Lesson #1 -- Why was President Lincoln Killed?

Instructional Sequence
            A.  Focusing Activity:
                        1.  Ask questions about the skit
                                    a.  What was your favorite part of the skit?
                                                Student Response:  The legos.
                                    b.  What did you learn from our skit that you did not already know?
                                                Student Response:  That women could not vote after the war.
                                    c.  From the skit, what would you like to learn more about?
                                                Student Response:  When the slaves were freed and why we had slavery.
                        2.  Ask questions about Lincoln's life
                                    a.  What do you already know about Lincoln's life?
                                                Student Response:  He was our President.
                                    b.  What did Lincoln do in his life?
                                                1.)  What type of jobs did he have?
                                                            Student Response:  He was president and he was a dad.
                                                2.)  Where were the different places Lincoln and his family lived?
                                                            Student Response:  Illinois and in the White House
                                    c.  Do you know how Lincoln died?
                                                1.)  Who killed Lincoln? ?
                                                            a.) someone who was mad at him.
                                                2.)  Where did Lincoln die?
                                                            b.)  I don’t know.
                                                3.)  Where was Lincoln buried?
                                                            c.)  In Washington D.C.

            B.  Purpose:
                        1.  Does anyone know why we are studying Lincoln?
                                    a.  Student response:  Because Lincoln lived a long time ago and he was a
                                         President, so he was important.
                        2.  Why do you think it is important to study Lincoln?
                                    a.  Student response:  Because he lived in Illinois and then became
                                         President.
                        3.  From what you know, do you think Lincoln was a good President?
                                    a.  Student Response:  Yes.

            C.  Instruction:
                        1.  Ask the students what they liked about the skit and ask for comments and the
                             things they liked about the skit.
                        2.  Ask the children in our group as to why they think Lincoln was killed and what
                             they know about it.
                        3.  Review/go over what Lincoln’s life was like before he became president.
                                    a.  Where did Lincoln live?
                                                Student Response:  In Illinois
                                    b.  How many children did Lincoln have?
                                                Student Response:  Four, all boys
                                    c.  Who did Lincoln marry?
                                                Student Response:  His wife
                                    d.  What great troubles were the U.S. in at that time?
                                                Student Response:  We did not have a president yet.
                        4.  Go into detail what we know about why Lincoln was killed
                                    a.  Who killed Lincoln?
                                                Student Response:  Someone who did not like him.
                                    b.  Why they killed Lincoln?
                                                Student Response:  They were mad at him
                                    c.  Where was Lincoln killed?
                                                Student Response:  In the White House
                                    d.  Where was Lincoln buried?
                                                Student Response:  We do not know.
                                    e.  Show the students where they traveled from Washington D.C. to get to Illinois and how far it
                                         looks on a map.
                                                1.)  show on the map
                                                2.)  Have the students find the state that Lincoln was born in, and the area where
                                                      Washington D.C. is located
                                                3.)  Show just how far it was for those who were in the funeral procession to bring
                                                      Lincoln from Washington D.C. to Illinois for his burial. 
                        5.  Invite students to look/draw on the map that shows them where Lincoln had lived at one time,
                             as well as where he was buried and how far they traveled from Washington D.C. to Illinois.
                        6.  Talk about who killed President Lincoln and why they killed him and what was going on in the
                             world at that time.
                                    a.  Mention that the South had divided their political parties and that Lincoln went into office
                                         having lots of enemies. 
                                                Students response:  We did not know that Lincoln was not liked by everyone
                                    b.  To help the students better understand, compare everyone not liking Lincoln to how not
                                         everyone likes everyone they meet and sometimes within your class, not everyone likes
                                         everyone. 
                                    c.  Tell students that Lincoln was not always liked by everyone and because he wanted to get rid
                                         of slavery, people were going to have to do their own work. 
                                    d.  Let students know that when Lincoln was shot, which shooting a president is always a horrible                                          thing, that the Vice President had to take over right away, and he might not have known what
                                         the President wanted to do during the rest of his presidency.
                                    e.  Help students understand that our next president that will be elected in 2008 will be president
                                        for more than 300,000 Americans and that even though there was not nearly that many people
                                        when Lincoln was president, it is a lot more work than being the head of a family like their
                                        parents or the head of your classroom like their teacher.
                        7.  If time permits, go over the poster “What’s in my pockets?”  and see if students can compare
                            what they think Lincoln might have had in his pockets compared to what Lincoln really had in
                            his pockets.
                            a.  Ask the students a random question about what they think Lincoln had in his pockets when he died.
                                              Student response:  Chap stick, Kleenex, money
           
 
        D.  Modeling: 
                1.  Provide example of a map to show students where Lincoln lived, and where he was buried
                    a.  Do you think it is a long way to Washington D.C.?
                        Student Response:  yes
                    b.  Do you think Lincoln lived in Illinois?           
                        Student Response:  No
                    c.  If you don’t think Lincoln lived in Illinois, then stop and think about what things around
                        Charleston we know of or have visited that deal with Lincoln.
                        Student Response:  Like the Lincoln Log Cabin
                    d.  Ask them again if Lincoln lived in Illinois.
                        Student Response:  Yes!
                    e.  Ask them if they can name anywhere else Lincoln lived
                        Student Response:  The White House
                    f.  Ask the students if they think they could live in The White House.
                        Student Response:  No, it is too big
                    g.  Let the students know that Lincoln was killed in Washington, D.C. and point it out to them on the
                        map while telling them that they then traveled with Lincoln’s body to Illinois where he was buried.
                2.  Provide the students with examples of questions they could ask and things that will get their minds
                    going so they are enthusiastic about the group.
                                    a.  Who killed Lincoln
                                                Student Response:  Someone who did not like him.
                                                Who exactly? 
                                                Student Response:  John something (Wilkes Booth)
                                    b.  Why they killed Lincoln
                                                Student Response:  They were mad at him
                                                Why were they mad at him?
                                                Student Response:  He wanted to get rid of slavery and not everyone wanted to get
                                                rid of slavery because the slaves helped them do their work in the fields and stuff like that
                                    c.  Where Lincoln was killed
                                                Student Response:  In the White House
                                                Which is located where?  (have students point out on the map)
                                                Student Response:  Washington, D.C.
                                    d.  Where Lincoln was buried
                                                Student Response:  We do not know.
                                                He was buried near here, can you guess?
                                                Student Response:  Springfield, IL.
                        3.  Share the book with the students that they will be making and show them our teacher model
                            that we will also be making as a teaching team.
                                    a.  Provide examples for them and help guide them with what each picture is so they know
                                        when they go to glue down the pictures.
                        4.  Provide example of what we might think Lincoln would have in his pockets if we get time for
                            the pocket poster activity.
                                    a.  Kleenex, chap stick, money.
                                    b.  Then show them the poster and have each student take one pocket off the poster to reveal
                                        the picture of what Lincoln had in his pocket.
                                                1.)  Relate this to how things were different back when Lincoln was alive and
                                                      how the world has changed over time

            E.  Checking for Understanding
                        1.  Ask the students to tell us what they just learned
                                    Student Response:  That Lincoln was assassinated, which means was killed by someone
                                    else because they were upset with him
                        2.  Ask the students if they have any questions
                                    Student Response:  Other presidents were assassinated
                                    Teacher Response:  Yes, other presidents were, like John F. Kennedy
                        3.  Observe the students to see if they can match up the pictures with the statements in the books
                             they’re creating
                                    a.  Materials needed:  Teacher/student made books, glue, pictures, and Sscissors.
                        4.  Ask the students what the main part of this lesson was
                                    Student response:  That Lincoln was killed by someone named John Wilkes Booth
                                    who was mad at him because he had freed the slaves
            F.  Task/Guided Practice
                        1.  Observe students creating their own books so that we make sure as teachers that they
                             understand what is going on
                        2.  Ask students to go through the things they think might have been in Lincoln’s pockets at the time
                             that he was assassinated and see if they were right based on the poster that we made
            G.  Independent Practice
                        1.  The students will finish their books


                                                                                                                                               
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