The War of 1812 Student Support Adventure 7: The Battle After the War Your student will: • Review key events during the War of 1812. • Explain why the War of 1812 is often called America’s second war for independence. Use the steps below to support your student during this lesson 1. Watch the Introduction video 2. Watch the Read-Aloud video 3. Watch the Word Discovery video 4. Complete the Explorer Activity Give your student Explorer Page 7. Read the directions aloud to your student. Allow them to work independently to write the paragraph. Rewatch the video, if necessary. 5. Read-Aloud Chat After watching the Read-Aloud video, have a discussion with your student using these questions: • Why did the British want to gain control of the Mississippi River? (The Mississippi River was a very important trading link and connected many parts of the United States; the British wanted to stop trading and prevent Americans from getting supplies they needed; etc.) • Two days before Christmas, the British army was just eight miles from the city of New Orleans. What did General Jackson do when he heard this? (He ordered the construction of entrenchments, or defensive walls, across the swampy land around the city.) • Was the Battle of New Orleans the only battle fought after the war ended? (No, the last battle was fought at Fort Bowyer in Alabama.) • The title of this Read-Aloud is “The Battle After the War.” Is that a good title for this story? Why or why not? (Answers may vary, but it may be an appropriate title because the Battle of New Orleans took place after the War in 1812 was officially over.) 6. Further Adventures • Discuss with your student why the troops in the Battle of New Orleans or at Fort Bowyer did not know that a peace treaty had been reached. What forms of communication exist today that did not exist at that time? • Use a map to help your student find the locations of the Battle of New Orleans and Fort Bowyer (in present day Baldwin County, Alabama). Have them follow the course of the Mississippi River from where it ends (Mississippi Delta) to where it begins (Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota). Have a discussion about what would have happened if the British had gained control of the river. • Have your child create a poster that could have been put up in all the cities, towns, and villages in America to let Americans know that the War of 1812 was finally over and that the United States won..