GRADE LEVEL: 1-3

TIME ALLOTMENT: Two 45-minute class periods

OVERVIEW:
In this interdisciplinary lesson, students will gather different facts about Lincoln through a variety of hands-on activities. In the Introductory Activity, students will match vocabulary words with pictures to piece together a timeline of Abraham Lincoln’s life. In the Learning Activities, students will gather various facts about the life of Lincoln. Students will learn about Abraham Lincoln’s work as a lawyer on the prairie and also gain insight into Lincoln through objects and artifacts of his life. Students will then select classroom objects that best tell a story about them and/or their class. In the Culminating Activity, students will reflect upon the life of Lincoln, revisit the timeline of Lincoln’s life and create their own personal timelines.

SUBJECT MATTER:
Social Studies; US History

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to:
• Create and interpret their own timelines
• Place events in chronological order
• Describe at least 5 facts about Abraham Lincoln
• Critically observe and describe objects
• Describe different ways to learn about the past
• Match words to corresponding images
• Define key vocabulary terms

STANDARDS

History Standards for Grades K-4

Historical Thinking Standards
Standard 1: Chronological Thinking

A. Distinguish between past, present, and future time.
E. Interpret data presented in time lines.
F. Create time lines.

Standard 4: Historical Research Capabilities

B. Obtain historical data.
C. Interrogate historical data.

MEDIA COMPONENTS
LOOKING FOR LINCOLN, selected segments

Clip 1:

Abraham Lincoln, Attorney at Law

Clip 2:

All Things Lincoln

Access the streaming and downloadable video segments for this lesson at the Video Segments Page.

Web site:
TeAch-nology.com- The Online Teacher Resource
Students can use this “timeline generator” on the TeAch-nology.com site to create their own timelines, including up to 6 events. (Scroll down to the bottom of the page to view the timeline generator.)

MATERIALS

For the class:
• 1 black top hat (a real hat or one that you make)
Note: See the “Prep for Teachers” section below for directions on how to make a simple black hat, using a can and construction paper or felt.
• One large drawing of the outline of a top hat
Note: See the “Prep for Teachers” section below for details.
• One set of Abraham Lincoln Timeline Cards, cut out and mixed up (download here)

For each group of 3-4 students:
• 5 copies of the “Our Things” Student Organizer (download here)

For each student:
• 2-3 blank sheets of paper to create their personal timelines
• Pencils, pens and crayons

PREP FOR TEACHERS
Prior to teaching this lesson, you will need to:

Preview all of the video segments and Web sites used in the lesson.
Download the video clips used in the lesson to your classroom computer, or prepare to watch them using your classroom’s Internet connection.

Bookmark the Web site used in the lesson on each computer in your classroom. Using a social bookmarking tool such as del.icio.us or diigo (or an online bookmarking utility such as portaportal) will allow you to organize all the links in a central location.

If you do not have a black top hat, you can create your own by following these steps:

1. Take a coffee can or other similarly-shaped container and place it upside down onto a piece of black construction paper or black felt.
2. Glue the coffee can to the paper.
3. Cut the black piece of paper or felt into a circle shape, leaving about two inches between the rim of the can and the edge of the paper or felt.
4. Wrap black construction paper or black felt around the sides and bottom of the hat.

Cut up the jumbled timeline cards. (For beginning readers: Keep each picture card joined to its adjoining text card.)

Print enough copies of the “Our Things” Student Organizer so that each group of 3-4 students has 5 copies.

Draw a large outline of a top hat on a large sheet of posterboard, a white board or a flip chart. This is intended to be a space where you can write in facts that your students learn about Lincoln during the lesson. Make the drawing large enough that you could write at least 20 short sentences inside the outline of the hat.

Next: Proceed to Activities

Lesson plans for LOOKING FOR LINCOLN were created by the LAB@Thirteen, Thirteen’s Community and Educational Outreach Department.

GRADE LEVEL: 4-5

TIME ALLOTMENT: Two to three 45-minute class periods

OVERVIEW:
In this lesson, students will explore how Abraham Lincoln used the power of words in speeches, letters and other documents. In the Introductory Activity, students will watch a segment from the PBS film Looking for Lincoln featuring Lincoln quotes and try to identify the origin of each quotation. In the first Learning Activity, students will closely examine Lincoln’s use of words in the Gettysburg Address and learn that a short speech can be powerful. In the second Learning Activity, students will discuss different reasons for writing letters and review some of Abraham Lincoln’s letters. In the Culminating Activity, students will write their own speeches or letters and then present them to the class.

SUBJECT MATTER:
Social Studies; U.S. History; Language Arts

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to:
• Quote famous Lincoln phrases and state the speeches or documents from which they come;
• Cite examples of how and by whom Lincoln has been quoted in recent times;
• Discuss why people still quote Lincoln today;
• Express a point of view in a speech or letter;
• Describe different types of letters and reasons why people write letters.

STANDARDS

History Standards for Grades K-4
Historical Thinking Standards
Standard 2: Historical Comprehension

A. Identify the author or source of the historical document or narrative.

Content Standards
Standard 4: How democratic values came to be, and how they have been exemplified by people, events, and symbols

C. The student understands historic figures who have exemplified values and principles of American democracy.

History Standards for Grades 5-12
Historical Thinking Standards
Standard 2: Historical Comprehension

A. Identify the author or source of the historical document or narrative and assess its credibility.

Language Arts Standards for grades 3-5
Writing Standards
Standard 1. Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process.

Level II (Grades 3-5)
10. Writes expressive compositions (e.g., expresses ideas, reflections, and observations; uses an individual, authentic voice; uses narrative strategies, relevant details, and ideas that enable the reader to imagine the world of the event or experience)

12. Writes personal letters (e.g., includes the date, address, greeting, body, and closing; addresses envelopes; includes signature)

Reading Standards
Standard 7. Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of informational texts

Level II (Grades 3-5)
1. Uses reading skills and strategies to understand a variety of informational texts (e.g., textbooks, biographical sketches, letters, diaries, directions, procedures, magazines)

Listening and Speaking Standards
Standard 8. Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes

Level II (Grades 3-5)
5. Uses strategies to convey a clear main point when speaking (e.g., expresses ideas in a logical manner, uses specific vocabulary to establish tone and present information)

7. Makes basic oral presentations to class (e.g., uses subject-related information and vocabulary; includes content appropriate to the audience; relates ideas and observations; incorporates visual aids or props; incorporates several sources of information)

12. Understands the main ideas and supporting details in spoken texts (e.g., presentations by peers or quest speakers, a current affairs report on the radio)

MEDIA COMPONENTS

Video:

LOOKING FOR LINCOLN, selected segments

Clip 1:

Abraham Lincoln’s Words

Clip 2:

Quoting Abraham Lincoln

Clip 3:

The Gettysburg Address

Access the streaming and downloadable video segments for this lesson at the Video Segments Page.

Web sites:
Analyzing the Evidence
This primary source document activity helps students examine key Lincoln documents and photographs through a series of questions. In this lesson, students will be exploring the Gettysburg Address and the Letter to Grace Bedell.

Abraham Lincoln Online: Speeches and Writings
This Web site features speeches, letters and other documents by Abraham Lincoln, as well as background information about the documents. During this lesson, students will be reviewing the following letters:

• Letter to Fanny McCullough (1862)

Abraham Lincoln Thank You Letter

• Letter of Thanks for White Rabbits (1862)

MATERIALS

For the class:

• Computers with internet access (If you do not have internet access in the classroom, you can make printouts of Lincoln’s letters and speeches featured in this lesson and distribute them to your students. See the “Prep for Teachers” section below for details.)
• Computer and projection screen (for class viewing of online/downloaded video segments and “Analyzing the Evidence”)
• Copies of “Famous Quotes Handout 1” and “Famous Quotes Handout 2” (download here) (See the “Prep for Teachers” section below for details.)
• “Letter from Abraham Lincoln” Answer Key (download here)

For each pair of students:

• 1 copy of the “Letter from Abraham Lincoln” Student Organizer (download here)

For each student:

• 2-3 blank sheets of paper on which to write their speeches and letters
• Pencils, pens and crayons

PREP FOR TEACHERS

Prior to teaching this lesson, you will need to:

Preview all of the video segments and Web sites used in the lesson.

Download the video clips used in the lesson to your classroom computer, or prepare to watch them using your classroom’s Internet connection.

Bookmark the Web site used in the lesson on each computer in your classroom. Using a social bookmarking tool such as del.icio.us or diigo (or an online bookmarking utility such as portaportal) will allow you to organize all the links in a central location.

Print out and make one copy of the “Famous Quotes Handout 1” for each student.

Print out and make copies of the “Famous Quotes Handout 2.” Cut out the excerpts along the dotted lines. Make enough copies so that each pair of students gets one excerpt. It is fine for multiple groups to have the same excerpt.

Familiarize yourself with the Gettysburg Address document featured in the Analyzing the Evidence interactive. Note: If you do not have internet access in your classroom, print out one copy of the Gettysburg Address for each student.

Familiarize yourself with the Letter to Fanny McCullough, the Letter to Grace Bedell and the Letter of Thanks for White Rabbits (listed in the Web sites section above). Note: If you do not have internet access in your classroom, print out copies of each letter, so that each group of 2-3 students has one letter to review. The same letter can be distributed to multiple groups.

Next: Proceed to Activities

Lesson plans for LOOKING FOR LINCOLN were created by the LAB@Thirteen, Thirteen’s Community and Educational Outreach Department.

GRADE LEVEL
Grades 5-8

TIME ALLOTMENT
Two 45-minute class periods

OVERVIEW
In this lesson, students will examine Abraham Lincoln’s views on slavery and race, which evolved both throughout his early life and throughout his presidency. The lesson will begin with students examining how aspects of American society and life have changed over the course of their lifetimes, as well as the reasons for change in their own personal lives. Students will then review how Lincoln’s stance on slavery shifted over the course of his political career. Through an examination of historical quotations and primary source documents, students will learn that the Emancipation Proclamation was the result of a complex and sometimes contradictory interplay of circumstances – some political, some personal, and some societal. Students will view segments from the PBS film LOOKING FOR LINCOLN, read and analyze quotations from different historical figures on slavery and race, and utilize an online timeline interactive, before creating a position paper outlining a response to a historian’s perspective on Lincoln and slavery. This lesson is best used before, during, or following a unit on the American Civil War. Students should have a basic familiarity with Lincoln’s presidency and the Emancipation Proclamation prior to embarking on this lesson.

SUBJECT MATTER
Social Studies; U.S. History

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Students will be able to:
• Articulate causes of change at the personal and societal level;
• Summarize Lincoln’s changing views on slavery and race;
• Analyze historical quotations and appreciate historical perspectives;
• Synthesize a response to a historian’s perspective addressing Abraham Lincoln’s changing views on slavery.

STANDARDS

History Standards for Grades 5-12

Historical Thinking Standards
Standard 1: Chronological Thinking

E. Interpret data presented in time lines and create time lines.
F. Reconstruct patterns of historical succession and duration; explain historical continuity and change.

Standard 2: Historical Comprehension

B. Reconstruct the literal meaning of a historical passage.
F. Appreciate historical perspectives.

Standard 3: Historical Analysis and Interpretation

A. Compare and contrast differing sets of ideas.
B. Consider multiple perspectives.
C. Analyze cause-and-effect relationships and multiple causation, including (a) the importance of the individual in history; (b) the influence of ideas, human interests, and beliefs.
F. Compare competing historical narratives.

Standard 5: Historical Issues-Analysis and Decision-Making

A. Identify issues and problems in the past.
E. Formulate a position or course of action on an issue.

United States History Standards
Era 5
Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877)
STANDARD 1: The causes of the Civil War

Standard 1A: The student understands how the North and South differed and how politics and ideologies led to the Civil War.
• Explain the causes of the Civil War and evaluate the importance of slavery as a principal cause of the conflict. [Compare competing historical narratives]

STANDARD 2: The course and character of the Civil War and its effects on the American people.

Standard 2A: The student understands how the resources of the Union and Confederacy affected the course of the war.
• Identify the turning points of the war and evaluate how political, military, and diplomatic leadership affected the outcome of the conflict. [Assess the importance of the individual in history]
• Evaluate provisions of the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln’s reasons for issuing it, and its significance. [Examine the influence of ideas]

MEDIA COMPONENTS

LOOKING FOR LINCOLN, selected segments

Clip 1: Early Views

Lincoln’s views on slavery early in his presidency.

Clip 2: White Supremacist?

Lincoln’s views on racial equality.

Clip 3: The Road to Emancipation

Strategic and moral arguments for emancipation.

Clip 4: Growth and Change

Lincoln’s capacity for growth.

Access the streaming and downloadable video segments for this lesson at the Video Segments Page.

Web sites:

The Life of Lincoln Interactive Timeline
This interactive timeline game challenges students to place Lincoln images, documents, and quotations into the correct chronological order.

MATERIALS

For the class:
• Computers with internet access
• Computer, Projection screen, and speakers (for class viewing of online/downloaded video segments)
• “Who Said It?” Answer Key (download here)
• “Looking for Lincoln’s Views on Slavery” Video Organizer Answer Key (download here)

For each pair of students:
• “Who Said It?” Student Organizer (download here)

For each student:
• “Looking for Lincoln’s Views on Slavery” Video Organizer (download here)

PREP FOR TEACHERS

Prior to teaching this lesson, you will need to:

Preview all of the video segments and the Web site used in the lesson.

Download the video clips used in the lesson to your classroom computer, or prepare to watch them using your classroom’s Internet connection.

Bookmark the Web site used in the lesson on each computer in your classroom. Using a social bookmarking tool such as del.icio.us or diigo (or an online bookmarking utility such as portaportal) will allow you to organize all the links in a central location.

Print out and make copies of the “Who Said It?” Student Organizer for each pair of students, and the “Looking for Lincoln’s Views on Slavery” Video Organizer for each student.

Familiarize yourself with the “Life of Lincoln” interactive timeline activity, which you will be leading for the class in Learning Activity 3.

Next: Proceed to Activities

Lesson plans for LOOKING FOR LINCOLN were created by the LAB@Thirteen, Thirteen’s Community and Educational Outreach Department.

GRADE LEVELS: 9-12

TIME ALLOTMENT: two to three 45-minute class periods

OVERVIEW: Abraham Lincoln’s presidency was defined by the Civil War. Before he even took office—and largely because of his election—southern states were seceding from the Union, and he would barely live to see peace finally restored. Using segments from the PBS film LOOKING FOR LINCOLN and a detailed interactive game from the National Constitution Center, this lesson will explore the unique challenges Lincoln faced during the five years of bloody civil war that made him America’s greatest but most controversial wartime leader.

The Introductory Activity uses the “Lincoln’s Crossroads” online interactive to challenge students to make two of the earliest and most difficult decisions Lincoln faced during his presidency. A segment from the series is then used to promote discussion of the relative similarities and differences between Lincoln and another wartime president: George W. Bush. The Learning Activities continue with film segments providing background on Lincoln’s presidency and additional rounds of the “Lincoln’s Crossroads” interactive which call on students to “walk in his shoes.” The Culminating Activity asks students to write a hypothetical speech for Lincoln.
This lesson is best used as an introduction to a unit on the American Civil War.

SUBJECT MATTER: U.S. History/Social Studies

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Students will be able to:

• Describe the unprecedented scale of the losses sustained by both sides during the American Civil War.
• Identify significant events and milestones of Lincoln’s presidency.
• Articulate the difficult choices faced by President Lincoln in leading the nation during an often unpopular civil war.
• Discuss the development of how Lincoln’s position on the issue of slavery and emancipation changed during the course of the war, and why.

STANDARDS:

History Standards for Grades 5-12

Historical Thinking Standards
Standard 1: Chronological Thinking

E. Interpret data presented in time lines and create time lines.
F. Reconstruct patterns of historical succession and duration; explain historical continuity and change.

Standard 2 : Historical Comprehension

B. Reconstruct the literal meaning of a historical passage.
F. Appreciate historical perspectives.

Standard 3 : Historical Analysis and Interpretation

A. Compare and contrast differing sets of ideas.
B. Consider multiple perspectives.
C. Analyze cause-and-effect relationships and multiple causation, including (a) the importance of the individual in history; (b) the influence of ideas, human interests, and beliefs.
F. Compare competing historical narratives.

Standard 5 : Historical Issues-Analysis and Decision-Making

A. Identify issues and problems in the past.
E. Formulate a position or course of action on an issue.

United States History Standards
Era 5
Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877)
STANDARD 1: The causes of the Civil War

Standard 1A: The student understands how the North and South differed and how politics and ideologies led to the Civil War.
• Explain the causes of the Civil War and evaluate the importance of slavery as a principal cause of the conflict. [Compare competing historical narratives]

STANDARD 2: The course and character of the Civil War and its effects on the American people.

Standard 2A: The student understands how the resources of the Union and Confederacy affected the course of the war.
• Identify the turning points of the war and evaluate how political, military, and diplomatic leadership affected the outcome of the conflict. [Assess the importance of the individual in history]
• Evaluate provisions of the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln’s reasons for issuing it, and its significance. [Examine the influence of ideas]

MEDIA COMPONENTS:

Video:

LOOKING FOR LINCOLN, selected segments

Clip 1: Bush on Lincoln

An interview with President George W. Bush about the parallels between his and Lincoln’s presidencies.

Clip 2: Proving Ground

An introduction to the Civil War and Lincoln’s view of the Confederacy.

Clip 3: “How Could God Have Allowed This?”

A description of Lincoln’s need to ennoble the the Civil War’s horrors with the higher cause of abolition.

Access the streaming and downloadable video segments for this lesson at the Video Segments Page.

Websites:

Abraham Lincoln’s Crossroads
An interactive game from the National Constitution Center in which players are challenged to make the difficult decisions faced by Abraham Lincoln.

MATERIALS:

For the class:
• A computer with internet access connected to a projector and speakers for classroom use.

For each student:
• “Lincoln’s Crossroads” Student Organizer (download here)

PREP FOR TEACHERS:

Prior to teaching this lesson, you will need to:

Preview all of the video segments and Web site used in the lesson.

Download the video segments used in the lesson to your classroom computer, or prepare to watch them using your classroom’s Internet connection.

Bookmark the Web site used in the lesson on each computer in your classroom. Using a social bookmarking tool such as del.icio.us or diigo (or an online bookmarking utility such as portaportal) will allow you to organize all the links in a central location.

Play the “Lincoln’s Crossroads” interactive to familiarize yourself with the flow of gameplay and learn where you will need to pause it for classroom participation.

Print and copy the “Lincoln’s Crossroads” student organizer.

Next: Proceed to Activities

Lesson plans for LOOKING FOR LINCOLN were created by the LAB@Thirteen, Thirteen’s Community and Educational Outreach Department.