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(More customer reviews)"Great Civil War Projects You Can Build Yourself" is a prime example of the supplemental books that are out there for teachers to get ideas for projects their students can do for a particular unit. Maxine Anderson provides a brief introduction to the Civil War that talks about how it all began and who were some of the important political and military leaders on both sides, but obviously a history textbook is going to give young students more details (i.e., the names, dates, and places that students will need to know on the test). But the two main sections of the book are devoted to projects that help students understand what live was like on the battlefield and on the homefront.
There is some background material for these products, so this is not just a "How to" book. The first section of "On the Battlefield" looks at bands and music during the Civil War before providing a pair of projects where you get to make your own Civil War bugle and drum. In the first half of the book there are projects for making a pinhole camera; a Union Fort Sumter, South Carolina Palmetto, and/or California 100 flag; the ironclads "Monitor" and "Virginia"; a lean-to shelter; a paddlewheeler; periscope; telegraph; and signal flags. There is also the opportunity to make some battlefield food from Union hardtack (if the students have been misbehaving I suppose), Confederate Johnny Cakes (spread with butter or molasses, which, as Anderson points out, was "a treat Confederates didn't often get), or the cornbread popular on both sides. Anderson even explains how to make your own Union or Confederate jacket, as well as a forage cap or Zouave fez, which might be more reasonable.
The "On the Homefront" section looks at how civilians deal with hardships and deprivations during the war. The projects consist of making your own berry ink and handmade paper; four patch quilt block, pillow or wall hanging, and/or four patch quilt; corn husk, rag, and/or hanky dolls; fan or cameo; banjo or tambourine; and Underground Railroad lantern. This time the food related projects consist of making your own fruit dehydrator, molasses taffy, and rock candy.
For each project Anderson provides a list of "What You'll Need," and step-by-step instructions on "What To Do." The back of the book has Templates for Projects, such as circles, squares and stars to go along with some of the key elements in the flags. Throughout the book there are reminders to "Know Your Slang," so that you will learn "web feet" is a term the cavalry had for the infantry and a "housewife" was your sewing kit. You will also find Civil War Facts & Trivia (e.g., President Lincoln had to cross the street from the White House to check telegraph messages) scattered throughout the book, along with dozens of informative sidebars where Anderson talks about everything from photographer Mathew Brady and inventor John Ericsson to the color uniforms used to different branches on the battlefield and Southern food prices.
There appear to be only two other titles in the Build It Yourself series to date, "Great Colonial American Projects You Can Build Yourself" and "Amazing Leonardo Da Vinci Inventions You Can Build Yourself," but hopefully there will be more in the future because it would be nice for history teachers to have more choices for incorporating these sort of projects into various units. Obviously you do not have to do all of them, but there are certainly enough in this volume that you could do a couple of different ones each year for a while before you started repeating yourself (unless, of course, you get really hooked on something like making your own rock candy or pinhole camera).
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