Objective:

In this lesson, the students will learn facts about Abraham Lincoln’s life from childhood to young adulthood. They will also learn that many scenarios helped to shape Lincoln into a moral and hardworking member of society. They will learn through discussion with the teacher, and peers, and will keep thoughts in order with their KWL chart.

Purpose:

The student will see Abraham Lincoln as a boy they can relate to. History books tend to show Abraham Lincoln as the older president who lived many years ago. Students will see Lincoln as someone they might have known or he may even remind them of themselves.  It’s important for students to relate to him, because it is easier to learn and respect someone they can relate to.

Activity:

Have students stand in a circle. The teacher will say random facts about Lincoln, and if the students can relate and have experienced the same situation they take a step forward. If they cannot relate or agree they take a step back. This activity gives the students a chance to better know each other, while finding out what they have in common with the late president. (Ex: If you own a dog take a step forward. Abraham Lincoln had many animals and one was a dog named Jib…etc.)

Lesson 2: What Events Impacted Lincoln?

Objective:

In this lesson, as a group we will make a timeline of the commonalities in the students’ lives.  Then make a timeline of Lincoln’s life as we read the book Young Abe Lincoln.  After the timelines are done, the students will take what they learned and finish the sentences as a part of a writing activity as a way to summarize Lincoln’s childhood.

Purpose: 

The students will be able to use the tool of a timeline to list the major events in Lincoln’s life which impacted him, this is important for later lessons on how Lincoln is important today.

Activity:

The students will create a timeline of the events of Lincoln’s life.  The students are given a baggie with dates and events typed up onto small slips of paper.  During the reading of Young Abe Lincoln the students will paste the pieces onto the timeline template they were given.  The teacher had to prepare the materials for this lesson which included: timeline template, dates and events slips for timeline, and a model to show the students. 

Lesson 3:  Did you think he was JUST a President?

Objective:

In this lesson the students will focus on what kind of jobs Abraham Lincoln had. We learned in the last lesson he helped farm as a young boy. This lesson will go further in depth and talk about the jobs Lincoln had as an adult. The students will also gain some geography knowledge by learning where Lincoln had each job at how the capital of Illinois moved form its original starting point to Springfield.

Purpose:

The students will interact with each other by asking questions thus strengthening teamwork. The students will learn about jobs Abraham Lincoln had before he became president of our country. They will understand more about the person he was to understand why he was the president he was. They will see the trail he traveled from birth to the White House.

Activity:

Each student will have a post it note on their head. The teacher will have various jobs on them such as lawyer, postmaster, store clerk, etc. The teacher will explain Abraham Lincoln had many jobs before he became president. The teacher will then tell the student she is going to place a post it note on their head. They cannot ask anyone directly what it says but will have to ask questions to find out what the job is. The children will go around asking each other questions about their card until they figure out what the occupation is. Once everyone figures out their occupation they will have to line up in the order that Abraham Lincoln did that job.

Lesson 4:  Debates and Today’s Presidential Candidates

Objective:

In this lesson, the students will be able to describe the differences between the 2008 Presidential candidates, tell what Abraham Lincoln talked about in his speech at the Charleston debate, as observe a primary source and analyze it.

Purpose:

The students will follow in guided research to learn the differences in the Presidential candidates today, then use those characteristics to see how they are similar to Abraham Lincoln.  The students will also look at the newspaper clipping of Lincoln’s speech in Charleston to find out he had a different point of view when running for Senator of Illinois.

Activity:

Lesson 5:  Lincoln Memorialized

Objective:

In this lesson, the students will have a fuller understanding of what a democracy entails. They will also learn about the many sites dedicated to the late Abraham Lincoln. The students will then make their own memorial to Lincoln and decide what important artifacts would go into it. 

Purpose:

Each country in the world is different and has its own way of running how it should be ran. The United States of America is a Democracy and it is important for you to know that because that is why we say “It’s a free country!” American citizens are able to have their own opinions about the government and what should be the important values of our country. This lesson helps you to understand what a Democracy is and what Abraham Lincoln did to influence it.

Activity:

Help students understand why it is important that the United States is a democracy. Students will be given the topic “Year round schooling.” The teacher will ask the students to have a debate style discussion about the pros and cons of having year round school. The teacher will start by letting the students take a vote, then change it and stop agreeing or listening to them completely telling them that their views don’t matter. This activity will help students understand that the United States is a democracy and is a government for the people, while communism and other parties do not take into account what the citizens want.

Lesson 6:  Inequality of the World Through the Years

Objective:

In this lesson, the students will look at pictures of various people and events and write down observations of what they see.  Through this we will have a discussion of inequality through the years looking at Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, and the poverty which has stricken Africa in recent years.  The students will be able to experience discrimination through the opening activity.

Purpose:

The purpose of this lesson is to learn about inequality that has happened around the world and different people who have “fought” it (MLK and Gandhi did not fight, they used civil disobedience).  It is important to learn that not everybody has the same opportunities around the world, and Abraham Lincoln is also another person who tried to fight that.

Activity:

To begin the lesson, the students participated in a simulation of discrimination.  They were each given either a blue or red slip of paper to tape onto their shirt.  The students with red slips of paper were paid more attention to during the word-search activity.  After the students got the idea, we talked about what happened and how they felt.  Afterwards, the students got with a partner to look at pictures of certain people and answer questions about them.  The pictures were of Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, and poverty in Africa.

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