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| Overview |
 The Gettysburg Address is one of the most famous American speeches. This lesson
plan invites groups of students to learn more about the historical significance
of President Abraham Lincoln's famous speech as well as the time period and
people involved. Students will work together, participating in inquiry projects
based on the speech, using the words and phrases of the speech itself.
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| From Theory to Practice |
Reading comprehension is often linked to understanding. However there is
more to comprehending than simply “getting” what you read. In his
article from Voices from the Middle, Robert Probst takes a
look at his own comprehension and the strategies he uses while reading. He
concludes, “Comprehension
is too complex to be effectively assessed with anything so simple and reductive
as a test, and it isn’t achieved by concentrating solely on the text
itself, though of course that does require close attention. Instead, to comprehend
requires a concerted effort to see through the text to what lies beyond. And
that demands an imaginative and committed reader.” To achieve this kind
of reading, students need the opportunity to examine texts closely and explore
the underlying significance.
Further Reading
Probst, Robert E. “Responding
to Reading: You Know What I Mean?” Voices
from the Middle 11.1
(September 2003): 56-57.
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| Student Objectives |
Students will
- explore the history and meaning of the Gettysburg Address.
- define critical words and phrases in the Gettysburg Address.
- make connections between the Address and other resources related to the topic.
- demonstrate understanding of this speech by creating a written and visual project to guide their discussion.
- work individually and in cooperative groups.
- present their group graphic to the whole class as a way of sharing their section and connecting their graphical representation to the text.
- write a summary of the Gettysburg Address in their own words.
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| Instructional Plan |
Resources
Preparation
- Assign students to be in groups, or allow time for them to select their own groups.
- Make copies of the Gettysburg Address. Highlight one sentence on each copy so that each group has one sentence to look at, read, and learn more about.
- Rewrite the Gettysburg Address on chart paper or on the board, so it is large, or use a poster if one is available.
- Test the Multigenre Mapper on your computers to familiarize yourself with the tools and ensure that you have the Flash plug-in installed. You can download the plug-in from the technical support page.
Instruction and Activities
Session One
- Begin by asking the students what they know about the Civil War. They can
share when it occurred, why it took place, what the outcome was, who was involved,
and other details that they know.
- Ask students if they know of anything that became famous as a result of
the Civil War. Hopefully someone will volunteer the answer, “Gettysburg
Address.”
- Invite the students to share what they know about the Gettysburg Address. Take notes on the board or on chart paper, if desired.
- Explain that four months after the Battle of Gettysburg,
President Abraham Lincoln was invited to participate in the dedication ceremony
for a cemetery that had been established on the land where the battle
took place. Lincoln’s
role in this ceremony was not as the primary speaker, but his speech was an
important event in the ceremony and in the nation.
- Read the Gettysburg
Address aloud to the group. Allow time for the students to comment about
what was read.
- Explain to students that in the next session, they will be working in groups
to learn more about what was said in the Gettysburg Address as well as to find
out more about the time period and the people involved.
- To end the session, share some of the selected books from the booklist,
and allow the remaining time for students to read and explore.
Session Two
- Introduce students to the Multigenre Mapper and explain how students will use each of the areas of the tool. Use an LCD projector, if available.
- After entering the title of the project, “The Gettysburg Address” and
their names into the Multigenre
Mapper, students should fill in the rest of the blanks as follows:
- In Section A, students should type in “Text From the Gettysburg
Address.” In
the related space, students will type in their sentence as it was written
in the Gettysburg Address.
- In Section B, students should label it, “Key Words and Phrases.” In
this space, students will note vocabulary words or meaningful phrases
they want to learn more about.
- In Section C, the label should be “Significance.” This
is the section where students write what they have learned about their
sentence from the Gettysburg Address.
- When their writing is done, students illustrate their page, using
the drawing tools in the Multigenre
Mapper. These illustrations can include drawings, shapes, symbols,
colors that remind you of things from the Gettysburg Address.
- Share the example
printout from the Multigenre Mapper to help students
visualize the project.
- Have the students get into their groups. Since each group will be working on one sentence of the Gettysburg Address, pass out a copy of the Gettysburg Address with the sentences highlighted.
- Invite students to read the entire Gettysburg Address several times to
themselves as well as read it in their group.
- After several readings, ask students to read their highlighted sentence
aloud within their group. They should now have some understanding of this
sentence in context.
- Using the gathered resources, including books, Web resources, and
other reference materials, invite the students to learn more about their
section of the Gettysburg
Address.
- Students can use the Multigenre Mapper Planning Sheet as they are taking notes and planning their project.
- When students have compiled all of the information that they need, have
them use the Multigenre
Mapper to publish their information.
- While students are working, float around the room, listening to the discussions and answering questions as needed.
Session Three
- When all of the groups have completed their Multigenre Mapper projects,
invite groups to share what they learned about their sentence of the Gettysburg Address.
- Display the large version of the Gettysburg Address, on chart paper or a poster.
- After groups share what is on their Multigenre
Mapper projects, ask them to hang them next to the related place by
the chart paper or poster.
- Allow time for questions, if the students or groups have any.
- As the students and groups present their portion of the Gettysburg
Address, assess their work using the rubric.
Session Four
- After all of the groups have shared their piece from the Gettysburg Address, ask students to get out their writing notebooks or journals.
- In their notebooks or journals, ask students to paraphrase the Gettysburg
Address, giving the main points.
- Remind them that they can use the Multigenre Mapper projects as resources while completing this project.
- Ask for volunteers to share their summary of the Gettysburg Address.
Extensions
- As a class, construct a timeline that puts the Battle of Gettysburg into historical context with other major events of the era.
- Students can create a map of Gettysburg and the location where the speech
took place.
- Working together, create a hyperlinked document of the Gettysburg address.
To learn more about the process of hyperlinked annotation, visit this grade
6-8 lesson plan.
Web Resources
- “The Gettysburg Address,” from Our Documents
http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=36#
- This U.S. government site features images of the Nicolay draft of the Address, historical background information, and a transcription of the text. (The Flash plug-in is required to navigate the image of the draft on this page.)
- President Lincoln Delivered the Gettysburg Address, from America’s Story from America’s Library
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/jb/civil/gettysbg_1
- This Library of Congress site includes some basic background information on the Gettysburg Address.
- ReadWriteThink Calendar Entry: Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address in 1863.
http://www.readwritethink.org/calendar/calendar_day.asp?id=347
- This entry provides additional resources and lessons on the Address.
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| Student Assessment/Reflections |
Observe participation during students’ exploration and discussion of the Gettysburg Address, as well as while students use reference materials as a part of their research. Monitor students’ progress and process as they conduct their research about their selected topics. As students present their published research to the class, take notes and assess their work using the rubric.
Students’ summaries of the Gettysburg Address can also be collected, and
reviewed for indications of their comprehension of the document.
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1 - Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
2 - Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human experience.
3 - Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
4 - Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
5 - Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
6 - Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
7 - Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and nonprint texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.
8 - Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
11 - Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
12 - Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).
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