Lincoln Lesson Idea: Words of Wisdom

Level - Middle School - High School
Subjects - Social Studies, History, Government

Objectives:

Students will analyze how Lincoln's name and images are used in politics today and gain a deeper understanding of the connection between history and current times.

Activity:

Have students research how Lincoln’s name and images are used in presidential speeches, television, movies, print, and various other forms of media. Does one political party claim his legacy? Do any current politicians use his words or legacy? Why do you think his words live on? If Barack Obama were text messaging Abraham Lincoln, what do you think he would ask? Use Wordle to diagram the text of his speech. Such texts are easily found online.

Thanks to inspiration from this site for ideas offered here in significantly altered form.

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