You Are an Investigative Reporter:
The Assassination of President Lincoln
by Dawn DeNap
Download a copy of this Learning Experience
Students analyze primary source images to determine a specific historical event; listen to a teacher narrative on President Lincoln’s assassination; investigate the conspiracy surrounding the assassination and write a newspaper article describing the event.
Overview
- Subject:
- U.S. History / Language Arts / Social Sciences
- Time Required:
- Five 50 minute class periods.
- Grade Range:
- 6 - 8
- Understanding Goal:
- Primary sources provide clues to the events surrounding Lincoln’s assassination.
- Investigative or Essential Question:
- What can primary sources show us about a specific historical event?
Materials
- Purpose of Library of Congress Items:
- The primary sources help students investigate the events surrounding Lincoln’s assassination.
- Library of Congress Items:
- Bibliographical Information can be found in the PDF of this Learning Experience.
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- Additional Materials:
- Required Vocabulary:
- Civil War, Abraham Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth, assassination
- Prior Content Knowledge:
- Students should have completed a unit of study of the Civil War. This activity will be used to review the Civil War and introduce Reconstruction.
- Technology Skills:
- None.
Standards
- Illinois Learning Standards:
- 16.A, 16.B
- For information on specific Illinois Learning Standards go to www.isbe.state.il.us/ils/
Actions
- Description of Teacher Actions:
- Build Prior Knowledge
- Distribute bags of clues and “You Are an Investigative Journalist” worksheet.
- Encourage students to examine the primary source clues and record observations on the “You Are an Investigative Journalist” worksheet.
- Ex. Clue – photo of Ford’s Theater
- Ex. Observation using objective and subjective statements – “The building looks important. There are guards outside. Black bunting is draped around. This usually signifies death.”
- Ex. Significance – Ford’s Theater is where Lincoln was shot. The photo is of the theater the following day.)
- Share bibliographies of sources (date, author, and photographer) as further clues.
- Discuss student’s observations.
- Student Investigative Activity
Teacher gives a narrative/lecture about Lincoln’s assassination.
- Review student’s observations of primary sources and determine if original guesses were correct.
- Students complete “Tell Me More” worksheet.
- Distribute internet investigation worksheet.
- Facilitate students’ internet investigation.
- Language Arts teacher assigns newspaper article.
- Students will use internet investigation worksheet to write article. This will be a cross-curricular lesson as the English teacher will be teaching “who, what, when, where, why” writing. The newspaper article assignment will be an assignment that is shared in both classes.
- Assessment / Evaluation
Students will be evaluated on their analysis and interpretations from the "You Are an Investigative Journalist" and "Tell Me More" worksheets and completion of the "Internet Investigation" worksheet showing their understanding of Lincoln's assassination through research.
- Best Instructional Practices:
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Teaching for Understanding
The investigative activity allowed students to activate prior knowledge and make a connection of what was learned the previous year to the current year’s curriculum.
As students examine primary sources they note the tone of the items and the dates on the items to activate their prior knowledge of the events surrounding Lincoln’s death. The newspaper article is used to determine student understanding of the events discussed.
Literacy Instruction/Reading Comprehension
The investigative worksheet helps students organize their ideas for the newspaper article.
Technology Integration
By having students use the internet to investigate the conspiracy and conspirators surrounding the assassination allow students to enhance their information literacy skills.