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Unit 9: The Civil War (1861-1865)

Inquiry Journal

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Topic 1: A Nation Divided Supporting Questions
LESSON 1	How did Southern leaders justify secession in their own words?
	K:
	W:
LESSON 2	How do differing Northern perspectives of the Civil War explain the challenges in creating a unified war effort?
	K:
	W:

Directions: Read each of the supporting questions. For each “K,” write what you already KNOW about the topic. For each “W,” write what you WONDER about the topic.

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ________ Class: ____________________

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Unit 9 Inquiry Journal: The Civil War (1861-1865)

Directions: Read the compelling question. Explain what you LEARNED throughout the unit with a Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning (CER) paragraph.

Topic 1: A Nation Divided

Compelling Question

To what extent was the Civil War a conflict over slavery or national unity?

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Unit 9 Inquiry Journal: The Civil War (1861-1865)

Topic 2: A Nation at War Supporting Questions
LESSON 3	How did differences in strategy, resources, and goals shape the Union and Confederate approaches to the Civil War?
	K:
	W:
LESSON 4	In what ways did political leaders, soldiers, and civilians contribute to and experience the Civil War over time?
	K:
	W:
LESSON 5	In what ways did Lincoln’s position on slavery evolve over time and how has that affected his legacy?
	K:
	W:

Directions: Read each of the supporting questions. For each “K,” write what you already KNOW about the topic. For each “W,” write what you WONDER about the topic.

thinkingnation.org

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Unit 9 Inquiry Journal: The Civil War (1861-1865)

Directions: Read the compelling question. Explain what you LEARNED throughout the unit with a Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning (CER) paragraph.

Topic 2: A Nation at War

Compelling Question

How did the purpose, participation, and experiences of the Civil War evolve from 1861 to 1865?

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Unit 9 Inquiry Journal: The Civil War (1861-1865)

Directions: Read the essential question. Explain what you LEARNED throughout the unit with a Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning (CER) paragraph.

Essential Question

To what extent did the Civil War redefine the role of government, freedom, and national identity in the United States?

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CLAIM (Your argument)
EVIDENCE #1 (Facts, examples, sources)
REASONING #1 (Explanation of how the evidence supports the claim)
EVIDENCE #2 (Facts, examples, sources)
REASONING #2 (Explanation of how the evidence supports the claim)

Paragraph Template

Claim, Evidence, Reasoning

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Unit 9: The Civil War (1861-1865)

Inquiry Journal (Exemplar)

thinkingnation.org

Topic 1: A Nation Divided Supporting Questions
LESSON 1	How did Southern leaders justify secession in their own words?
	K: The South seceded after Lincoln was elected.
	W: Did all Southern states secede for the same reasons?
LESSON 2	How do differing Northern perspectives of the Civil War explain the challenges in creating a unified war effort?
	K: Not everyone in the North wanted to end slavery.
	W: Were there people in the North who didn’t support the war at all?

Directions: Read each of the supporting questions. For each “K,” write what you already KNOW about the topic. For each “W,” write what you WONDER about the topic.

Name: ______________________________________ Date: ________ Class: ____________________

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Unit 9 Inquiry Journal: The Civil War (1861-1865) (Exemplar)

Directions: Read the compelling question. Explain what you LEARNED throughout the unit with a Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning (CER) paragraph.

Topic 1: A Nation Divided

Compelling Question

To what extent was the Civil War a conflict over slavery or national unity?

The Civil War was largely a conflict over slavery, although national unity was also an important motivation. Southern leaders made it clear in their speeches and official documents that they were seceding to protect the institution of slavery. They believed slavery was essential to their economy and way of life. Their arguments often focused on states’ rights, but specifically the right to maintain slavery. In contrast, Northern perspectives were more complex. Some Northerners believed the war was only about preserving the Union. Others, including abolitionists, saw it as a necessary step toward ending slavery in the United States. These differences in motivation made it difficult to create a fully unified war effort in the North. Still, the central issue that divided the nation and ultimately caused the war was slavery.

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Unit 9 Inquiry Journal: The Civil War (1861-1865) (Exemplar)

Topic 2: A Nation at War Supporting Questions
LESSON 3	How did differences in strategy, resources, and goals shape the Union and Confederate approaches to the Civil War?
	K: The Civil War was between the North and South over big issues like slaver and states’ rights.
	W: What did each side expect to be like at the start of the war?
LESSON 4	In what ways did political leaders, soldiers, and civilians contribute to and experience the Civil War over time?
	K: Abraham Lincoln was the president of the United States/Union during the Civil War.
	W: What were the main differences in the wartime experiences in the North and the South?
LESSON 5	In what ways did Lincoln’s position on slavery evolve over time and how has that affected his legacy?
	K: Lincoln is remembered as the president who ended slavery.
	W: Did Lincoln always want to end slavery?

Directions: Read each of the supporting questions. For each “K,” write what you already KNOW about the topic. For each “W,” write what you WONDER about the topic.

thinkingnation.org

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Unit 9 Inquiry Journal: The Civil War (1861-1865) (Exemplar)

Directions: Read the compelling question. Explain what you LEARNED throughout the unit with a Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning (CER) paragraph.

Topic 2: A Nation at War

Compelling Question

How did the purpose, participation, and experiences of the Civil War evolve from 1861 to 1865?

The Civil War changed significantly from 1861 to 1865 in why it was being fought, who was involved, and how people experienced it. At the beginning of the war, the Union mainly wanted to keep the country together, while the Confederacy wanted to break away to protect its way of life, including slavery. The Union used the Anaconda Plan to block ports and control the Mississippi River, showing a focus on strategy and resources. As the war went on, more people became involved, including women, civilians, free Black Americans, and even Indigenous Nations. Abraham Lincoln’s views on slavery also changed, leading to the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, which made ending slavery a new goal of the war. These examples show that the war started as a fight over union and independence but became a fight about freedom and equality too. The number and types of people involved grew, and their roles changed over time. The strategies and goals were not the same by the end of the war.

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Unit 9 Inquiry Journal: The Civil War (1861-1865) (Exemplar)

Directions: Read the essential question. Explain what you LEARNED throughout the unit with a Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning (CER) paragraph.

Essential Question

To what extent did the Civil War redefine the role of government, freedom, and national identity in the United States?

The Civil War significantly redefined the role of government, freedom, and national identity in the United States. At the start of the war, President Lincoln’s main goal was to preserve the Union, not to end slavery. However, as the war continued, Lincoln’s views evolved. He eventually issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed enslaved people in Confederate states and made the war a fight for human freedom. This shift showed that the federal government could not only preserve the nation but also expand the meaning of liberty. Black Americans like Frederick Douglass saw the war as a chance to claim full citizenship by fighting in the Union army. At the same time, abolitionists, women, and religious minorities contributed to the war effort, challenging old ideas about who belonged in the national story. By the end of the war, the Union victory and Lincoln’s leadership had changed the way Americans understood the government’s role in protecting rights and shaping the nation's identity.