ALEX Classroom Resource

  

Dear Mr. President

  Classroom Resource Information  

Title:

 Dear Mr. President

URL:

 https://amhistory.si.edu/ourstory/pdf/lincoln/dear_president.pdf

Content Source:

 Smithsonian
Type: Learning Activity

Overview:

In this learning activity, students analyze a letter written by Grace Bedell to President Abraham Lincoln. Students will then write and send their own letter to the president of the United States.

Content Standard(s):
Social Studies
SS2010 (2010)
Grade: 5
United States Studies: Beginnings to the Industrial Revolution
11 ) Identify causes of the Civil War, including states' rights and the issue of slavery.

•  Describing the importance of the Missouri Compromise, Nat Turner's insurrection, the Compromise of 1850, the Dred Scott decision, John Brown's rebellion, and the election of 1860
•  Recognizing key Northern and Southern personalities, including Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson, William Tecumseh Sherman, and Joseph Wheeler (Alabama)
•  Describing social, economic, and political conditions that affected citizens during the Civil War
•  Identifying Alabama's role in the Civil War (Alabama)
Examples: Montgomery as the first capital of the Confederacy, Winston County's opposition to Alabama's secession (Alabama)

•  Locating on a map sites important to the Civil War
Examples: Mason-Dixon Line, Fort Sumter, Appomattox, Gettysburg, Confederate states, Union states (Alabama)

•  Explaining events that led to the conclusion of the Civil War
Unpacked Content
Strand: Economics, Geography, History, Civics and Government
Course Title: United States Studies: Beginnings to the Industrial Revolution
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Students:
  • Identify and explain the causes of the Civil War, including issues of states' rights, conflicts regarding slavery, important events, regional differences, and social, economic, and political conditions.
  • Describe Alabama's role in the Civil War.
Teacher Vocabulary:
  • Civil War
  • Missouri Compromise
  • insurrection
  • opposition
  • rebellion
  • personalities
  • political conditions
  • confederacy
  • secession
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • Causes of the Civil War, including issues of states' rights and slavery.
  • The importance of the Missouri Compromise, Nat Turner's insurrection, the Compromise of 1850, the Dred Scott decision, John Brown's rebellion, and the election of 1860.
  • Key Northern and Southern personalities, including Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson, William Tecumseh Sherman, and Joseph Wheeler.
  • Social, economic, and political conditions that affected citizens during the Civil War.
  • Alabama's role in the Civil War (Montgomery as the first capital of the Confederacy, Winston County's opposition to Alabama's secession).
Skills:
Students are able to:
  • Locate key places and events on a physical and political map.
  • Identify and analyze the causes of political conflict Identify key people and explain their role throughout the Civil War.
  • Describe and draw conclusions about the war affected the citizens of the United States.
  • Interpret and define the role of Alabama in the Civil War.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • There were many factors that led to the Civil War.
  • Key people and ordinary citizens contributed to and were impacted by the Civil War.
  • Alabama responded to, participated in, and was impacted by the Civil War.
Alabama Archives Resources:
Click below to access all Alabama Archives resources aligned to this standard.
Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
SS.AAS.5.11 Define civil war; recognize one or more key figures of the Civil War, including Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis; label a map of the United States with Southern and Northern states involved in the Civil War.
SS.AAS.5.11a - Identifying Alabama's role in the Civil War. Example: Montgomery was the first Confederate capitol.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 5
36. Write an argument to persuade the reader to take an action or adopt a position, stating a claim, supporting the claim with relevant evidence from sources, using connectives to link ideas, and presenting a strong conclusion.

Examples: first, as a result, therefore, in addition
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
36.
  • Argument
  • Persuade
  • Take an action
  • Adopt a position
  • Claim
  • Relevant evidence
  • Sources
  • Connectives
  • Conclusion
Knowledge:
36. Students know:
  • The purpose of argumentative writing is to convince the reader to take action or adopt a particular position.
  • Argumentative writing includes introducing the topic by stating an argumentative claim, logical reasoning supported by evidence, and a concluding statement.
  • Evidence to support the argument must be collected from various sources.
  • Connective words, like first, as a result, therefore, in addition, are used to link ideas in argumentative writing.
Skills:
36. Students are able to:
  • Write an argument to convince a reader to take action or adopt a position.
  • Include a claim, logical reasoning supported by evidence, and a conclusion in argumentative writing.
  • Gather evidence from relevant sources to support a claim.
  • Use connective words to link their ideas within the writing.
Understanding:
36. Students understand that:
  • To persuade a reader to take action or adopt an opinion, they must present logical reasoning supported by evidence from relevant sources.
  • Connective words can help connect their argument to the evidence supporting their argument.
Tags: Abraham Lincoln, Grace Bedell, persuasive writing, presidents
License Type: Custom Permission Type
See Terms: https://www.si.edu/termsofuse/
For full descriptions of license types and a guide to usage, visit :
https://creativecommons.org/licenses
Accessibility
Comments
  This resource provided by:  
Author: Ginger Boyd
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