Who was Abraham Lincoln?
Lesson Plan Ideas and Activities About the 16th US President
Abraham Lincoln is a very important and interesting historical figure. As the 16th president of the United States, he spoke out against slavery and is known as one of the most effective presidents to this date. This lesson is geared for homeschooled children from about the ages of 5-8, and will teach them a little about the basic facts about President Lincoln, what he believed in, and how he rose from a self-educated boy that lived in a log cabin to the President of the United States.
Fact File (Gathered from a variety of sources, including the White House official website and the Abraham Lincoln Historical Digitization Project)
- Abraham Lincoln was born in a one-room log cabin on February 12, 1809 to two uneducated farmers, Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks.
- His mother died when he was very young.
- He was self-taught and very motivated to learn all he could.
- Abe married Mary Todd on November 4, 1842.
- He did not approve of slavery.
- Lincoln had four sons, but three of them died very young.
- He became the 16th president of the United States.
- He wanted to free slaves and delivered the famous speech called “The Gettysburg Address.”
- Lincoln was killed in 1865.
Materials Needed
- Construction paper
- Marbles
- Jump rope
- Twigs and branches
- Glue
Activities
Create a Log Cabin: Have your child collect twigs and branches and create a log cabin using the branches. Provide your child with a sturdy board or a piece of foam core board and let him get creative building his very own Lincoln log cabin.
Discussion Time: Discuss pioneer life and what it was like to live when Lincoln was young. Play some popular pioneer games such as marbles, leap frog, and jump rope. Children might be interested in baking bread taking part in other daily pioneer activities.
Make an Abraham Lincoln puppet craft, which is located at DLTK Kids.
Create a profile picture of Lincoln and write down some of his famous quotes.
Field Trip Opportunity
There are many places you can take your child to learn more about President Lincoln. If you live near a pioneer farm or reenactment center, then visit one day. Also, if you live in Kentucky, visit the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Site. Washington D.C. is another wonderful and educational place to take your children when learning about Lincoln.
Wrap-Up
- Abraham Lincoln Online is filled with interesting facts about this president, as well as color sheets and hands-on activities.
- For more information about Lincoln and his life, you can visit The White House official website.
