Activity 2 (1-2 class periods (40 minutes each))

This activity allows your students to view, read, and interpret primary sources from Abraham Lincoln's lifetime. Hopefully it will provide your students an opportunity to place themselves in this pivotal historical time, prompting thoughts and questions about the implications and consequences of the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln's leadership. However, due to the olden-day grammar and slang words, please be prepared to help your students understand what this text is saying.

Objective:

• Students will read and interpret actual sheet music written during Lincoln's lifetime and for his funeral.
• Students will respond to the songs by illustrating pictures to symbolize the music's meaning.

Materials:

• A copy of the words and music of one of your favorite songs.
• Student copies of the Music Response Worksheet
• Student copies of any of the following titles:

            "Emancipation" A song about what America will be like once all men are free.

            "Abraham's Tea Party" A song about men excited to fight on Abraham's behalf.

"The Black Brigade, Plantation Song and Dance" A song promoting slaves' freedom.

        "Father, Friend, and Guardian" A song written for Lincoln's funeral.

        Choose another song from  "We'll Sing to Abe Our Song!": Sheet Music about Lincoln, Emancipation, and the Civil War from the Alfred Whital Stern Collection of Lincolniana from the Library of Congress's American Memory Site.

•    Drawing Paper
•    Art Supplies

Introduction: Explain that the purpose of music is to express feelings and ideas. Sometimes people write songs to inspire others; sometimes people write songs because they are so sad, happy, excited, or frustrated that they want to share their feelings; sometimes people even make up songs just for fun.

                      Pass out the lyrics and play one of your favorite songs (ex. I might play "Concrete Angel" by Martina McBride). Then ask the following questions.

• Is their a story or message in this song? What?
• Can you tell if the lyrics are happy, sad, angry, excited? How?
• Is the grammar in this song correct? If not, why?
• Why do you think the writer composed this song?
• Why do you think the author chose the title?
• If you could illustrate this song, what might you draw?

Procedure: Distribute copies of one or more of the above songs to your class as well as the Music Response Worksheet.

    Explain that the students are going to read the lyrics to songs written in Abraham Lincoln's lifetime. Each of the songs has a message. Their job is to figure out what message each song has. Each student must write the message they think the song symbolizes and draw a picture symbolizing that message.

                 Read the lyrics together, discuss, and give the students time to work on their responses.

Assessment: Direct your students to write a paragraph explaining their illustration.  Please print out the Music Response Rubric as an assessment guide.

Extention: Your students could rewrite or make up another verse to the song using today's English language and grammar.

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