Slavery & The Civil War – Videos & Activities

Use the videos and activities to examine the role of slavery in the Civil War and the significance of the Emancipation Proclamation.

13th Amendment on Display

Appropriate Grades: 1–4

In this educational video, students learn about the 13th amendment to the United States Constitution and see a rare copy of the document on loan to the New York Historical Society.

Source: VOA video on youtube.com

Length: 2 minutes 5 seconds

Extension Activities

• Slavery in the United States Little Book
• Virtual Field Trip: Underground Railroad
• Across Five Aprils Discussion Guide

Slavery and Secession

Appropriate Grades: 5–8

In this Channel One News segment about the Civil War, students will learn about the role slavery played in Georgia's decision to secede from the Union.

Source: Channel One News on youtube.com

Length: 4 minutes 16 seconds

Extension Activities

• Slavery Writing Prompt
• A Classroom Divided
• Civil War Reading Warm-Up: North Vs. South

Turning Point: The Civil War

Appropriate Grades: 9-12

In this History Channel video, students will learn about the Emancipation Proclamation and how it became a turning point in the Civil War.

Source: History Channel on youtube.com

Length: 3 minutes 19 seconds

Extension Activities

• Abraham Lincoln: Of Two Minds
• African-Americans Fighting for Freedom
• The Emancipation Proclamation

Please preview the Closed Captioning (CC) to ensure it is appropriate for your students. These captions are provided by the video publisher and may not represent the spoken content.