Lincoln Landing

Introduction

SUBJECTS: Social Science, English Language Arts, Technology

GRADE LEVELS: Middle/ Junior High Schools

STATE STANDARDS: Illinois Learning Standards, National Education Technology Standards (Nets)

The Lincoln Landing Project is located in Lockport, Illinois. The park honors Abraham Lincoln and the rich history of the Lockport, Illinois' I & M Canal. There were several famous people who were passengers on canal boats (known as "packets") on the Illinois & Michigan Canal, including the poet Walt Whitman. According to the Canal Corridor Association's web site, Abraham Lincoln was a passenger on the I & M Canal in 1848, traveling with his wife, Mary, and their two sons, Robert Todd and Edward. They rode a canal packet from Chicago, Illinois to LaSalle, Illinois.

Whether you visit this site in person, or take a virtual tour through the Lincoln Landing Project's web site, you can familiarize yourself with the Lincoln Project location and get ready to take a journey back in time. Be sure to visit Lincoln Medallion #9, Arthur Cunynghame (1812-1884) who traveled on board the packet boat, "Queen of the Prairies."

This WebQuest enhances specific Illinois Learning Standards and National Education Technology Standards (NETS) - (click for details).

Please read each section of the WebQuest: A Passenger in Time
before beginning. The sections of this WebQuest include the following:

Introduction

The Task

Resources (Research / Organization & Online)

Learning Advice (Prompts)

The Process

Conclusion

The Task

In WebQuest: A Passenger in Time, students will be challenged to imagine themselves as a passenger traveling down the Illinois & Michigan (I & M) Canal in a "packet" in 1848. A packet is a type of barge.

Students will complete their own I & M Canal Journey Scrapbook / Journal.

Numerous links are provided within the WebQuest. Students will use the prompts / learning advice to generate questions and topics to pursue for their project. Each project will be accompanied by a student-generated one page first-person narrative essay. Project directions and outcome expectations are listed below. Rubrik is provided.

An additional bibliography / works cited page is suggested. See citation help under resources below.

WebQuest Project
I & M Canal Journey Scrapbook / Journal

Create your own I & M Canal Journey Scrapbook / Journal. As a "passenger in time", your scrapbook will reflect your "journey". View scrapbook directions or print scrapbook directions

Vocabulary Words

packet boat
Illinois & Michigan (I & M) Canal
Lockport, Illinois
Abraham Lincoln
Illinois Central Railroad
towpath
freight
cargo
barge
commerce
Chicago, Illinois
Arthur Cunynghame
LaSalle, Illinois
transportation
Lincoln Landing Project

The Process

Students will:

Read the directions on this WebQuest.
Read the directions for the scrapbook / journal project.
Review the vocabulary words listed in the WebQuest.
Browse the Big6™ information and create a data chart organizer for taking notes (from the Big6 web site - http://www.big6.com/2002/02/13/data-chart-organizer-for-taking-notes/) that will help research efforts.
Read the Learning Advice / Prompt section to focus on the WebQuest task.
Begin browsing the listed online resources.
Take notes as needed, citing sources.
Assemble the items needed for scrapbook project completion.
Generate a first person, one page essay to accompany scrapbook. The essay should be generated in Times New Roman, font size 12, and double-spaced.
Follow any additional instructions provided by your classroom teacher.
An additional bibliography / works cited page is suggested. Visit the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy® 21st Century Information Fluency Citation Wizard online at: http://21cif.imsa.edu/tools/cite/ for citation help.
If desired, Lincoln supplemental reading suggestions may be downloaded.
Have fun!

Learning Advice

Learning Advice / Prompts

Something to think about . . .

Here are some key questions to ask yourself as you embark on your imaginary journey down the I & M Canal on a packet boat in 1848:

What is the Illinois & Michigan Canal?

What was the canal used for?

How many miles was the canal?

Where was the canal located?

What towns/cities were impacted by the canal?

Who built the I & M Canal?

What is the climate in the areas the canal served?

What did you see as you journeyed down the canal route?

How did you feel?

What type of clothing did you wear?

What was happening in U.S. history in 1848?

What events took place in world history in the 1800's, 1840's or 1848?

What type of music was popular?

What did people do for entertainment.

What other types of transportation were available in 1848?

What other notable people were alive in that time period?

What foods were popular at this time?

Resources

Students will find numerous resources in this Lincoln Landing Project WebQuest. There are suggested topical Internet resource links, links to the Big6™ organizers and information, and the Illinois Mathematics and Science® Academy's 21st Century Information Fluency citation wizards. There is a supplemental reading material suggestion list from YALSA provided.

RESEARCH / ORGANIZATION RESOURCES

Use a DATA CHART ORGANIZER FOR TAKING NOTES
from the Big6™ Web Site.

Data Chart Organizer for Taking Notes

http://www.big6.com/2002/02/13/data-chart-organizer-for-taking-notes/

Information Fluency
Online Citation Wizard - http://21cif.imsa.edu/tools/cite/

Suggested Abraham Lincoln Supplemental Reading List
List content provided by Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission & the Young Adult Library Services Association (Link listed below - titles listed at end of this WebQuest)

http://www.myhero.com/myhero/hero.asp?hero=ReadingList_YA

ONLINE RESOURCES

Conclusion

Upon successful completion of the projects listed in this Lincoln Landing WebQuest, the student learner will have a better understanding of what the I & M Canal passengers experienced as they traveled the Illinois waterway. A sense of Abraham Lincoln's 1848 involvement and experience on the I & M Canal will be enhanced. The learner will gain a better understanding of local and world events of the 1800's. The student learner will increase organization and research skills familiarizing themselves with the Big6 process and data chart organizers. Students will be able to explore the Lincoln Landing Project (either online or at the park itself) and enjoy the rich canal history of Lockport, Illinois.

Learning Standards

SUBJECTS: Social Science, English Language Arts, Technology

GRADE LEVELS: Middle/ Junior High Schools

STATE STANDARDS: Illinois Learning Standards specified below

English Language Arts
Goal 1: Read with understanding and fluency.

1. Students who meet this standard can comprehend a broad range of reading materials (Standard 1C).

o Summarize and make generalizations from content and relate them to the purpose of the material. (Benchmark 1.C.3d)

In this activity students will demonstrate the ability to: (Performance Descriptors)

o 7. Synthesize key points (ideas) and supporting details to form conclusions. (Stage E )

o 11. Interpret information from tables, maps, visual aids, and charts to enhance understanding of text. (Stage E )

o 2. Use relevant and accurate references, most of which are specific and fully supported to make generalizations from content.(Stage F )

Social Science
Goal 16: Understand events, trends, individuals and movements shaping the history of Illinois, the United States and other nations.

1. Students who meet this standard can understand Illinois, United States and world environmental history (Standard 16E).

o Describe how the largely rural population of the United States adapted, used and changed the environment after 1818. (Benchmark 16.E.3b (US))

In this activity students will demonstrate the ability to: (Performance Descriptors)

o 2. Explain how a community or state's location helps to understand its growth and development over time. (U.S.)(Stage E )

o 11. Analyze the effects of a significant invention or technological innovation on the physical and cultural environment of one of the world's regions (e.g., invention of the wheel, canals, railroads). (World)(Stage F )

o 2. Describe the development of transportation and communication networks (e.g., river travel, pony express, Internet). (U.S.)(Stage G )

Technology
Goal 33:National Educational Technology Standards for Students: The Next Generation

1. Students who meet this standard can: Research and Information Fluency (Standard 333).

o Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. (Benchmark 33.3.New NETS-S)

In this activity students will demonstrate the ability to: (Performance Descriptors)

o c. evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.(Stage E )

o d. process data and report results.(Stage E )

o b. locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.(Stage H )

Abraham Lincoln Supplemental Reading Suggestions

Content provided by the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission and the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)/

Suggested grade level 7-12. These titles span a broad range of reading / maturity levels.

This list was prepared by YALSA's 2006 Booklist Taskforce. YALSA is the world leader in selecting books, videos & audiobooks for teens. For more lists of recommended reading, go to www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists.

Fiction

Blackwood, Gary. Second Sight. Dutton Children's Books, 2005.
Gr. 8-10
As part of a mind-reading act, Joseph meets many Washington, D.C. area actors, including the dashing John Wilkes Booth. When a young girl staying at Joseph's boarding house has dark visions predicting Abraham Lincoln's assassination, they work together to try to prevent it, in this gripping alternate history.
DuPont, M. Kay. Loving Mr. Lincoln: The Personal Diaries of Mary Todd Lincoln. Jedco Press, 2003.
Gr. 8-10
Purporting to be the reprinting of the newly-discovered diaries of Mary Todd Lincoln, this engaging novel shows Mrs. Lincoln to be an advocate of women's rights, a proponent of abolition and the driving force behind Lincoln's success as President.
Myers, Anna. Assassin. Walker & Co., 2005.
Gr. 7-10
Told from the viewpoint of John Wilkes Booth, as well as from the perspective of a fictional young girl, this novel details Booth's plot against President Lincoln.
Rinaldi, Ann. An Acquaintance with Darkness. Harcourt Brace, 1997.
Gr. 7-10
1998 YALSA Best Books for Young Adults
In the wake of President Lincoln's assassination, Emily's mother dies and arrangements for her to live with her best friend fail when the father is implicated in the assassination plot. Emily goes to live with her sinister uncle instead, a doctor who seems to spend a lot of time in graveyards after dark.
Slotkin, Richard. Abe: A Novel. Henry Holt & Co., 2000.
Gr. 9-12
A deep and haunting story of the formative years of Abraham Lincoln, this novel is rich, intelligent and thoughtful. Through the death of his beloved mother and sister, he learns many survival skills and develops a clear understanding of the equality of all humankind through his life-changing journey down the Mississippi River.

Nonfiction

Donald, David Herbert. Lincoln at Home: Two Glimpses of Abraham Lincoln's Domestic Life. Simon & Schuster, 2000.
Gr. 9-12
An informative biography of Abraham Lincoln in two parts. Part One discusses life in the White House in the early years; part two provides details of the Lincoln family's life through letters between the president and his wife.
Donald, David Herbert. "We Are Lincoln Men": Abraham Lincoln and His Friends. Simon & Schuster, 2003.
Gr. 9-12
This book documents Abraham Lincoln's friendships and acquaintances; beginning with his childhood and ending with his working relationships with his two private secretaries, Nicolay and Hay, near the end of his life.
Goodwin, Doris Kearns. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. Simon & Schuster, 2005.
Gr. 9-12
A discussion of the major contenders in the 1860 presidential race, many of whom President Lincoln later invited into his cabinet. It is the story of how Lincoln succeeded in melding this group of rivals into a strong team through his strength and political acumen.
Keneally, Thomas. Abraham Lincoln. Lipper/Viking, 2003.
Gr. 9-12
An in-depth biography of President Abraham Lincoln, from his birth to his presidency. The majority of this book deals with the years before his presidency, including his relationships with those who influenced him and his bouts with a depressive illness.
Kennedy, Caroline, ed. A Patriot's Handbook: Poems, Stories, and Speeches Celebrating the Land We Love. Hyperion, 2003.
Gr. 7-12
A comprehensive anthology of American culture, including poetry, major documents, works by authors from all walks of American life, presidential speeches and more.
Lincoln, Abraham, et. al. Lincoln: Speeches and Writings. Library of America, 1989.
Gr. 9-12
Volume I (1832-1858) and Volume II (1859-1865) contain an extensive collection of the works by Abraham Lincoln, including campaign speeches, the seven Lincoln-Douglas debates, letters to his Civil War military leaders, inaugural speeches and more.
Marrin, Albert. Commander in Chief: Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. Dutton Children's Books, 1997.
Gr. 7-10
Excellent treatment of the life of Abraham Lincoln, focusing on the personal aspects of his experience, from birth to death. Using photographs and quotations, Lincoln is brought to life in a riveting fashion.
Marvel, William. Mr. Lincoln Goes to War. Houghton Mifflin Co., 2006.
Gr. 9-12
Marvel says the Civil War was unnecessary, and leaves no stone unturned in this revisionist history of the president's role in the war. Includes original photographs, extensive bibliography, biographical sketches of the key players and more.
Meredith, Roy. Mr. Lincoln's Camera Man: Mathew B. Brady. Dover Publications, 1974. Gr. 7-12
A fascinating historical collection of Brady's photographs, chronicling the course of the Civil War, with commentary by Roy Meredith.
Shenk, Joshua Wolf. Lincoln's Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His Greatness. Houghton Mifflin Co., 2005.
Gr. 9-12
Shenk successfully manages to address the issue of Lincoln's bouts of chronic depression and its affect on his role as president and Commander-in-Chief.
Swanson, James L. Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer. William Morrow/Avon, 2006.
Gr. 9-12
With great attention to the tiniest fascinating details, Swanson examines John Wilkes Booth's motives and previous opportunities for his momentous action; his meticulous planning of an event which, if it had played out as intended, would have resulted in the simultaneous deaths of a number of important figures and the crippling of the United States government. He also examines Lincoln's final hours, and Booth's bumbling but nearly successful attempt to escape capture.
Tripp, C. A. The Intimate World of Abraham Lincoln. Free Press, 2005.
Gr. 9-12
Tripp delves into the intimate world of Lincoln for a fresh look at his character. Lincoln's relationships with both men and women are explored, as well as how his own inner strength helped him through the most turbulent presidency in history.