Take a look at an image of the constitutional amendment that put an end to slavery in the United States. Interactive image is accompanied by an overview of the amendment's inception and adoption, as well as document transcript.

Short video [1:11] on Abraham Lincoln animated and narrated with humor. Support materials for students include background essay on Lincoln and fact sheet to accompany video.

This American Memory site provides a comprehensive collection of Abraham Lincoln papers. Read the introduction page so you can see how they are organized. You can search by keyword or just browse the collection. Very interesting!!

The Library of Congress presents Abraham Lincoln's Primary Source Set. Provides numerous examples of primary documents such as handwritten letters to Mary Todd Lincoln, drafts of speeches, and auditory examples of Lincoln's speech at Gettysburg. Includes information for teachers on how to use and create primary source sets and how to utilize the Lincoln Primary Source Set in the Classroom with lesson plan ideas.

A detailed lesson plan of Abraham Lincoln to celebrate the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth. In a PDF file, the complete lesson is provided along with visual aides needed for the lesson. Draws on photographs and masks of Lincoln's face and discusses their significance in terms of his activities in office.

The Library of Congress takes an in-depth look into the life of Abraham Lincoln through the use of Alfred Whital Stern's collection of Lincoln memorabilia. View letters written by Lincoln as well as various objects from his life. Provides a link to a gallery of objects in the collection. View each item in 360 and read about each items connection to Lincoln. Presents an essay over Alfred Whital Stern's collection and how he was able to collect objects from Lincoln's life.

This is a collection of five video lessons about Bill T. Jones, an African American choreographer, director, author, and dancer, and his quest to determine if Abraham Lincoln was a Good Man! or a Good Man? from today's perspective.

This unit features authors of Antebellum America and how they portray the American identity through their literature. Click on the tabs to explore the various resources available to enhance this unit.

This is a large site from American Treasures covering primary source documents from the early 1800s through the Civil War and on to Western Expansion.

A searchable database from the Library of Congress that provides a fascinating look into the history of photography from 1839-1864. There are images from the Matthew Brady Studio and studio portraits by black photographers James P. Ball and Francis Grice among others.

Students will complete a double bubble thinking map by sorting facts that go with Washington, Lincoln or both. Also included in this plan is an art project, worksheets, and video of the lesson in action. Great activity to use after reading about Washington and Lincoln!

In this video [2:18] from the documentary American Masters: Bill T. Jones: A Good Man, the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company has been commissioned by the Ravinia Festival in Chicago to create a dance performance celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. While Bill T. Jones decides that Paul, a dancer within the ensemble, will represent the "dancing" body of Lincoln, he also ponders an approach to the development of the performance piece as a non-narrative series of ideas.

In this segment [5:10] from the documentary American Masters: Bill T. Jones: A Good Man, the creative process continues for the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company in the creation of a dance-theater piece about Abraham Lincoln. Bill T. Jones notes the current trend of artists creating work independent of the restrictions of previous generations. In an effort to advance the performance while mirroring the trend, Jones decides to take away some of the focus from the Lincoln family story to include the personal stories of dancers within the company.

This video [5:39] demystifies the film editing process as producers and editors discuss edits to the documentary American Masters: Bill T. Jones: A Good Man. The film chronicles Bill T. Jones creating Fondly Do We Hope, Fervently Do We Pray, a dance performance commemorating Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday. As the post-production process evolves, the filmmakers confront the same challenge Jones faced: should they include a reference to "snakes in bed," a metaphor Lincoln used to illustrate his views on slavery in the new territories, or should it end up on the cutting room floor. Includes teaching tips and discussion questions.

An overview of Reconstruction provided by the University of Houston. Provides images and the political climate that occurred during this part of American History.

The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) provides an elaborate overview of Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. Content includes detailed background information behind the document, photos of the original document, a full transcript, and an audio clip of a former slave discussing work and living conditions after the Emancipation Proclamation.

Image of handwritten copy of Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, accompanied by an explanation of the speech's purpose, impact, and role in American history.

In small groups, students closely examine one sentence from the Gettysburg Address and create a multigenre project communicating what they have discovered about the meaning and significance of the text.

The 12th grade learning experience consists of 7 mostly month-long units aligned to the Common Core State Standards, with available course material for teachers and students easily accessible online. Over the course of the year there is a steady progression in text complexity levels, sophistication of writing tasks, speaking and listening activities, and increased opportunities for independent and collaborative work. Rubrics and student models accompany many writing assignments.Throughout the 12th grade year, in addition to the Common Read texts that the whole class reads together, students each select an Independent Reading book and engage with peers in group Book Talks. Language study is embedded in every 12th grade unit as students use annotation to closely review aspects of each text. Teacher resources provide additional materials to support each unit.