Pre-visit Activities

  1. In order to make the most effective use of the time your students have on-site, teachers should make arrangements to have their class view the State Capitol orientation program prior to their arrival. This will give your students important historical information ahead of their visit. The video is available on the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources YouTube channel.
  2. Students should read the chapters of The North Carolina Civil War Experience on The Road to Secession, Wartime North Carolina, and War's End and Reconstruction in North Carolina which will give vital background information on the political situation in North Carolina at various periods during the war.
  3. Students should read the Site Narrative provided in this unit which describes the activities and political debate that took place in our state's capital.
  4. Teachers may use the Supplemental Lesson Plans as pre-visit activities or as stand-alone classroom lessons. Classes preparing for a field trip to the Capitol should familiarize themselves with the site map and the Glossary of Terms prior to their visit.