Final Farewells: Signing a Yearbook on the Eve of the Civil War

Grade Range: 6-12
Resource Type(s): Primary Sources, Lessons & Activities
Date Posted: 2/3/2011

In lesson from the Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies, students examine a primary source that might seem both familiar and strange: a yearbook from Rutgers in 1860, complete with farewell messages from classmates. On close study, the messages from reveal much about the complexities of the “brothers’ war.” This resource includes a timeline of national events during the students' time at Rutgers.   


Instructional Strategies