary sources. The curriculum is based on sound pedagogical research and best practices and calls for the close reading and analysis of challenging nonfiction text, collaborative discussion, and writing outlined in the Common Core. Extensive use of primary source documents, along with support to help students understand them, will bring history alive in your classroom as nothing else can.