The American Civil War Lesson 2: Short-term and Long-term impacts

This is the second lesson out of two on the American Civil War (although this lesson could easily take up two lessons alone). This lesson looks at the short-term and long-term causes of the American Civil War. Originally designed for the AQA GCSE Paper 2 (Thematic Studies, Power and the People, Challenging Royal Authority) however these resources could be used for any Key Stage 3, 4 or 5 lesson on the American Civil War. The lesson looks at the short-term and long-term impacts of the American Revolution (through a chat-show type activity were pupils are play different characters and discuss how they have been affected by the American Revolution). The lesson also looks at the long-term effects of the American Revolution on the USA and Britain through a card-sort activity. Finally, there is an exam-style question: “Explain the significance of the American Civil War” with an accompanying mark scheme for peer marking.