Oklahoma Social Studies 8.C.12.1.E
The Standard
- 8.C.12
- Analyze the course and consequences of the Civil War.
- 8.C.12.1
- Analyze major issues of the presidential election of 1860 and its immediate consequences.
Trace the formation of the Confederate States of America under the leadership of Jefferson Davis.
Oklahoma Academic Standards for Social Studies (2026) · 8.C.12.1
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students put the first states' secession and the formation of a new government in order. They explain how Jefferson Davis became its provisional president and how four more states joined after Fort Sumter.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can place South Carolina's secession in December 1860 and Davis's selection in Montgomery in February 1861. They can explain that seven states formed the first Confederate government, then four more joined after Fort Sumter.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think all 11 states left the Union at once or that Davis led the first secession. Some think the states left mainly over tariffs, rather than the protection of slavery.
How to Assess It
- On an exit ticket, have students order these events: South Carolina secedes, Davis is chosen in Montgomery, Fort Sumter is attacked, four more states secede. Ask them to name Davis's role.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs state and date cards for the 11 seceding states; have them build a timeline and add Davis's February 1861 selection.
Read a short excerpt from Mississippi's secession declaration. Ask, "What reason does it give for leaving the Union?"
Play a timeline relay with cards for Lincoln's election, South Carolina's secession, Davis's selection, Fort Sumter, and four later secessions.
Use a current map to find Montgomery and Richmond, then measure the distance between the Confederacy's first and later capitals.
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Related Standards
- 8.C.12.2
Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of the Union and the Confederacy.
- 5.C.5
Examine the formation of the United States of America’s system of government following the American Revolution.
- 8.C.12.1.C
Explain slavery as the central factor for the secession of southern states by examining passages from state secession declarations.
- 8.C.3
Examine the formation of the United States of America’s system of government following the Revolutionary War and the creation of the Constitution of the United ...
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