Be sure they think about how the use of photographs affected the way people saw the war. Then learn about cameras and photography. The telegraph made it possible for people to learn over breakfast what was happening during last night's dinner. Try studying telegraphs and even communications. You could do a whole side unit on the scientific improvements in communications over the years and how they changed history.
Stars make a good science unit for the Civil War.
Many conductors on the Underground Railroad used the stars to chart their path. Buy a telescope and do some star watching. You will want reports done on any important topic. You can assign an entire report or term paper, or just a composition. You can also try poetry or fiction on the topic.