Who Was Abraham Lincoln? Part 1

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

Abraham Lincoln was the 16^th president of the United States.

Not only did he work extremely hard his whole life, first on the farm and later in the courtroom, but he put all he had into the presidency. Between the assassination attempts and the debilitating depression he suffered, it is a wonder he lived to the age of 56!

Lincoln is known to this day as one of the best U.S. presidents of all time. He changed how all of America lived, and tried to create a land where all citizens had the same rights to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

The U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights were written almost 100 years before Lincoln became president. These historic documents govern the country to this day, and have had numerous alterations made to them throughout time.

Most countries have governing documents for a reason, and sometimes they need altering and tweaking. Converse with an adult about your opinion on this and listen for his or her opinion.

• Do you believe the Constitution should be altered and redefined as times change and the country's priorities fluctuate?

Write an opinion paragraph regarding your feelings on modifying the Constitution.

As you watch a portion of the video below, make note of as many facts as you can about Abraham Lincoln BEFORE he became president. You will use these facts later to create a timeline graphic organizer.

(You will learn about his presidency in Part 2 of this series, found under Related Lessons in the right-hand sidebar.)

Even with this extensive list, check the Got It? section to see what other facts you can add!