Lesson: The Camera Goes to War

This lesson really helped students understand why the civil war was not only important to the United States, but to the world community as well. It was one of the first major conflicts to be photographed. Before this there were drawings and paintings that could distort reality and glorify war with blaring inaccuracies. The world soon realizes that a picture can tell a thousand words.

1. DO NOW: have students brainstorm on the importance of pictures. Why do we take them? What do they tell us? How do they affect our views on a situation? (sometimes using modern day examples for this portion is helpful to have students understand the topic)
2. Show one of the pictures from Gettysburg after the battle. (Try and find the one that was in the NEw York Times) Ask students how this would have affected a Northerner reading the paper. A Confederate?
3. Distribute Camera Goes to War worksheet and have students fill in as you go through the slidshow of the same name.
4. For homework have students read the Civil War in Print Worksheet.