The American Civil War has thousands of dedicated historical recreationists. These recreationists are "walking, talking, 'mobile museums.'" according to Civil War recreationist and author Stephen Gapps in "Historical Re-Enactment: From Realism to the Affective Turn," Many of them painstakingly design their costumes and props with historical authenticity in mind, and, as a result of this dedication, there are hundreds of authentic-looking costumes and props out there on the market. Through online retailers like eBay, or through local hobbyists, it is relatively cheap and easy to acquire a few of these artifacts. Allowing students to handle Civil War-era reproductions, or to even dress up in the costumes, helps bring history to life.
Turning the subject of the Civil War into a game can make the subject more interesting. Splitting the class into teams, you can drill them on states, generals, and other important geographical or historical material, and score each team by the number of correct answers. Use the format of a well-known game show if you don't feel like designing a game from scratch.
Making a subject more personal makes it easier to learn. Private letters and diaries of people who lived at the time of the Civil War are available for free online. High school students might even be given a primary source project of their own. Students could read letters and journals from two neighboring counties or states that were on opposing sides of the Civil War, and determine how lives were both different and alike on both sides.
Games are a fun activity for involving students in the subject matter. Providing your students with word searches, crossroad puzzles and worksheets can be an effective way to familiarize them with names and dates. Inviting older students to play "what if" thought experiments -- for example, asking them what might have happened if Abraham Lincoln had not been elected President -- engages their creativity while encouraging them to learn the material and participate in class discussion. Finally, adapting familiar party games like charades to Civil War themes offers educators a means to involve the class quickly without spending too much time on rules and explanations.