What Did Abraham Lincoln Do Before He Was President?
by Diane Romoser
Download a copy of this Learning Experience
Students will discuss the various jobs held by Abraham Lincoln throughout his life as written in his autobiographical letter dated 1859. Students will compare those jobs to current careers and create a drawing with text.
Overview
- Subject:
- Social Sciences / Jobs and Services
- Time Required:
- Three 20 – 30 minute class periods.
- Grade Range:
- K - 2
- Understanding Goal:
- Lincoln’s autobiography, integrated web site, and a children’s book will communicate and explain on a child’s level how jobs can be important to help mold a person’s personality and influence their future.
- Investigative or Essential Question:
- How will the gathered information help students understand how the jobs a person does influences their future?
Materials
- Purpose of Library of Congress Items:
- The primary sources help students to understand what jobs Lincoln held before becoming president.
- Library of Congress Items:
- Bibliographical Information can be found in the PDF of this Learning Experience.
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- Additional Materials:
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- Abe Lincoln - The Boy who Loved Books by Kay Winters and Nancy Carpenter
- Required Vocabulary:
- River raft, store clerk, manager, post master, surveyor, Lawyer, government, rail splitter, president
- Prior Content Knowledge:
- This lesson will follow the Social Studies lesson that will inform students about jobs and services and how people benefit from them on a personal level. Teacher will read a children’s story about Abe’s early years to help students see through pictures the jobs that he performed.
- Technology Skills:
- None.
Standards
- Illinois Learning Standards:
- 3.B.1a, 18.B, 18.B.1a
- For information on specific Illinois Learning Standards go to www.isbe.state.il.us/ils/
Actions
- Description of Teacher Actions:
Activating Prior Knowledge
- Review with students, jobs and services discussed in Social Studies book.
- Allow students to expand their knowledge of who he was by reading "Abe Lincoln – The Boy who Loved Books" by Winters and Carpenter.
Student Investigative Activity
- Teacher will discuss with students Lincoln’s jobs before presidency.
- Compare these jobs with similar jobs of today.
Evaluation
- Using one large sheet of drawing/writing paper per student, students will draw a picture of Lincoln performing one of the discussed jobs. They will write two-three sentences describing the job and Lincoln at that time in his life. Students could share their work with the class.
- Best Instructional Practices:
Teaching for Understanding
The students’ drawings and sentences are a way for students to share and demonstrate their understanding of what was learned.