I think this is a great lesson that has a real connection to the 8th grade curriculum. [...] Teachers would find this to be a valuable field trip. I think it would bring sense of validity and realness to this topic.

This is a great lesson because its final product is visual, interactive and can be used to help students engage with a historical site.

I could use this lesson in multiple areas: [...] as an introduction to the Civil War or during a specific unit on Civil War soldiers. The primary sources are so descriptive that students can’t help but put themselves in a soldiers’ shoes. Since my 8th graders actually go to Gettysburg as part of their spring trip, it would be a great addition to the lesson we teach prior to going.

I would use this lesson in a number of contexts. [...] As I teach other areas of history besides the Civil War, I feel that this lesson could be adapted to meet the standards of my other classes [or] to wrap up a field trip experience.