5-Week Ken Burns Civil War Curriculum Unit: Film, Drama, Research
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Searching for a turnkey Ken Burns Civil War curriculum unit? This five-week program blends nine film-quiz lessons, five readers-theater scripts, and a capstone research project—meeting every CCSS strand while igniting student curiosity.
- Key Takeaway #1: Episode worksheets + Google Forms quizzes deliver daily formative checks.
- Key Takeaway #2: Weekly dramatic scripts voice primary sources and skyrocket fluency.
- Key Takeaway #3: Week 5 research project weaves film evidence with new primary sources.
Bundle contents at a glance
- 24-page teacher guide with pacing maps & grading weights
- 9 episode Google-Slides worksheets (E01–E09)
- 5 readers-theater packets with casting tables & analysis sheets
- Research-project packet, sign-up sheet, 50-point rubric
- Optional 50-question cumulative quiz
Weekly flow
| Week | Episodes | Friday Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 & 2 | Readers-Theater 1 |
| 2 | 3 & 4 | Readers-Theater 2 |
| 3 | 5 & 6 | Readers-Theater 3 |
| 4 | 7 & 8 | Readers-Theater 4 + project launch |
| 5 | 9 | Readers-Theater 5 & presentations |
Practical notes
- Print Slides two-up or four-up to save ink.
- Use PBS closed captions for multilingual support.
- Limit four groups per research-project option to diversify topics.
Download the full bundle
Related posts & Free Streaming
Preview the film-quiz lessons or explore readers-theater scripts in depth. Stream episodes free on PBS.
Final thoughts
A Ken Burns Civil War curriculum unit turns a beloved documentary into a multimodal journey—film, drama, research—all prepped and ready to roll.