Young Abe Lincoln Lesson Plan
Academic Standards
Reading Objective:
Children compare and contrast Abe Lincoln’s life as a child to their own lives today.
Social Studies Focus:
Presidents’ Day, history
Page 4 Skill:
visual discrimination
Vocabulary:
log cabin, practice, president, raccoon-skin cap, stovepipe hat, whiskers
CCSS:
RI.K.1, RI.K.7, SL.K.2
- Before playing our video The Life of Abraham Lincoln, ask children if they know who he was.
- After watching, remind kids that we celebrate Abe Lincoln on Presidents’ Day. Ask, “Would you like to be president one day? Why or why not?”
- Read the issue together. Invite kids to answer each question, comparing their own lives to Abe’s life as a child.
- Then use the Show What You Know skill sheet to boost comprehension and early literacy skills.
- With our digital game Lincoln’s Train Is Coming! kids test their attention to key details in the article and build comprehension.
- Build understanding of nonfiction visuals with our Abe Lincoln Timeline skill sheet.
Materials: light-colored construction paper, glue, strips of brown construction paper or craft sticks, crayons or paint, penny (optional)
- Give each each child a sheet of construction paper for a background, and set out any of the supplies listed above. Kids can make a log cabin in many ways:
- They can glue down strips of brown paper as “logs” and use more strips to make the sides and roof.
- They can do the same thing using craft sticks.
- They can also simply draw or paint the logs, roof and sides!
- Whatever method they choose, have kids draw a door and a window. For a fun touch, they can glue a penny in the window so Abe peeks out!