Title:  Lincoln Theme:  Gettysburg

Type of teaching unit: Lesson Plan
Grade level (s): 5th grade
Time frame: 1 hour
Subject matter: Social Studies

Teacher information:

Lisa Smith/Paula Hummel
Mitchell Elementary School
AAM affiliation: Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
lsmith@madison.k12.il.us
phummel@madison.k12.il.us

Lesson plan description and rationale:  The students will be able to understand the importance of an historical document, the Gettysburg Address, the importance of the decisions President Lincoln made.

State Goals/Standards:

State Goal 14D:  Understand the roles and influences of individuals and interest groups in the political system of Illinois, the United States and other nations.

State Goal 16A:  Apply the skills of historical analysis and interpretation.

State Goal 16B:  Understand the development of significant political events.

State Goal 18B:  Understand the roles and interactions of individuals and groups in society.

Objective:  Before going on a field trip to Springfield and New Salem, Illinois, students will listen to a taping of the Gettysburg Address and view pictures of soldiers on the battlefield in Gettysburg.  Upon listening to the tape and watching the pictures, students will take the role of a newspaper writer and describe the events that “have taken place.”

Resources:

	Lincoln, Abraham. “The Gettysburg Address.” 1863. An American Time Capsule:  Three Centuries of Broadsides and Other Printed Ephemera.  [http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=rbpe&fileName=rbpe01 /rbpe018/01807100/rbpe01807100.db&recNum=0] (April 2004).
	O’Sullivan, Timothy H. “Incidents of war.” 1865. Selected Civil War Photographs from the Library of Congress, 1861-1865. [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/i?ammem/cwar:@ field(NUMBER+@band] [(cwp+4a40875))] (April 2004).
Listen to this recording. (mp3 Format, 918 kilobytes)	Hooley, W. F. “Lincoln’s speech at Gettysburg.” 1898. Emile Berliner and the Birth of the Recording Industry.  [http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/berl:@field (NUMBER+@band(berl+136012))] (April 2004).
	Photographer unknown. “Allan Pinkerton of the secret service, President Lincoln, and Major General John McClernand.” 1862.  [http://www.americancivilwar.com/north/lincoln.html]. (April 2004).
	O’Sullivan, Timothy H. “Union dead at Gettysburg.” 1865.  Civil War Treasurers from the Capital New-York Historical Society. [http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/cwnyhs:@field (DOCID+@lit(ad23055))] (April 2004).

Method:  

1. Students will listen to the recording of the Gettysburg Address, view a copy, and view pictures of the battlefield.
2. Discussion will follow each viewing.
3. Based on what they heard and saw, students will write a short article for the newspaper describing the event.
4. Students will work in groups of four to write the article.
5. Articles will be read aloud to class and posted on classroom bulletin board.

Evaluation: 

Lincoln Theme:  Gettysburg

Rubric

4=Exceeds requirement

3=Meets requirement

2=Partially meets requirement

1=Beginning to meet or lacks requirement

	Writes article based on what was heard and seen.
	Used appropriate grammar.
	Appropriately analyzed, evaluated and synthesized information provided.
	Class time used wisely.
	Works effectively with group members.
	Total

Keywords for this Lesson:  Lincoln, president, Gettysburg Address, Battle of Gettysburg

Materials: 

Paper, pencil, computer/word processing, LCD projector, screen, laptop.