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The Battle of Gettysburg is well known for its stories of courage and bravery on the battlefield. Lesser known is the story of the medical personnel, Union and Confederate, who had by 1863 greatly improved their bases of knowledge and organization to save lives and improve living conditions for the sick and wounded.
Goal
This student program seeks to personalize the battle by having each student focus on one individual, whether it be a sick or wounded soldier, a nurse, steward or surgeon. By role-playing these individuals, students will gain a greater understanding of the organization and dedication of military medical personnel, and will be able to place Civil War medicine in the context of medical progress. The students will think about Civil War battles in the context of their aftermaths and consequences. During this program, students will set up a field hospital at a historic farm, coordinate triage and surgical treatment of casualties using roleplay, and discover the problems and progress of a Civil War medical corps.
Objectives
The students will:
Articulate the role of a Civil War doctor as well as the roles of other medical personnel including nurses, stewards, stretcher bearers and ambulance drivers.
Identify three common diseases of the Civil War soldier from symptoms.
Determine the triage category and "diagnose" first-aid treatment for three types of wounds/injuries.
Explain and describe the typical treatment of a Civil War soldier, from wound to recovery.
Place the caring for the wounded at Gettysburg within the context of Civil War medicine.
Explain three medical improvements made during the course of the war.
A Note to Teachers
The Care of the Wounded Teachers' Guide below contains four sections of material:
1). Background includes general background readings for your class, including inset boxes called "What's Your Diagnosis?" with opportunities for you to facilitate higher-level thinking discussions in your classroom. These readings and activities will serve as the "internship," preparing your students for "army medical service."
2). Before Your Field Trip includes a medical personnel identity for each student, study materials and illustrations, and one-act plays. These plays serve to solidify their field trip roles, and provide an opportunity for each small group of students to share their knowledge with the whole class. These preparations are essential to the success of the program! Proceed as follows: 1.) Have everyone take the Oath of Allegiance and the Hippocratic Oath (page 18). 2.) Divide your class into three groups (squads) and assign the Field Trip Identities. 3.) Have students complete their squad's activities, including rehearsal of their plays. 4.) Make sure Squad Leaders bring along the Camp, Battlefield, and Hospital Reports (pages 26, 32, and 42) from their one-act plays.
3). Your Field Trip Day is a section that includes a handout for the students about their field trip location and activities. There is also a sample diagram for you and your students to create nametags for your field trip, enabling your program ranger to better communicate with the class. Trip Day Directions for you and your bus driver can also be found in this section.
4). After Your Field Trip contains explanations of possible follow up activities for when you return to the classroom, as well as a Reading List to further explore the role of the medical corps at Gettysburg and throughout the Civil War.
New pre-visit and post-visit activities will be posted soon as a simplification of the attached booklet.
