Teaching the Civil War with Technology: July 2007

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

A soldier from Wildcat Regiment

An interesting way for students to experience the Civil War is to personalize it for them. One way to personalize the Civil War is to allow students to experience the war through the eyes (or in this case letters and documents) of a solider. The Library of Congress has created A Solider from the Wildcat Regiment that details the life of a Union solider in the 105th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. This digital resource center contains documents, photographs and letters related to Capt. Tilton Reynolds combined with ideas and suggestions on how you can incorporate the information into your classroom.

The following is from the Library of Congress Website:

A Civil War Soldier in the Wild Cat Regiment … a Collection Connection from the Learning Page

Help your students make personal connections with history by considering the lives of a young Union soldier and his family during the Civil War. Through letters and other documents, the collection describes the drudgery of life in military camps, details of troop movements, experiences of a prisoner of war, a soldier's view of politics, and feelings of homesickness and familial love.

Until next time...

Labels: Civil War letters, civil war photographs, Library of Congress

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Which Civil War General Are You?

Hmmm... Could be worse.

You scored as General Ambrose Burnside, The good news is, you're considered a person of scrupulous honor and well liked by no less a personage than Abe Lincoln. The bad news is you're pretty much inept, the worst high-ranking general of the war. Cheer up, though; you might have a future in politics.

General Ambrose Burnside

90%

General James Longstreet

75%

General George McClellan

70%

William T. Sherman

70%

Robert E. Lee

65%

Stonewall Jackson

60%

General Nathan Bedford Forrest

45%

U.S. Grant

45%

General Jeb Stuart

40%

General Phillip Sheridan

35%

Which American Civil War General are you?
created with QuizFarm.com

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Gettysburg Cyclorama

The Gettysburg Cyclorama, officially known as the "Battle of Gettysburg" Cyclorama, is a 360 degree circular painting that depicts Pickett's Charge on July 3, 1863. According to the Gettysburg National Military Park, it's one of the last remaining cycloramas in the United States.

The Gettysburg Cyclorama was created by the French artist Paul Philippoteaux. Starting in 1882, Philippoteaux spent several weeks sketching the battlefield in order to accurately depict the climatic charge. Philippoteaux also had the opportunity to interview several veterans of the battle in order to obtain their thoughts on how the battle transpired.

Over the next 18 months, Philippoteaux and his assistants created the massive work and finally the "Cyclorama of the Battle of Gettysburg" opened in Chicago in 1883. He then went on to paint a second version to be shown in Boston in 1884 again to tremendous acclaim. This Boston version of the painting would eventually come to reside in Gettysburg in 1913. The National Park Service in Gettysburg purchased the painting and placed it in the visitor in 1962. The Gettysburg Cyclorama is 359 feet long, 27 feet high and weighs an estimated 3 tons.

Currently the Gettysburg Cyclorama is undergoing restoration and will be moved to the new visitor center in 2008.

Thanks to the Gettysburg National Battlefield Museum Foundation, you can download hi-res TIFF images of the painting and restoration project. These hi-res images allow you to zoom in and see parts of the painting in great detail, including some of the damage and the on-going restoration.

Ideas for the classroom:
Have your students think about if they were Philippoteaux in Gettysburg in 1882, what types of questions would you ask, what would you be sketching, what would you be looking for?

What would be some of issues related to creating a painting of this size?

Have your students view a portion of the painting and have them sketch a section.

These are just a couple of ideas. What ideas do you have for integrating this into your classroom?

Until next time...
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References:
Heiser, J. (2005, Dec). The gettysburg cyclorama. Retrieved July 17, 2007, from Gettysburg National Military Park Web site: http://www.nps.gov/archive/gett/gettcyclo.htm

Labels: civil war art, gettysburg