Analyzing the Gettysburg Address: A Lesson Plan

 

Analyze a Speech and Create a Lesson Plan Subject: History (adaptable to other subjects) Grade Level: 8th Grade (adaptable to other grade levels) Text: "Gettysburg Address" speech by Abraham Lincoln"

Analyzing the Gettysburg Address: A Lesson Plan

Subject: History (adaptable to other subjects like Language Arts, Public Speaking) Grade Level: 8th Grade (adaptable to higher or lower grades by adjusting complexity) Time Allotment: Two 45-minute periods

Learning Objectives:

• Students will be able to identify the main points and purpose of the Gettysburg Address.
• Students will be able to analyze the historical context surrounding the speech.
• Students will be able to identify and explain the use of rhetorical devices in the speech.
• Students will be able to evaluate the speech's historical significance.

Materials:

• Copy of the Gettysburg Address
• Handout with key vocabulary terms (e.g., dedicate, consecrate, proposition, revere)
• Whiteboard or projector
• Markers or pens
• Chart paper or large index cards

Lesson Procedure:

Day 1: Setting the Stage and Close Reading

1. Introduction (5 minutes): Briefly introduce the Gettysburg Address and its historical context, including the Civil War and the Battle of Gettysburg. Explain the significance of the speech and its place in history.
2. Vocabulary Review (10 minutes): Pre-teach or review key vocabulary terms from the speech using the handout. Discuss the meaning and importance of these words in understanding the text.
3. Close Reading (20 minutes): Provide students with copies of the Gettysburg Address. Guide them through a close reading activity, highlighting important lines, phrases, and sentences. Encourage them to annotate the text, taking notes on:
   • Main points: What are the key ideas or arguments Lincoln presents?
   • Purpose: What is Lincoln's goal in delivering this speech?
   • Historical references: What historical events or figures does Lincoln mention?
   • Emotional language: How does Lincoln use language to evoke emotions in his audience?
4. Class Discussion (10 minutes): Facilitate a class discussion using the following prompts:
   • What is the main message of the Gettysburg Address?
   • Why do you think Lincoln delivered this speech at Gettysburg?
   • How does Lincoln use language to honor the fallen soldiers?
   • What emotions do you think Lincoln wanted his audience to feel?

Day 2: Analyzing the Speech and its Impact

1. Review (5 minutes): Briefly review the key points and vocabulary terms from the previous day.
2. Rhetorical Devices (15 minutes): Introduce the concept of rhetorical devices and how they can be used to persuade or influence an audience. Discuss specific examples found in the speech, such as:
   • Metaphor: "a government of the people, by the people, for the people"
   • Parallelism: "a new birth of freedom," "under God," "that government of the people shall not perish from the earth"
   • Repetition: "dedicate," "consecrate," "ensure"
   • Anaphora: "Four score and seven years ago..."
   • Emotive language: "final resting place," "a great task remaining before us"
   • Ask students to identify additional examples of rhetorical devices and explain their effects.
3. Historical Significance (20 minutes): Divide students into small groups. Assign each group a different question to research and discuss related to the historical significance of the Gettysburg Address.
   • Example questions:
     • What was the public's reaction to the speech at the time?
     • How did the Gettysburg Address influence the Civil War?
     • What is the speech's lasting legacy in American history?
4. Group Presentations (10 minutes): Each group presents their findings to the class, summarizing their research and discussion points. Encourage further discussion and questions from the class.

Assessment:

• Participation in class discussions and activities
• Annotations on the Gettysburg Address
• Short written reflection or essay analyzing the speech's main points, use of rhetorical devices, and historical significance

Differentiation:

• Provide scaffolding and support for struggling readers by offering paraphrased versions of the speech or sentence starters for their written work.
• Challenge advanced students by asking them to research the life and career of Abraham Lincoln or compare the Gettysburg Address to another historical speech.

Extension Activities:

• Have students write their own short speech on a topic they are passionate about, incorporating the use of rhetorical devices they learned.
• Research other famous historical speeches and compare and contrast them to the Gettysburg Address.
• Create a visual representation of the speech, such as a collage or infographic, highlighting its key points and themes.

This lesson plan provides a framework for analyzing the Gettysburg Address in an 8th-grade history class. It can be adapted to fit the needs of different grade levels and subjects