Mapping Gettysburg

I came up with a fun (well...I thought it was fun, anyway) project to give the kids a break from some of the more rigorous study in my advanced Civil War course. I had them divide into groups and map the three-day Gettysburg battle. The instructions were simple: they needed to note geographic details, roads, important landmarks, and of course...troop movements as the battle unfolded on July 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, 1863.

Each group took a day and researched the battle. We'll be taking a filed trip there in the Spring - and after their work, which matched their usual standards of excellence, these kids will know the battle well...and as many of them noted while they sketched out their maps, they will be able to easily orient themselves on the field as we discuss the fight.

All said and done - we had a good time with this one. Check it out: