Download Upper Elementary and Middle School Students

Founding Principles and the Lincoln Legacy
A Special Lesson for Upper Elementary and Middle School Students
to Commemorate the 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial
Overview:
This lesson is designed to enhance
students’ understanding of the 16th
president by focusing their attention on
several ideas: (1) that the ideas outlined in
the Declaration of Independence were
critical to Abraham Lincoln’s ideas about
government, (2) that, although Lincoln
opposed slavery, he did not initially
support emancipation and shared some of
the racially prejudiced ideas of the time,
(3) that preserving the union was
paramount to Lincoln as he entered office
in 1861, and (4) that Lincoln’s thinking
evolved as the war progressed, he talked
with African American abolitionists, and
he observed the contributions of black
soldiers fighting for the Union.
DN-0007178, Chicago Daily News negatives collection,
Chicago Historical Society.
Objectives: At the conclusion of this lesson, students will be better able to:
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Explain founding principles laid out in the Declaration of Independence.
Give examples of how those founding principles shaped the thinking and actions of
President Abraham Lincoln.
Describe the evolution of Lincoln’s thinking about the Civil War and the future of
enslaved African-Americans in the United States.
Analyze a cartoon linking Presidents Lincoln and Obama.
Materials and Preparation:
Day 1:
Overhead Transparency: Mystery Quotations
Handout 1: Rewriting the Declaration of Independence
Handout 2: Predicting Lincoln’s Views
Projector
This special lesson was developed by Laurel Singleton, Center for Education in Law and
Democracy, to commemorate the Lincoln Bicentennial.
Center for Education in Law and Democracy
PO Box 18490 • Denver, CO 80218
303.778.0756 • F. 303.733.4791
www.lawanddemocracy.org
Day 2:
Lincoln Quotes, cut apart and displayed around the room or copied and cut apart so that
each pair or threesome of students has a set
Handout 3: The Evolution of Abraham Lincoln
Handout 4: Analyzing a Cartoon
Time Required: 2 class periods
Lesson Procedure:
Day 1:
1. Tell students you are going to show them two mystery quotes. It will be their job to
identify the quotes and interpret what they mean. Show Quote 1 on the Overhead
Transparency: Mystery Quotes, keeping Quote 2 covered. Ask:
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Do you recognize this quote? Where is it from? (It is from the Declaration of
Independence.) If students do not know, give them some hints: it is from an
important document, it was written in 1776, it was written by Thomas Jefferson.
What does it mean when we say that the Declaration identifies our founding
principles? (The Declaration puts forth important ideas on which our government
was designed.)
Judging by this quote, what are some of those founding principles? (Accept all
student answers; they are likely to say that all men are created equal and that
people have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. While there are
many other ideas in the passage, you do not need to draw all of them out, as
students will work on that task later in the Lesson Procedure.)
2. Reveal Quote 2, explaining that it is from a speech by an American president. Ask:
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Who do you think said these words? (Abraham Lincoln) You will probably have
to give students some hints: The words were spoken in Philadelphia in 1861; the
speaker was not yet president; 2009 marks the 200th anniversary of the speaker’s
birth; he was the 16th president.
What does it mean that Lincoln “never had a feeling politically that did not spring
from the sentiments in the Declaration?” (All of his ideas about government came
out of the ideas in the Declaration.)
How does this quotation illustrate the idea of founding principles? (A president
who came several decades after the founding of the government used the ideas
from the Declaration as the basis for his way of governing.)
3. Remind students that Lincoln is considered one of our most important presidents. Ask:
Why do you think this is true? (He was president during the time when the nation was
in great peril—the Civil War—and managed to maintain the Union, he signed he
Emancipation Proclamation and advocated for the Thirteenth Amendment ending
slavery.) Tell students that, given Lincoln’s importance, it is worth looking more
closely at the words that inspired him.
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4. Distribute Handout 1, Rewriting the Declaration of Independence. Explain that
students will use the handout to put the ideas in the Declaration into more
understandable terms. A Glossary is provided as part of the handout to help them in
their work. Assign students to work in pairs or threesomes to complete the handout.
When students have completed their work, ask one or two groups to share their
rewriting of each phrase, having each group share at least once. One possible
rewriting of the passage might be:
We believe this needs no proof or explanation: all men deserve the same rights. These
rights cannot be taken away. They include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Governments are created to protect these rights. If a government does not protect
these rights, the people can change or get rid of it. They can create a new government
that will be based on ideas and have a structure that will most likely bring about the
people’s security and happiness.
5. Remind students that Abraham Lincoln said that all of his ideas about government
came from the Declaration of Independence. They are going to use their new
understanding of the Declaration’s meaning to predict Lincoln’s position on “hot
topics” of his time. Distribute Handout 2, Predicting Lincoln’s Views, and allow
time for students to complete it. They can again work in their pairs or threesomes.
Tell students to save their handout for use the next day.
Day 2:
1. Draw students’ attention to the quotes you have placed around the room. Tell them
that these quotes will help them figure out if they were right about their predictions.
Ask them to walk around the room in their pairs or threesomes to read the quotes. As
they read each quote, they should discuss whether it provides information on any of
the questions on the Predicting Lincoln’s Views handout. If the quote suggestions
that their answers were wrong, they should change them.
2. When students have finished their work, go over the handout with them.
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Is slavery right? No, Lincoln did not think slavery was right. It was not
democratic. It violated the idea that all men were created free and equal
(although those terms may have meant something different then than they do
today).
Should the Southern states be allowed to secede from the Union because they felt
their rights were being violated? No, Lincoln cited his presidential oath, in which
he promised to “preserve, protect, and defend” the Union, as a reason for
opposing the secession. While some students may have predicted that Lincoln
might support the Southern states right to “alter or abolish” the government, his
quotes suggest that he did not see the differences between the North and South as
justifying rebellion. Further, he saw the South as destructive to the rights of the
slaves.
Should slavery be abolished? Yes or no—Lincoln’s opinion on abolition depended
on whether he thought it would help preserve the Union. At the beginning of the
Civil War, he did not think it would.
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Are African Americans equal to white Americans? Yes or no—Lincoln believed
they have inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but he
did not think they should have political or social equality.
Should African Americans be allowed to serve in the Union Army? No, just as he
did not support participation as voters or jurors, Lincoln did not support service
by blacks in the Union Army (this answer is not directly given in the quotes and
some students might think that Lincoln would support service by African
Americans because of his desire to preserve the Union.)
Should free African Americans be sent to a colony in Africa where they could
have full citizenship and rights? Yes, Lincoln supported colonization, at least in
part because he felt it was the only way they could have equal political rights.
3. Ask students to speculate on why some of their predictions were wrong. (They
probably did not account for Lincoln’s commitment to saving the Union, based at
least partially on his oath of office, or on his racism, which was typical of many white
Americans at that time.) Point out that Lincoln’s views did change while he was in
office. Tell students they are going to read an article about how Lincoln’s views
changed. Distribute Handout 3, The Evolution of Abraham Lincoln, and allow time
for students to read it or read it aloud with the group.
4. Ask: What evidence is there that Lincoln changed his views? (He issued the
Emancipation Proclamation, he advocated for an amendment ending slavery, his
Gettysburg talked about a “new birth of freedom,” he began to talk of voting rights
for some African Americans.) What views stayed the same? (He still had some
prejudice, he still believed in the ideals in the Declaration of Independence, as shown
in the Gettysburg Address; he still believed it was his job to preserve the Union)
What events or people helped to change some of Lincoln’s views? (The problems in
fighting the war, the contributions of African-American soldiers, arguments made to
him by such abolitionists as Frederick Douglass.)
5. Remind students that there has been much conversation about Abraham Lincoln
during the election and inauguration of President Barack Obama. Obama, like
Lincoln hails from Illinois. He is the first African-American president. And he has
cited Lincoln as one of his heroes. Distribute Handout 4, Analyzing Cartoons, and
ask students to complete it as an assessment.
Extension and Enrichment
There are a number of children’s biographies of Abraham Lincoln, and the 200th
anniversary of his birth is like to see the publication of more. Reading a biography of the
16th president can deepen student understanding of this complex historical figure. Before
students read the book, have them write questions about Lincoln they would like to have
answered. They should look for answers to these questions as they read. After reading the
book, students might create “Jackdaws” on Lincoln. A Jackdaw is a box containing
artifacts and documents that represent the person and the culture in which he/she lived.
The items should be selected so that other students examining them would gain a better
sense of Lincoln and his times.
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Students could make a wide variety of art projects reflecting what they learned about
Lincoln. These might include posters, collages, mobiles, and murals. A less familiar
medium is the picture cube. A picture cube is constructed of six square pieces of paper
taped together in the shape of a cube. Students illustrate or write on five of the sheets
before they tape their cubes together. The top sheet is left blank so that string can be
attached there to hang the cube. The five sheets should carry:
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A picture of Abraham Lincoln
Basic biographical information about Lincoln
A picture illustrating how Lincoln made a difference in history.
One or more quotations from the person
Content or illustration of the student’s choice
Photo Credit for Lincoln Quotes: Selected Civil War photographs, 1861-1865 (Library
of Congress)
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Overhead Transparency
Mystery Quotes
Quote 1
We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are
created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with
certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life,
Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness—That to secure these
Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving
their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that
whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of
these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish
it, and to institute new Government, laying its Foundation on
such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as
to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and
Happiness.
Quote 2
I have never had a feeling politically that did not spring
from the sentiments embodied in the Declaration of
Independence.
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Handout 1
Rewriting the Declaration of Independence
Rewrite each phrase of the passage from the Declaration. You can use the
Glossary provided, dictionaries, and your own knowledge. Write your version in
the space below each phrase.
We hold these Truths to be self-evident,
that all Men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,
that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness—
That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men,
deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed,
that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is
the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it,
and to institute new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and
organizing its Powers in such Form,
as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
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Glossary
abolish: do away with
alter: change
consent: agreement
deriving: coming from
effect: bring about
endowed: given
equal: having the same value; having the same rights or privileges; the same.
ends: purposes
foundation: base
hold: believe
instituted: set up
just: fair; deserved
liberty: freedom
powers: actions one has the authority to take
principles: guiding ideas
secure: guard or protect
self-evident: not needing proof
the governed: the people of a nation, state, or city
unalienable rights: a privilege or freedom that cannot be taken away; rights
that belong to someone because they are human
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Handout 2
Predicting Lincoln’s Views
Use your understanding of the Declaration of Independence to complete this
worksheet. For each issue, predict how you think Abraham Lincoln would have
answered it when he became president in 1861?
1.
Is slavery right?
Yes
No
2.
Should the Southern states be allowed to
secede from the Union because they felt
their rights were being violated?
Yes
No
3.
Should slavery be abolished?
Yes
No
4.
Are African Americans equal to
white Americans?
Yes
No
5.
Should African Americans be allowed to
serve in the Union Army?
Yes
No
Should free African Americans be sent to a
colony in Africa where they could have full
citizenship and rights?
Yes
No
6.
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Lincoln Quotes
#1
My paramount object in
this struggle is to save
the Union, and is not
either to save or to
destroy slavery. If I
could save the Union
without freeing any
slave, I would do it, and
if I could save it by freeing all the slaves
I would do it. . . (1862)
#2
I cannot make it better
known that it already is
that I strongly favor
colonization. (1862)
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#3
I will say then that I am
not, nor ever have been
in favor of bringing
about in anyway the
social and political
equality of the white
and black races—that I
am not nor ever have
been in favor of making voters or jurors
of negroes, nor of qualifying them to
hold office, nor to intermarry with white
people . . . (1858)
Lincoln Quotes
#4
As I would not be a
slave, so I would not be
a master. This
expresses my idea of
democracy. (1858)
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Lincoln Quotes
#5
You think slavery is
right and should be
extended; while we
think slavery is wrong
and ought to be
restricted. That I
suppose is the rub. It
certainly is the only
substantial difference between us.
(1860)
#6
. . . there is no reason
in the world why the
negro is not entitled to
all the natural rights
enumerated in the
Declaration of
Independence, the right
to life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness. (1858)
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Lincoln Quotes
#7
A house divided against
itself cannot stand. I
believe this government
cannot endure
permanently half-slave
and half-free. I do not
expect the Union to be
dissolved. I do not
expect the house to fall, but I do expect
it will cease to be divided. It will become
all one thing or all the other. (1858)
#8
I leave you, hoping that
the lamp of liberty will
burn in your bosoms
until there shall no
longer be a doubt that
all men are created free
and equal. (1858)
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Lincoln Quotes
#9
In your hands, my
dissatisfied fellowcountrymen, and not in
mine, is the momentous
issue of civil war. The
Government will not
assail you. You can
have no conflict without
being yourselves the aggressors. You
have no oath registered in heaven to
destroy the Government, while I shall
have the most solemn one to “preserve,
protect, and defend it.” (1861)
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Handout 3
The Evolution of Abraham Lincoln
From the start of the Civil War, many people urged
Lincoln to end slavery. At first, he said no. His most
important goal was saving the union. He did not think
ending slavery would help. It might even hurt. It
would make the slave states that had stayed in the
Union mad.
Brett (A.) & Co. Abraham
Lincoln.
N.Y. Jones & Clark [186?].
(Library of Congress, Stern
Collection, Rare Book and Special
Collections Division.)
However, he did take a few steps toward freedom for
slaves. Abolitionists continued to argue for stronger
action. Frederick Douglass was a former slave and
abolitionist. He met with the President. Lincoln told
him he had read some of Douglass’ writings about
abolition and black rights.
Lincoln also met with other African American leaders.
He tried to convince them that colonization to Africa
was a good solution for freed slaves. They did not
agree. In time, he gave up that idea.
In 1862, the Civil War was going badly.
Strong action was needed. In September
1862, Lincoln threatened to free slaves in
the seceded states. When they refused to
rejoin the Union, he issued the
Emancipation Proclamation on January 1,
1863.
The Proclamation allowed freed slaves to
join the Union army and navy. Many did,
fighting bravely. Lincoln was impressed.
He spoke of giving voting rights to “very
intelligent” African Americans and those
who fought for the Union.
Lincoln urged Congress to propose a
constitutional amendment banning
slavery. They finally did so in January
1865. The states adopted the amendment
in late 1865, months after Lincoln was
killed.
Center for Education in Law and Democracy
President Lincoln and General
McClellan in the general’s tent at
Antietam. Civil War photographs, 18611865 / compiled by Hirst D. Milhollen and
Donald H. Mugridge, Washington, D.C. :
Library of Congress, 1977. No. 0144
15
Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg Address was given on November 18, 1863. Not
surprisingly, he quoted the Declaration of Independence. He described our
nation as “conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are
created equal.” He also urged Americans to work toward “a new birth of
freedom.” He spoke of saving “government of the people, by the people, for the
people.” By this time, he seemed to see freedom as being just as important as
saving the Union.
Of course, he still believed it was his job to preserve the Union. His last major
speech was given in March 1865. It was his Second Inaugural Address. In it, he
talked of rebuilding the Union. He did not want to punish the South but to bring
them back into the nation. He said: “…With malice toward none; with charity for
all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to
finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who
shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan – to do all which
may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all
nations…”
The Lincoln Memorial. National Park Service photo.
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Handout 4
Analyzing Cartoons
Two of the cartoons shown here appeared the day after President Barack Obama
was elected. The third cartoon appeared the day after the Inauguration. What is
the cartoonist saying in each cartoon? Do you agree with the cartoonists? Why or
why not?
Used with permission: Mike Keefe, The Denver Post and InToon.com (http://www.intoon.com).
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C Copyright 2008 David Fitzsimmons - All Rights Reserved. Courtesy www.politicalcartoons.com
C Copyright 2009 Dave Granlund - All Rights Reserved. Courtesy www.politicalcartoons.com