Day

_1_: Agenda
Was Lincoln racist? primary source activity (60 minutes).
Pre-Civil War tension flow chart collaborative learning assignment (30 minutes).



Learning Activities and Corresponding Activity
Opportunities for
Scaffolds, Literacy, and
Structures:
Assessment During
ELD Strategies for Sub
Instruction
Groups:
Day _1_: Into


I will explain that Lincolns stance on African
Americans place in American society has been a topic
that historians have debated for years, and continue
to debate. Today we are going to explore the topic
and come up with our own interpretations. I will then
present the historical question: Was Abraham
Lincoln racist?





Day _1_: Through
How will students
The sources are modified
What will you do? What will students do?
demonstrate learning? so that the students can
I will pass out the primary sources and guided
Students will
easily access the content,
questions.
demonstrate their
and definitions are
I will then allow the students to work in partners and learning by engaging in provided for problematic
answer the guided questions.
discussions with their
vocabulary.
Once students have finished with the guided
partners, engaging in

questions, I will have the students share out their
the whole class
I will have the students
answers. We will then engage in a whole class
discussion, and filling
work in partners teaming
discussion concerning these questions:
out the guided
up ELLs with students
1. Was Lincoln a racist?
questions correctly
who are more proficient
2. Is it appropriate to use the word racist when

in English to help support
discussion events in the 1860s
How will you know what
them.
3. Can we judge people in the past by our standards?1
students know?

I will know what my
students know based
off how they filled out
the guided questions,
and how they answer
the historical question

1
Stanford Historical Education Group, Abraham Lincoln SAC.

Day _3_: Beyond

How will you wrap up the lesson?
How will you ready students for homework or segue
to the next lesson?
I will wrap up this lesson by giving the students time
to write out a well thought out paragraph that uses
evidence from the sources to answers the historical
question. The students will go onto the Socrative site
with their IPads to answer the question.
Again, I will remind the students that these will be the
tools that we use to answer the historical question in
the future. I will also explain that the topic of Lincolns
stance on African Americans place in American
society will be one that we revisit again as the Civil
War progresses.

The students answer to
the historical question
will serve as a
summative assessment
and show me what they
learned.

The Socrative site allows

students to see what
other students have
written. I find that this
helps students struggling
with English gain a better
idea of how to answer
the question correctly.

Instructional Materials Lesson 3:

ORGANIZING THE EVIDENCE Name_____________

Use this space to write your main points and the main points made by the other side.
Abraham Lincoln was racist: List the 4 main points/evidence that support this side.
1.
2.
3.
4.

1)
2)
3)
4)

From Document _____:

From Document _____:
From Document _____:
From Document _____:

Abraham Lincoln was not racist: List the 4 main points/evidence that support this
side.
1.
2.
3.
4.

1)
2)
3)
4)

From Document _____:

From Document _____:
From Document _____:
From Document _____:

STANFORD HISTORY EDUCATION GROUP

sheg.stanford.edu

Coming to Consensus
STARTING NOW, YOU MAY ABANDON YOUR ASSIGNED POSITION AND ARGUE
FOR EITHER SIDE.
Use the space below to outline your groups agreement. Your agreement should
address evidence and arguments from both sides.

STANFORD HISTORY EDUCATION GROUP sheg.stanford.edu