Gone With The Wind. From Southern Belle to "War Is Hell"

An Integrated, Interdisciplinary Thematic Unit On The Political, Social, Economic, and Religious Aspects Encompassing the Civil War. As social, economic, political, and ethnic Diversity in America broadens, the tensions that arise from these relationships escalate, affecting everyone in many ways, both positively and negatively. For example, in Texas, a group of white supremacists brutally murder a black man; in Montana, the Freemen are under siege by the FBI for defending their individual rights against infringement by the federal government; in Washington, right-wing groups lobby for limits on women's right to govern their own bodies. In America's history, similar conflicts drove the country to civil war. For example, slavery, a way of life, an economy abolished, destroyed, and a new system established with freedom but without equality; secession, states defending their rights against infringement by a federal government seeking to define, strengthen its power and control; terrorism, superstitious beliefs and religious hypocrisy fuel terrorist actions by racist groups like the KKK and the Knights of the White Camellia. In this integrated/interdisciplinary unit, students will study the events and ideas encompassing the Civil War conflict. Students will gain an understanding for the need of individual freedoms (e.g. social, economic, religious, and political beliefs) so that they can make informed and intelligent decisions now and in the future.