Biographies and Primary Sources of Abraham Lincoln

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Lesson Plans Teaching with Primary Sources Program

Spring 4-1-2014

Biographies and Primary Sources of Abraham Lincoln Biographies and Primary Sources of Abraham Lincoln

Mary Ann Stearn

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Stearn, Mary Ann. (2014) Biographies and Primary Sources of Abraham Lincoln.

https://via.library.depaul.edu/tps-lesson-plans/53

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Biographies and Primary Sources Using Abraham Lincoln

1. Overview:

Students in 2

and 3

grades will be exposed to Primary sources using material from

the Library of Congress on Abraham Lincoln. Biographies on Lincoln will be looked at, to see

how these Primary sources are used in writing biographies.

2. Goal

Biographies and the role of primary sources will be explored.

3. Objectives

• Students will be able to identify primary sources.

• Students will understand the concept that authors do research when writing

biographies, and use and include primary sources.

5. Investigative Question

What are primary sources, and how do biography authors use them?

6. Time Required: 50 min. (or could be divided into one or two 30 min. sessions)

5 min. – Discuss what a biography is. Where do authors get their information? Introduce

primary sources.

5 min. – Divide students into groups of 3 -4. Give them some primary source materials

(pictures and simple writing) on Lincoln. Have students look at sources and write

down facts they have observed about Lincoln from the primary sources , also any

questions prompted by the primary sources.

5 min. – Make a list of the group’s observations and questions about Lincoln.

15 min. – Read a simple biography about Lincoln, looking for the facts and answers to questions

that the students observed in the primary sources.

15 min. – Share the book Mr. Lincoln’s Whiskers by Karin B. Winnick, showing the primary

sources used in the book

5 min. – Evaluate the student’s understanding of primary sources. Show them assorted

pictures, photographs of people and writing and have them indicate if they are

primary sources or not. Can do this by writing answers on a piece of paper or show

of hands.

7. Recommended Grade Range

– 3

grades

8. Subject / Sub-Subject:

Language Arts – Biography

Social Studies – Primary sources, Abraham Lincoln

9. Standards:

Common Core Standards

CC.2.R.L.7 Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: Use information gained from the illustrations

and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or

plot.

CC.2.R.I.3 Key Ideas and Details: Describe the connection between a series of historical events,

scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text.

CC.2.R.I.8 Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: Describe how reasons support specific points

the author makes in a text.

CC.2.W.8 Research to Build and Present Knowledge: Recall information from experiences or

gather information from provided sources to answer a question.

CC.3.R.I.3 Key Ideas and Details: Describe the relationship between a series of historical events,

scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that

pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.

Illinois State Standards

5.A.1a Identify questions and gather information.

5.A.1b Locate information using a variety of resources.

5.B.1a Select and organize information from various sources for a specific purpose.

10. Credits: Mary Ann Stearn, Harrison St. School, Geneva, IL

PREPARATION

11. Materials Used:

Copies of the primary source photographs for each group to have a set.

For the written assessment: a piece of paper numbered 1 - ? for how many sources will

be shown. This would be 1 paper for each student.

1 copy of photographs, pictures (drawings), journals, letters, etc. to be used for the

assessment.

12. Resources Used:

Winnick, Karen B. Mr. Lincoln’s Whiskers. Honesdale, Pennsylvania: Boyds Mills Press. 1996.

A simple biography with photographs such as:

Ford, Carin T. Abraham Lincoln: The 16

President. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow Publisher’s,

Inc., 2003.

Greene, Carol. Abraham Lincoln: President of a Divided Country. Chicago, IL: Childrens Press,

1989.

LOC Primary Sources:

From the Library of Congress: Primary Sources about Lincoln

Title: Lincoln Log Cabin. http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/pnp/ggbain/21700/21723r.jpg

Author/Creator: Bain News Service, Publisher.

Date: between ca. 1915 and ca. 1920.

URL: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/pnp/ggbain/21700/21723r.jpg

Title: Abraham Lincoln-Hannibel Hamlin campaign button for 1860 presidential election

Author/Creator: [unknown]

Date: 1860

URL: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3c20000/3c26000/3c26400/3c26415r.jpg

Title: Abraham Lincoln, head-and-shoulders portrait, facing slightly left, taken in Pittsfield,

Illinois, two weeks before the final Lincoln-Douglas debate in Lincoln's unsuccessful bid for the

Senate, October 1, 1858.

Author/Creator: Calvin Jackson, photographer

Date: October 1, 1858

URL: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3a10000/3a18000/3a18600/3a18600r.jpg

Title: Abraham Lincoln, head-and-shoulders portrait, traditionally called "last photograph of

Lincoln from life".

Author/Creator: Alexander Gardner, photographer

Date: 1930s?, from a photo taken on Feb. 5, 1865.

URL: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3a50000/3a52000/3a52000/3a52094r.jpg

Title: Abraham Lincoln and family looking at a book

Author/Creator: [unknown]

Date: between 1861 and 1900

URL: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3c30000/3c34000/3c34000/3c34038r.jpg

Title: Mary Todd Lincoln

Author/Creator: Mathew B. Brady, photographer

Date: 1861

URL: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/pnp/ppmsca/19200/19221r.jpg

Title: President Abraham Lincoln, full-length portrait, standing

Author/Creator: [unknown]

URL:http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3a10000/3a15000/3a15500/3a15585r.jpg

Date: May 16, 1861, printed later, ca. 1900.

Primary sources for Mr. Lincoln’s Whiskers

Title: Grace Bedell to Abraham Lincoln, Thursday, October 18, 1860 (Typed copy).

Author/Creator: Grace Bedell

Date: October 18, 1860

URL: http://memory.loc.gov/mss/mal/mal1/040/0402800/001.jpg

Title: Abraham Lincoln to Grace Bedell, Friday, October 19, 1860 (Reply to Bedell's letter

concerning Lincoln's beard)

Author/Creator: Abraham Lincoln

Date: October 19, 1860

URL: http://memory.loc.gov/mss/mal/mal1/040/0404000/001.jpg

Title: Correspondence between President-Elect Lincoln And Grace Bedell. (“Advice of a Little

Girl” exhibit)

Author/Creator: Abraham Lincoln

Date: 1860

URL: http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/0903/detail/letter03.html

Title: Correspondence between President-Elect Lincoln And Grace Bedell. Correspondence

between President-Elect Lincoln And Grace Bedell. (“Advice of a Little Girl” exhibit)

Author/Creator: Grace Bedell

Date: 1860

URL: http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/0903/detail/letter02.html

PROCEDURE

13. Description of Procedure:

5 min. – Discuss or review that a biography is a book about a real person. Can the author just

sit down and write a biography from is head? What does a biography author have to do first?

Research is asking questions and finding the answers. Where would a biography author find his

answers or information? One place is in primary sources. Primary sources are real

photographs, letters, newspapers, and journals from the time the person lived. Today we are

going to look at some primary sources from the Library of Congress on Abraham Lincoln. Show

them the selected resources. Discuss how biography authors would use these sources. The

primary sources may also prompt some questions. Have them write down any questions about

Lincoln they may have from observing the primary sources.

5 min. – Divide students into groups of 3 -4. Give them some primary source materials on

Lincoln (photographs that are listed under resources). Have students look at sources and write

down facts and questions they have observed about Lincoln from the primary sources.

5 min. – Make a list of the groups observations and questions about Lincoln.

15 min. – Read a simple biography about Lincoln (suggestions given under resources), looking

for the facts and answers to questions that the students observed in the Primary sources. Stop

and point out the facts and answers in the biography. You can also discuss with the students

what primary sources might have been used to find the other facts about Lincoln (journals,

letters, etc.).

This is where you could make it a 30 min. lesson and do a quick assessment by show of hands.

15 min. – Share the book Mr. Lincoln’s Whiskers by Karin B. Winnick showing the Primary

sources (from the Library of Congress listed under resources) used in the book.

5 min. – Evaluate the student understanding of primary sources. Show them assorted pictures,

photographs of people, and writing and have them indicate if they are primary sources or not.

This can be done by writing answers on a piece of paper or a show of hands.

14. Extensions (if applicable): N/A

EVALUATION

15. Evaluation:

Evaluate the student understanding of primary sources by showing them assorted

pictures, photographs, and writing and have them indicate if they are primary sources or not.

This can be done by writing answers on a piece of paper or a show of hands.

Reflection on the 2

Grade lesson on Primary Sources

When teaching this lesson, prior knowledge of biographies would be helpful. Students

should know that a biography is about a person who really lived versus a fiction

character such as Junie B. Jones. Since a biography is about someone who lived, the

authors have to do research on that person. This is why they use primary sources. They

cannot rely on what they know in their head. For example I could write that Abraham

Lincoln cut down a cherry tree and could not lie about it. Is this a real fact about

Lincoln?

Biography writers use primary sources for information, but also to formulate interesting

questions about their subjects which they will research further. When the students are

looking at the primary sources they should write down the observations they make from

the pictures, plus any questions they have about Lincoln from the primary sources

presented. They can use who, what, when, where, and how questioning strategies.

These questions can be added to the list of observations. Then when reading the

biography on Lincoln, answers to the questions could be pointed out.

When the students start the activity, emphasize that they can only record facts that they

see in the picture. They may know that Lincoln was assassinated (shot in the head), but

is there a primary source provided that shows that? Again they can only write down

information and questions they see in the pictures, not what they know from other

sources.

The students enjoyed the lesson and came up with some very good observations and

questions. They noted that Lincoln had lived in a log cabin and was probably poor. One

of the questions was how did he get his money? The biography we shared mentioned

all the ways he earned money (splitting fence rails, shopkeeper, and lawyer) and the

students were excited to point these out in the biography.

A follow up lesson on primary sources later in the year or in the next grade would be

advised. The students did OK on the assessment, since this was their first introduction to

primary sources, but further lessons would strengthen their knowledge of primary

sources.

-Mary Ann Stearn