All That’s Fit to Print: Newspapers in the mid-Eighteenth Century

Title: All That’s Fit to Print: Newspapers in the mid-Eighteenth Century

Topic: Explore the newspapers of the mid-1800s, particularly those during Lincoln’s life, an activity that provides one with a unique look at life lived at the time.

Description: Investigating the newspapers of a particular time period provides one with a unique look at life lived at that time. Newspapers historically chronicle the lives and times of individuals both locally and nationally. It is enlightening for students to learn how newspapers were valued even when resources overall were scarce. The various editions regarding Lincoln’s assassination, the mourning borders, the Confederacy’s use of wallpaper for paper for their newspaper when they were running low on almost everything, and General Grant’s use of the Vicksburg paper to make his mark on a conquered area.

Target Audience: Elementary students, Middle School students, High School students

Indiana State Standards:

IS.1.6 (High School: Describe causes and lasting effects of the Civil War and Reconstruction as well as the political controversies surrounding this time)

IS 1.7 (High School: Analyze how the Civil War affected men, women, and children on the home front. Explain how those on the home front helped the war effort)

I.S. 1.36 (High School: Analyze multiple, unexpected and complex causes and effects of events in the past)

Outcomes: Students will understand the importance of preserving primary sources and contextualizing them in a larger historical understanding. Students will have an understanding of the elements and players of the Civil War and the lasting outcomes after the war. Students will be able to explain the multiple complexities of the Civil War and the lasting impact it has presently.

Evaluation: A post-presentation Q&A with the class will determine outcomes; a questionnaire will be sent out to the teacher/class to complete either onsite or electronically after the presentation.