Famous American Famous American Series:Series:

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln andand

Martin Luther King Jr.Martin Luther King Jr.

Designed for 2nd Graders at the Wolcott School

ObjectivesObjectives

•Stregthen Language Arts Skills-reading comprehension-writing skills

•Develop a Sense of American History-gain knowledge of the lives of Abraham Lincoln and

Martin Luther King Jr. and an understanding of the issues of their times

-apply knowledge of the perspective time periods in theletters they will write to Booker T. Washington and a student inthe 1960s

-compare and contrast the time periods and the race relations within the periods

Day One Activities:Day One Activities:Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln

•KWL Chart-fill out what they know column individually-fill out what they want to know column as a class

•Break Students into Pairs (mixing higher and lower abilities)-read Addler Biography -answer the given questions on the book

•Go Over Questions as a Class•Fill in What You Learned Column for Homework

Day Two Activites: SlaveryDay Two Activites: Slavery

•Go over what they learned column as a class•As a class read excerpts from Booker T. Washington’sUp From Slavery chapter one•Class discussion of excerpt and topic of slavery•Writing Assignment

-write a letter to Booker T. Washington

Day Three Activities:Day Three Activities:Martin Luther King Jr.Martin Luther King Jr.

•Share letters•Transition•KWL Chart•Separate students into different pairs, again mixed ability

-read Addler biography of King and answer questions•Review questions as a class•What you learned column for homework

Day FourActivities:Day FourActivities:Segregation and Civil Segregation and Civil

RightsRights•Review what you learned column•Segregation Experiment

-separate children by eye color for the day•Link classroom segregation experiment to the real world•Read King’s I Have a Dream speech

-reinforce King’s goal to end segregation and promoteequality•Writing Assignment

-write a letter to a student living in the 1960s

Day Five Activities:Day Five Activities:Comparison of Comparison of

Lincoln and KingLincoln and King

•Share letters•Compare Lincoln and King as a class•Writing Assignment

-what is similar and what is different about Lincoln’stime period of civil war/slavery and King’s time period of segregation/civil rights

Linkage/EvaluationLinkage/Evaluation

•Worksheets and Writing Assignments-worksheets prove they have an understanding of biographical information-letters show an understanding of slavery and segregation-comparison assignment shows comprehension of the unit as a whole