StudySync Lesson Plan
Gettysburg Address
Objectives
1.
Students will read and listen to Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address.”
2. Students will respond to the text through writing and discussion.
3. Practice and reinforce the following Grade 9-10 ELA Common Core Standards for reading,
writing, and speaking and listening:
READING: INFORMATIONAL TEXT - RI.9-10.1-6, 8, 9
WRITING - W.9-10.1-2, 4-7
SPEAKING AND LISTENING - SL.9-10.1-6
Time
100 minutes (with an additional 100 minutes of extension possibilities)
Materials
SyncTV Premium Lesson on Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address.”
Overview
The StudySync lesson presents the complete text of Abraham Lincoln’s famous “Gettysburg
Address.” Additionally, it provides supplemental material in many forms: video, pre-reading, etc.
Students will read the text and analyze it in a number of ways after watching the SyncTV video
which models academic discourse. This will allow students to write well-informed responses that
correlate to the Common Core Standards for grades 9-10.
Background (10 minutes)
1.
Watch the Preview (SL.9-10.2). As a group, watch the video preview of the premium
lesson. Ask the students to share their impressions of life in the Civil War era. Use the
following questions to spur discussion about the preview:
a. What were the social and political causes of the Civil War?
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Lesson Plan: Gettysburg Address
b. What have you learned about the Civil War in your social studies courses?
c. What do you know about the major battles of the Civil War?
Extension (additional 10 minutes)
d. Write Creatively (W.9-10.3). Describe for students the likely scene the day after
the battle of Gettysburg. Tell them to imagine that they are President Lincoln.
Have them write an internal monologue for him—what would he be thinking as he
walked to give his speech? Limit students to five minutes.
e. Share (SL.9-10.5). After they’ve finished their short stories/inner monologues
invite any students who would like to share to read their stories. If the students
are reluctant to share, you might share your own to help break the ice.
Engaging the Text (90 minutes)
2. Read the Text (25 minutes)
a. Read and Annotate (RI.9-10.2-3, 6, 8-9). Ask students to read the introduction and
“The Gettysburg Address.” Students must be given enough time to both read and
annotate the text. If the classroom has a projector, you may want to model notetaking skills by reading and annotating the first paragraph as a class. This is
especially important if you have not used this tool before, as encouraging
students to annotate on a regular basis will improve their reading
comprehension. Students should pay particular attention to Lincoln’s central
argument/thesis. If students are completing “The Gettysburg Address” as a
homework assignment, ask them to write any questions they have into the
annotation tool–these questions are visible to you after the students submit their
writing assignments or beforehand if you use the “Mimic” function to access the
students’ accounts.
Extension (additional 20 minutes)
b. Listen (RI.9-10.4 and SL.9-10.1-2). As a class, listen to the audio reading of the text.
Ask students to use context clues to define key terms (such as “consecrate”). As a
group, work to define any other unclear terms or ideas.
c. Comprehend (RI.9-10.1-4). Either distribute the multiple-choice questions or read
them aloud to the class. As a class, reread and discuss any passages of the text
about which students remain unclear.
d. Explain (ELL). Use sentence frames to show how Abraham Lincoln honors all who
fought rater than risking alienating people he one day must re-integrate: Lincoln
says they are there to honor _________________. He says they are
_________________. He honors ________________ who fought, but says he
cannot ___________________. He says they did not ____________________,
but that they will establish _____________________________.
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3. Watch SyncTV (15 minutes)
a. Watch. Either watch the SyncTV discussion associated with “The Gettysburg
Address“ as a class or ask students to watch it on their individual computers.
b. Focus (RI.9-10.4). In order to model close reading skills, ask students to focus on
the moment when the student Alisha breaks down how the use and development
of the words “devotion” and “dedication” in Lincoln’s address offer insight into
his purpose with this speech (from 6:08-6:22 in the video). Discuss how homing
in on key phrases or words can unlock the overall meaning of a text.
c. Discuss (SL.9-10.1-6). After watching the model discussion, divide students into
small groups (2-3 students). Move around the room monitoring the groups as
students follow the SyncTV episode as a model to discuss some of the following
questions:
1.
What was Lincoln’s goal in giving this speech? “Keeping the
country united” is too vague. Be specific and give details.
2. What conflicts does Lincoln specifically avoid? How does he do
this?
3. How can you tell that Lincoln is looking to the future and believes
that the country will be united again?
4. Why do you believe the speech is the length it is? What does he
say that relates to this?
5. Lincoln says that they/he cannot consecrate or hallow this ground.
What does he mean? Do you agree?
6. What do you think were Lincoln’s fears as he said this? How can
you tell?
Extension (additional 20 minutes)
d. Evaluate (SL.9-10.1-6). Watch the SyncTV episode again (as a whole class if
possible). Before watching, assign each of your students one of the four students
in the episode to follow. Have students examine each of the points that the
students in the video make. How do the students’ perspectives evolve as the
discussion continues? What are the most important points each students makes?
What evidence from the text do students use to support their points?
4. Think (5 minutes)
a. Respond (W.9-10.1-2, 4, 6). Ask students to read the “Think” questions, watch the
corresponding video clips, and respond to the questions.
5. Write (30 minutes)
a. Discuss (SL.9-10.1). Either read the prompt as a group or have students read it
individually. Ask for questions to clarify any areas about which students may be
unclear. Be sure to specify and go over the rubric that you will be using to
evaluate students.
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Lesson Plan: Gettysburg Address
b. Organize (RI.9-10.1-3 and W.9-10.1-2, 5). Ask students to go back and annotate the
text with the prompt in mind. They should be organizing their thoughts and the
points they’ll address in their writing as they make annotations. This is an
excellent place to apply pre-writing strategies such as outlining.
c. Write (W.9-10.1-2, 4-6). Have students complete and submit their writing
responses.
d. Review (W.9-10.4-6). Use the StudySync “Review” feature to have students
complete five evaluations of their peers’ work based on your chosen review
rubric. Have the students look at the peer evaluations of their own writing. In
pairs, ask the students to discuss briefly the peer evaluations. Suggested
questions: What might you do differently in a revision? How might you strengthen
the writing and the ideas?
Extension (additional 20 minutes)
e. Self-Assess (W.9-10.4-6). Use the StudySync assignment creation tool to create a
“Writing” assignment that asks students to address the following prompt:
1.
Reread your essay and the reviews of your essay on “The
Gettysburg Address. “ After reading these reviews, what do you
believe were the biggest strengths of your essay? What were
the biggest weaknesses? If you were to go back and write this
essay again, what would you change about your writing
process? How has writing this essay made you a better writer?
Extension (additional 30 minutes)
f. Prepare (W.9-10.4). Using one of the writing prompts that you did not assign (or
developing one of your own), as a class, outline an essay on “The Gettysburg
Address.” Walk students through the expectations of basic 5-paragraph essay
writing.
1. First, have students individually develop thesis statement ideas.
Then ask several students to share these ideas.
2. Choose a solid idea that does not yet make an argument, and then
as a class develop that idea into an argumentative thesis. The
following link provides strong examples of this if needed:
http://www.slideshare.net/ctomlins/strong-thesis-statements
3. Break the students into small groups (2-3 students each) and ask
them to develop supporting points for the class’s thesis.
4. Have the groups list 1-2 examples from the text and 1-2 examples
from their own experiences that could bolster each point. Ask them
to rank their supporting evidence from strongest to weakest and
eliminate the weakest 2 ideas for each point.
5. Lastly, bring the whole class together again to discuss good
conclusions. Go through the criteria given in the rubric for a good
conclusion. Ask students to write their own concluding sentences.
6. By the end of the exercise, each student should have his/her own
essay outline template.
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SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS
Key Vocabulary
1.
score (n.) – a group or set of twenty
2. dedicate (v.) – devote to a specific purpose
3. consecrate (v.) – make or sacred; dedicate formally to a religious or divine purpose
4. hallow (v.) – honor as holy
5. nobly (adj.) – behaving or acting with high moral character
6. devotion (n.) – love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause
7. vain (adj.) – producing no results; useless
Reading Comprehension Questions
1.
When Lincoln delivers this speech, how long has it been since the United States was
founded?
a. 27 years
b. 47 years
c. 207 years
d. 87 years
2. What does Lincoln say the war is testing?
a. How long such a nation can endure
b. States’ rights
c. The strength of the army
d. If the British were right
3. Why has Lincoln come to give a speech?
a. To denounce the South
b. To glorify the North
c. To dedicate part of the battlefield
d. To congratulate the soldiers
4. What does Lincoln say that is ironic?
a. “The world will little note, no long remember”
b. “We are engaged in a great civil war”
c. “We are met on a great battlefield”
d. Nothing
5. Who really consecrated the ground?
a. A priest
b. Those who fought and died there
c. Lincoln
d. The government
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Lesson Plan: Gettysburg Address
6. To whom is Lincoln speaking in this address?
a. Those gathered at Gettysburg.
b. Union citizens.
c. Confederate citizens.
d. All of the above.
7. As it is used in this passage the word “proposition” means:
a. proposal
b. principle
c. myth
d. map
8. Which key event took place before Lincoln’s address?
a. Lee’s surrender to Grant at Appomattox
b. Reconstruction
c. The Emancipation Proclamation
d. General Sherman’s March to the Sea
9. Based on the speech and its historical context, what can you infer Lincoln means
when he refers to the “unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so
nobly advanced”?
a. The work of crushing the Southern armies
b. The work of freeing the slaves
c. The work of re-uniting the North and South
d. The work of creating a national monument
10. Which word most accurately describes the overall tone of Lincoln’s address?
a. Somber
b. Political
c. Ironic
d. Fiery
Answer Key
1. D
2. A
3. C
4. A
5. B
6. D
7. B
8. C
9. C
10. A
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Further Assignments
1.
Ask students to rewrite their written responses to the writing prompt based on their
peers’ feedback and/or their self-assessments. (W.9-10.10)
2. Assign students a StudySync “Writing” assignment which asks them to research
American culture in the 1860s. They should also look up how the war was progressing
in 1863 and relate it to the passage. (W.9-10.4-7)
3. Put students into groups. Ask students to select one to three sentences of the
address each. Each group will then deliver the address. Students will then comment
and critique one another’s delivery. (SL.9-10.5-6)
4. At the conclusion of your Civil War unit, ask students to write an essay comparing
Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” to his “Second Inaugural Address.” In what ways are
the two speeches similar? In what ways are they different? How do the differences in
the speeches reflect the developments from the middle of the war to the end of the
war and speak to the challenges of Reconstruction that lie ahead? (W.9-10.7)
5. Ask students to think of a contemporary event or issue that also requires
memorializing. How can they use Lincoln’s address as a model for speaking to both
the need to memorialize the contributions of those who have struggled for something
while also speaking to the need for reconciling the differences between both sides?
Ask students to write their own addresses that perform both functions. (W.9-10.4)
6. Place students into pairs and have them write a short script of what the conversation
might be like between Lincoln and one of his aides while writing the speech. What
might he do and say? Ask students to read their short dialogues aloud to the class.
(ELL)
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