Lesson 1:
    The students learned the names of the original 13 colonies, their location, and characteristics of each.  They were able to sort the colonies into three groups (New England, Middle, and Southern) and tell why they were apart of that region (location, resources, land characteristics, people, etc.)  The students also learned what a colony is and who the original 13 colonies were governed by.  They were able to see that once the colonists came to America the Native Americans were pushed farther west past the Appalachian Mountains.    The students were told about Lincoln’s ancestors and their involvement with the colonies.  At the end of the lesson the students filled out a crossword showing their knowledge of the 13 colonies.


Lesson 2:

    The students were able to put cut-outs of the colonies into the correct places as they appear on a map during the colonial period.  They were able to see the difference of the United States over several years and talked about all the differences they noticed in the maps.  The students learned how the Declaration of Independence was formed and why we celebrate it on July 4.  They also became familiar with the Constitution and the Articles of Confederation.  The students were shown a timeline of the when the 50 states joined the union.  They learned that the original 13 colonies were the first states to become part of the U.S. and that Alaska and Hawaii were the last.  We then talked about all of the different states Lincoln lived in and visited during his lifetime.  The students were given a blank map of the U.S. and as the teacher explained the different states Abe visited they colored that particular state with a blue colored pencil as the teacher demonstrated it on a larger map.  After that the student got the opportunity to share with others different states they have visited and color those states in red.  Then the students were asked if there are any states that they wish they could visit, they were to color those states in yellow.

Lesson 3:

    The students learned about colonial life, the jobs the colonists did to raise money, and how the colonists’ lifestyle compared to the lifestyle of Abe Lincoln's day.  We discussed the kinds of homes the colonists lived in, the clothes they wore, and the jobs they held.  The students were given a worksheet with different jobs listed.  The definitions were listed and they had to match the definition to the correct word.  We also talked about the importance of the colonial jobs and touched on the concept of “bartering.”  The students were then presented with three writing prompts to get them thinking about what life was like for the colonists.  The students chose one prompt and created a mini-book.

Lesson 4:
    In the 4^th lesson we focused on The Northwest Land Ordinance of 1785.  The students were given a story with word blanks to fill in while reading the story as a group.  The students were also given information about how different townships were divided and how the land was sold.  We also talked about how different sections of the township were reserved for schools and memorials for veterans in previous and future wars. We reviewed important and challenging vocabulary words the students may need to read the passages.  As a group we discussed the changes the United States was going through during this time period and during Lincoln’s Presidency.


Lesson 5:
    The students leaned that Abraham Lincoln worked as a surveyor for two years before becoming president.  They  participated in an activity where they surveyed part of the school so they could understand what Lincoln had to do as a surveyor.  They were given graph paper to make a map of the land that they surveyed.  We talked about accuracy and directions when surveying.  After the maps are made we  discussed how surveyors played a very important part in how the land is divided.  We also discussed how different boundaries are set.  In this lesson we discussed how Abraham Lincoln developed the nickname "Honest Abe" while traveling as a surveyor.  The students also learned how the traveling Lincoln did while working as a surveyor helped him get elected to the Illinois House of Representatives.