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The following research and activity ideas are intended to offer suggestions for complementing social studies and history curricula, to trigger additional ideas for enhancing learning, and to suggest cross-disciplinary projects for library and classroom use.

Imagine yourself as a slave on the Underground Railroad. Keep a diary of your imaginary experiences as you make your way to the North. Create a map showing your progress each day.

Divide into two groups of at least four. Assign one group to defend the South's right to secede from the Union, emphasizing the philosophy of "states' rights." The other group, meanwhile, will argue against secession from the North's point of view.

Give an oral presentation to the class in which you deliver an actual speech given by a Civil War figure. Other options include reciting a Civil War poem or singing a Civil War song.

Create a three-dimensional panoramic...