General William T. Sherman played a pivotal role in the Union's victory in the Civil War. As a Union general, he gained notoriety for his brutal "scorched earth" military tactics marching through Georgia and the Carolinas. Sherman's tactics were controversial and viewed quite differently by both sides of the conflict. For a school assignment, a student has been tasked with writing a period editorial portraying Sherman's role and the varying perspectives on his scorched earth approach through research on Sherman's military service and strategies during the Civil War. The student will present their editorial for evaluation and be graded based on the accuracy and appropriate historical context of the written work.

1. Daniel Ball
Sherman
Introduction:
You are a reporter for a New York newspaper who has been assigned the task of writing a
editorial on General Sherman of the Union Army and his tactics.
Task:
The student will be write an editorial that accurately portrays General Sherman’s role in the Civil
War and how his tactics were viewed by both sides.
Process:
Day One:
The student is given the choice to write a period editorial or a modern editorial. The student will
research how editorials were written in the time period chosen.
For a Civil War era editorial: http://history.furman.edu/benson/docs/
For a modern era editorial: http://www.geneseo.edu/~bennett/EdWrite.htm
Day Two:
The student will research General Sherman. Paying close attention to his Civil War service and
his tactics.
For an overview: http://www.sfmuseum.net/bio/sherman.html
http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/biographies/william-t-sherman.html
For his tactics: http://www.wired.com/2010/11/1115-sherman-march-to-sea/
Day Three:
Students will give a brief presentation on their editorial before class. (3-5 mins)
Evaluation:
Student’s grade will be determined as follows
70 points for the editorial: 25 for correct writing, 30 for accurate content, and 15 for writing for the
correct era.
30 points for the presentation: must cover all main points, points will be deducted for long and short
presentations
Online Web quest: http://zunal.com/conclusion.php?w=238196