Description
What our Washington and Lincoln lesson plan includes
Lesson Objectives and Overview: Washington and Lincoln introduces students to Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln and their similarities and differences. At the end of the lesson, students will be able to identify George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, describe and list some facts about each, and compare their roles in U.S. history. This lesson is for students in 1st grade, 2nd grade, and 3rd grade.
Classroom Procedure
Every lesson plan provides you with a classroom procedure page that outlines a step-by-step guide to follow. You do not have to follow the guide exactly. The guide helps you organize the lesson and details when to hand out worksheets. It also lists information in the orange box that you might find useful. You will find the lesson objectives, state standards, and number of class sessions the lesson should take to complete in this area. In addition, it describes the supplies you will need as well as what and how you need to prepare beforehand. The only supplies you will need for this lesson are colored pencils and the handouts.
Options for Lesson
Included with this lesson is an “Options for Lesson” section that lists a number of suggestions for activities to add to the lesson or substitutions for the ones already in the lesson. One optional addition to this lesson is to have your students dress up like Washington or Lincoln and recite information about their lives. You can also have students vote for their favorite between the two during an election for “Class President.” Another option is to introduce the Gettysburg Address text to the class and have a discussion about it. You could also dedicate a week to each President, giving students a new fact each day. If the lesson overlaps with Presidents Day, you can have students celebrate with a birthday cake. Finally, you could use a Venn diagram and have students compare and contrast Lincoln and Washington.
Teacher Notes
The teacher notes page includes a paragraph with additional guidelines and things to think about as you begin to plan your lesson. This page also includes lines that you can use to add your own notes as you’re preparing for this lesson.
WASHINGTON AND LINCOLN LESSON PLAN CONTENT PAGES
Washington and Lincoln
The Washington and Lincoln lesson plan includes two content pages. George Washington and Abraham Lincoln were two of the most popular presidents in American history. You can find them on the one dollar bill and quarter and five dollar bill and penny, respectively. As of 2016, we’ve had 43 Presidents in the U.S., but Washington and Lincoln are the two most well-known and honored of them all. Both of them made valuable contributions to America.
George Washington
George Washington was the first President. He was born in Virginia on February 22, 1732, and grew up Colonial Virginia. His father died when George was 11, at which point his older brother took care of him.
At 16, Washington got a job as a surveyor, which means he measured land sizes and turned that information into maps. At 19, he fought in the French and Indian War. Later on, he married a woman named Martha and became a stepfather to her two children. He bought land in Mount Vernon, Virginia, and they elected him to the Virginia legislature.
At this time, the British wanted to control to colonies. Washington led the Continental Army to victory over the British during the American Revolution. After the war, the people of the United States who could vote at that time elected Washington to be the President. He served as President from 1789 to 1979. During this time, he helped create and guide the new government of the U.S. based on the Constitution. He took on many different roles.
Washington died on December 4, 1799 from a throat infection.
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President. He was born in a one-room log cabin in Kentucky on February 12, 1809. Later, his father lost everything and moved the family to Indiana. When Lincoln was nine, his mother died and his sister started raising him until his father remarried.
Lincoln taught himself using books that he borrowed, never going to a formal school. His family moved to Illinois and Lincoln had many jobs, like postmaster, surveyor, and shopkeeper. He became a member of the Illinois legislature at age 25, after developing an interest in politics.
At that time, he started studying the law and worked as a lawyer. Later, he became a U.S. Congressman, but lost his election to become a Senator. He argued against slavery, which raised his profile across the nation. He married a woman named Mary Todd and they had four children.
Lincoln ran for President in 1860 and won. During this time, some of the Southern states wanted to keep slavery, leading to the start of the Civil War in 1861. This war lasted for four years. In 1863, Lincoln signed a document that freed the slaves. He also gave a very famous speech called the Gettysburg Address.
The Civil War ended on April 9, 1865. Lincoln wanted the country to heal and rebuild. However, on April 15, 1865, a man assassinated Lincoln.
Both of these Presidents lost one of their parents at a young age, but worked hard, learned, and made important contributions to the country. Both have their pictures on money, and we’ve honored both of them in many ways in Washington, D.C., and throughout the country.
WASHINGTON AND LINCOLN LESSON PLAN WORKSHEETS
The Washington and Lincoln lesson plan includes three worksheets: an activity worksheet, a practice worksheet, and a homework assignment. You can refer to the guide on the classroom procedure page to determine when to hand out each worksheet.
COLORING ACTIVITY WORKSHEET
For the activity worksheet, students will color in the pictures of each President. They will also write the name of each President below the picture.
GW OR AL PRACTICE WORKSHEET
For the practice worksheet, students will first read facts and write either GW for George Washington or AL for Abraham Lincoln next to them. Next, they will answer a few questions about the lesson material.
WASHINGTON AND LINCOLN HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
The homework assignment asks students to first draw the correct pictures of Lincoln and Washington on the blank coins on the worksheet, using photos to help them. Next, they will identify relevant U.S. Historic Landmarks.
Worksheet Answer Keys
This lesson plan includes answer keys for the practice worksheet and the homework assignment. If you choose to administer the lesson pages to your students via PDF, you will need to save a new file that omits these pages. Otherwise, you can simply print out the applicable pages and keep these as reference for yourself when grading assignments.
