Teaching Abraham Lincoln

As you all by now know, today is Abraham Lincoln's birthday. Our sixteenth president was born on February 12, 1809, at Sinking Spring Farm, in what was then Hardin County, Kentucky.This month, indeed this entire year, provides a great opportunity to teach about Lincoln and his legacy.

The Center for Civic Education has launched a new website, Lincoln.civiced.org, that is devoted to a brief lesson for high school students on Lincoln's contributions to American representative democracy.

The lesson, "What Was Abraham Lincoln's Legacy to American Constitutionalism and Citizenship," traces the rise of Lincoln from his humble beginnings to the presidency. It also examines Lincoln's ideas and decisions regarding slavery and the use of presidential power to preserve the Federal Union during the Civil War.

Lincoln.civiced.org has many features designed to engage your students in their study of Lincoln. The website features an audio recording of the full text of the lesson; an interview with scholar John J. Patrick, Professor Emeritus of Education at Indiana University and author of the lesson; questions for students; a timeline; biographies; and the full text of primary sources, among other resources.

The lesson was sponsored by the Motorola Foundation and has received the endorsement of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.

I hope that you enjoy Lincoln.civiced.org and find it a useful way to engage your students in Lincoln's legacy.