Gettysburg Multimedia

Swifte/Turner Interactive, 1994.

9th-12th history students. These students sometimes find history textbooks and lectures dull and hard to remember. This lesson is designed to introduce historical facts and personages involved in the battle of Gettysburg to students in a more motivating way that allows students interaction with those facts and persons.

If the lesson plan is properly completed, students will use the Gettysburg Multimedia software to:

Complete a simulation of the Gettysburg campaign, and gather information from that game in order to create and deliver a military-style briefing of the battle, including tactical information about both sides in the conflict.

Students will use the Gettysburg Interactive software for two purposes. The motivating part of the software is the battle simulator, which students will play as either the Union or Confederate army. Winning or losing the conflict is not as important to successful completion of the assignment as is paying attention to the information presented during the simulation and recording it. After the battle simulation is complete, students will then use the database and audio/visual materials on the CD (including interviews with Shelby Foote, animated tactical maps of the actual battle, and "articles" and pictures of the persons involved in the Gettysburg campaign) to compile information to be included in their final presentation. This presentation, possibly created with PowerPoint or similar software, would take the form of a military "de-briefing" as conducted by a general (think of Schwartzkopf talking to the press during the Gulf War). The presentation would consist of information concerning both armies in the battle, including the names of key players, army sizes and equipment, beginning positions on the field, strategic movements and attacks, and final results. The student should also give a brief overview of how the real battle of Gettysburg played out as a means of comparing the simulation with the actual events.

Students can use presentation software (such as PowerPoint) and word processing programs to create and present their "briefings." While not essential, this software could decrease time spent on the project, allow for easier editing, and provide more flexibility in design.