Grade: 5th Grade

Teacher Name: Beth Brandenburg

Description and purpose of grant: I would like to build a Civil War Artifact Trunk to provide an immersive experience to 5th-grade learners using reproduction artifacts, clothing, and other various materials to use during the Unit 5 lesson of the Civil War. Having a classroom truck would ensure learners a hands-on experience throughout the whole four-week unit. This trunk would allow me to provide cross-curricular activities and lessons about their experience. It would make history come alive in my class!  Our objectives for this unit are: I can explain disagreements between the states that led to the Civil War through listening, speaking, reading, and writing; I can explain disagreements between the states that led to the Civil War through listening, speaking, reading, and writing; I can explain the effects of the Civil War through listening, speaking, reading, and writing; and (I can explain the effects of the Civil War through listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The Civil War Artifact Trunk will ensure learners' objectives are met.

Implementation process: I received a Civil War Traveling Trunk from the American Battlefield Trust. It was an application process, and I was lucky enough to be chosen to receive the trunk. It comes for a week and then must be passed on to the next educator. Priority is given to educators who have NOT received the trunk, so it is challenging to get it again.  It made such an impact on my learners last year, and it is something they will never forget. The Civil War Artifact Trunk that I build with your help will be introduced at the beginning of the four-week unit so learners can experience the Civil War era.  I would begin the unit by having stations of clothing, supplies for soldiers, games played during that time, and reproduction documents.  This way learners can use their senses and explore history and not just read about it. I will be able to bring tangible artifacts out as we study them in the unit. The trunk and its contents will provide cross-curricular activities such as writing reflections about how they would feel as a Civil War soldier.  This year I have 43 learners that will benefit from the Civil War Artifact Trunk.  It will be around for years to come so future students can experience it.

Items you plan to purchase with grant money: a sturdy trunk to house the artifacts, Confederate Uniform Package and Union Uniform Package (package includes a jacket, trousers, shirt, Kepi, Suspenders, Leather Waist Belt, and CS Belt Plate), soldiers' shoes, a ladies dress, bonnet, fan, soldier canteens, reproduction bullets, cotton boll, fife, Civil War flag set, playing cards, clay marbles, spinning top, die with bag, cup and ball, haversack, toothbrush, comb, silverware set, tin cup, "housewife" with cloth, buttons, and thread, coffee ration, hard tack, replica Civil War Letters, copy of the Gettysburg address, newspapers from that era, Union and Confederate paper money, and Civil War era photographs

In the event my grant is not fully funded, this is the minimum amount I would need to get started on this project: For the full experience to step back in time, I am requesting the full $2,000.