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Learning With Lincoln Institute

Abraham Lincoln Cultivating Character:
from Farmer to American Icon

by Sharon Wright

Download a copy of this Learning Experience

Students explore and analyze primary source images and documents, peer interviews and Lincoln realia to create a collection of Readers’ Response projects.

Each project will include a written analysis containing a title page, a diorama of an event from Lincoln’s life, and a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting their personal experiences with events from Lincoln’s youth. Primary sources offer a glimpse at a particular time or event that may show a unique perspective.

Overview

Subject:
Social Studies / U.S. History / Language Arts
Time Required:
Five 40 minute class periods, Two 40 minute computer lab sessions.
Grade Range:
5 - 8
Understanding Goal:
How can primary sources help us make a personal connection to events from Lincoln’s early life?
Investigative or Essential Question:
How can primary sources help us make a personal connection to events from Lincoln’s early life?

Materials

Purpose of Library of Congress Items:
The primary sources help students broaden their perspectives gather insights and make personal connections about formative events in Lincoln’s life.
Library of Congress Items:
Bibliographical Information can be found in the PDF of this Learning Experience.
 
  • Abraham Lincoln
  • English Grammar in Familiar Lectures
  • Hannah Armstong to Abraham Lincoln
  • Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln to Caleb B. Smith
  • Abraham Lincoln to Jesse W. Fell
  • A photograph of the President and Thomas
  • Abraham Lincoln, head-and-shoulders portrait
  • Abraham Lincoln, three-quarter length portrait, seated
  • Abraham Lincoln, three-quarter length portrait, seated
  • Abraham Lincoln to Albert G. Hodges
  • Abraham Lincoln birthplace
  • Mrs. Abraham Lincoln, full-length portrait, standing
  • Lincoln taking the oath at his second inauguration
  • The Ford Theatre Lincoln assassination play-bill
  • Robert Lincoln
  • Willie Lincoln, third son of President Lincoln
  • Page of Abraham Lincoln’s student sum book
  • Page from Abraham Lincoln’s sum book
Additional Materials:
Required Vocabulary:
Compare/contrast, cultivate, character, icon, Venn diagram, vocabulary relevant to content areas (Social Studies, History)
Prior Content Knowledge:
In addition to knowledge of how to analyze primary sources, students will need to know a general knowledge of Abraham Lincoln and his impact on the American experience. (President, assassinated, emancipation of slaves, Civil War, penny)
Technology Skills:
Basic computer skills and internet searching skills.

Standards

Illinois Learning Standards:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 16, 17, 18, 26
 
For information on specific Illinois Learning Standards go to www.isbe.state.il.us/ils/

Actions

Description of Teacher Actions:
Activating Prior Knowledge or Anticipatory Set
  1. Create a semantic web about Abraham Lincoln on the white board.
  2. Model how topics can be organized into categories.
  3. Discuss analysis of primary sources.
  4. Preview the Reader’s Response Project activities.
 
Student Investigative Activities
  1. Read and analyze the formative events from Abe Lincoln’s life. Select and print a slide or slides for the Response Project.
  2. The slides include images of letters, written materials, and interviews and Lincoln realia.
  3. Discuss the implications of the slides on a personal level. This uses a Venn diagram to model teacher connection to one of the events. Model / discuss how the personal connection can be translated into a collection of learning projects.
 
Student Investigative Activities
  1. Write an essay (narrative, expository, or persuasive style) responding to one or more of the Power Point slides. This includes a title page.
  2. Create a Venn diagram comparing his/her own life to one or more events from Lincoln’s early years.
  3. Create a diorama depicting a scene from Lincoln’s formative years.
  4. Present the collections of learning projects to peers.
Best Instructional Practices:

Teaching for Understanding

Students create a diorama about an event from Lincoln’s life they confirmed and revealed their understanding of the content.

Differentiated Instruction

Writing in response to a slide (or slides), students discovered a personal connection to Abraham Lincoln.

Technology Integration

Students access presentation using computer literacy skills of accessing information and selecting page to print for reference.

Literacy Instruction

Presenting Reader’s Response projects to peers allows students to practice oral presentation skills. Creating a Venn Diagram required students to read for information, make judgments, and draw conclusions. Students access and investigate “Cultivating Character” to read for information, make judgments, and draw conclusions.