Avoiding a Teacher Heart Attack
Do you need a teacher-vetted list of Civil War Videos for your middle school students? After all, There is nothing that stops a teacher’s heart like a #%&$ in the middle of an educational video.
30 sets of eyes immediately dart to you.
Should you pretend like you didn’t hear it? Or, pause the video and address it?
You can already hear the parent phone calls.
Do you know the feeling?
To help you avoid this situation, I am curating lists of the best history video clips for kids. These are selected with middle schoolers in mind (5th grade – 8th grade).
Here are my favorite Civil War videos for middle school.
The Civil War, Part I: Crash Course US History (Part 2 can be found here)
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John Green’s witty overview of the causes of the war and the motivations of those who fought
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12 minutes
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Rating: age 12+ (No swearing, partial nudity in a historic painting at 8:44 which most students won’t notice)
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Notes: John Green talks fast. To help, turn on the closed captions and slow down the speed to .75.
Ultimate Civil War Review by Mr Betts’ Class
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Teacher Mr. Betts’ playful review of important Civil War terms, people, and events
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12 minutes
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My Rating: age 9+
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Notes: Mr. Bett’s explanations are complemented by pictures of each key term. A perfect video to review before an end-of-unit test.
North vs South (Sia’s “Cheap Thrills” Parody) by Mr Betts’ Class
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Another video by Mr. Betts’ Class but this time it’s a hilarious song parody about the strengths and weaknesses of the Union and the Confederacy
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3 minutes
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My Rating: age 9+
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Notes: Your students will go crazy when Mr. Bett dabs at 2:12! Mr. Betts’ Class has several other song parodies about the Civil War which you can browse here.
The American Civil War: Animated Battle Map
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American Battlefield’s dramatic overview of the Civil War from before the Election of 1860 to the ratification of the Civil War Amendments. This video briefly covers the major battles and events.
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27 minutes
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My Rating: 12+ (violence reenacted, photographs of dead bodies)
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Notes: The star of the show is the use of archival films, photographs, political cartoons, reenactments and animated maps
The War Between the States: The Civil War in Four Minutes
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American Battlefield Trust’s jam-packed overview of the causes, campaigns, and conclusion of the Civil War
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4 minutes
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My Rating: age 10+
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Notes: This is not the most exciting video; but, it is filled with good information and excellent visuals. The American Battlefield Trust has videos about more specific topics like Gettysburg, Antietam, Civil War Artillery, and Soldier Life.
The Civil War by Ken Burns (1990)
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Ken Burns’ award-winning series comprehensively tells the story of the Civil War through first person accounts, archival images, and interviews with historians.
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9 episodes (each episode is between 1 and 1 ½ hours long). I like this 6 minute clip about the Gettysburg Address.
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Rating: TV-14 (I highly recommend reviewing any clips before showing them to students (for example there is nudity you will want to skip in Episode 1 –about 15 minutes in; definitely get parental permission for this one)
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Notes: You can watch the entire series on Netflix, Youtube, or Amazon Prime.
America: The Story of Us (Episode 5: Civil War)
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Episode 5 of History Channel’s nine-part documentary is a broad overview of the Civil War covering topics like military tactics, life as a soldier, and important battles.
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44 minutes
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Rating: TV-PG (violence and blood shown)
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Notes: History Channel has created a study guide for the episode. You can watch the episode on Amazon Prime.
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More Civil War Resources
These Civil War videos for middle school are great, but they are just one tool in your instructional toolkit. If you need Civil War activities that you can teach tomorrow, grab my free Civil War Battles Lesson Plan.
Also, you may be interested in my bestselling 3-week unit on the Civil War. Save yourself precious planning time and shop now.
Related Civil War Posts:
- Free Civil War Timeline and Lesson Plan
- 7 Civil War Videos for Kids
- Civil War Unit
- Explore More History Videos For Kids
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