3rd Grade Guided Reading Activities on Slavery & the Civil War

Interactive reading activities help third-graders learn about slavery and the Civil War.civil war cannon 1 image by Jim Parkin from Fotolia.com

Through reading, students can travel back in time and imagine life as it was more than 150 years ago. Interactive reading activities, such as group discussions, can help young students learn about the Civil War and imagine life as a slave working in the fields or escaping to freedom through the Underground Railroad. Authors such as Anne Kamma, Deborah Hopkinson and Kay Moore stimulate young readers' imaginations with interesting stories and beautiful illustrations.

Plantation Life

Starting with stories about the plantations of the Old South, students can learn what life was like for the people who lived there and worked in the fields. Students can listen to a story about what life was like for the children of slaves on the plantations and read along, too. "If You Lived When There Was Slavery in America," by Anne Kamma, is an excellent book with great illustrations that keep young readers interested. Short stories followed by open questions stir the children's imagination and get the conversation going.

After each story, the teacher may ask the students to close their eyes and imagine they lived when there was slavery. Then she can ask them to think about the images and feelings that come to their minds. What kind of crops were grown on the plantations? What type of work did the children have to do on the plantation? What were their houses like inside? What would happen if a slave was late for work in the fields? Have the students read a passage about the children of the slave owners and compare it to a passage about the children of the slaves. How were their lives different? What was the worst part of being a slave?

Children can follow a map sewn into a quilt to the Underground Railroad in the story "Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt," by Deborah Hopkinson. Clara is taught how to sew by another slave so that she does not have to work in the fields. Because Clara can sew, she is allowed to work in the plantation house sewing dresses and mending garments for the slave owner's wife and daughters. Clara makes quilts, too. Soon Clara learns about the Underground Railroad. She sews a quilt that is a secret map to the Ohio River and freedom. When the other slaves find out what Clara is doing, they each add parts to the quilt map. When Clara decides to take a chance at freedom for herself, she leaves the quilt behind for others to use.

After the story, get the children involved in a discussion with a few questions. What was the Underground Railroad? Where did it start? Where did it end? Why was it called the Underground Railroad? Why was it kept a secret from the plantation owners?

Students will learn about the Civil War by reading "If You Lived At The Time Of The Civil War," by Kay Moore. The short narratives followed by open questions engage young readers to think about and to interpret history for themselves. The author takes the reader on a journey from the first rumblings of war, to the difficulties of surviving in a war-torn country, and finally to the end of the conflict. Students will learn about the reasons the war started and should be encouraged to ask questions. When did the Civil War start? Why did the war start? Did children continue to go to school during the war? How did they find food to eat? Would children have seen battles in their hometowns? This book engages students with questions and excellent illustrations.