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A Lesson on Training For The Presidency Save As Favorite
A Lesson on Training For The Presidency Grade: Grade 8
Subject: English Language Arts
Created by: Taylor Morgan
Lesson Length: 2 hours
Keywords/Tags: Reading, Writing, History, Abraham Lincoln, Honest Abe
Lesson Description: The goal of this lesson is to give students the opportunity to demonstrate their reading and writing skills in a lesson about Abraham Lincoln. After reading and rereading the passage closely the students will focus their understanding and comprehension through a series of questions and discussion about the text to uncover contextual clues and to determine what character trait Abraham Lincoln was known for having. When combined with writing about the passage students will gain a deeper understanding of how to use contextual clues to grasp main ideas when reading new passages.
Common Core Standards Covered with This Lesson
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.4a: Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
 
     
     
 
Lesson Content: Reading
Instructions: Please read the following reading passage as many times as needed (aloud and silent) before starting to go through other lesson pages. Understanding the content of this passage is very important since the lesson activities will be all about this content. Feel free to print the passage if needed.

Training For The Presidency

“I meant to take good care of your book, Mr. Crawford,” said the boy, “but I've damaged it a good deal without intending to, and now I want to make it right with you. What shall I do to make it good?” 

“Why, what happened to it, Abe?” asked the rich farmer, as he took the copy of Weems's “Life of Washington,” which he had lent young Lincoln, and looked at the stained leaves and warped binding. “It looks as if it had been out through all last night's storm. How came you to forget, and leave it out to soak?” 

“It was this way, Mr. Crawford,” replied Abe. “I sat up late to read it, and when I went to bed, I put it away carefully in my bookcase, as I call it, a little opening between two logs in the wall of our cabin. I dreamed about General Washington all night. When I woke up I took it out to read a page or two before I did the chores, and you can't imagine how I felt when I found it in this shape. It seems that the mud-daubing had got out of the weather side of that crack, and the rain must have dripped on it three or four hours before I took it out. I'm sorry, Mr. Crawford, and want to fix it up with you, if you can tell me how, for I have not got money to pay for it.” 

“Well,” said Mr. Crawford, “come and shuck corn three days, and the book is yours.” 

Had Mr. Crawford told young Abraham Lincoln that he had fallen heir to a fortune the boy could hardly have felt more relief. Shuck corn only three days, and earn the book that told all about his greatest hero! 

“I don't intend to shuck corn, split rails, and the like always,” he told Mr. Crawford’s wife, after he had read the volume. “I'm going to fit myself for a leadership profession.” 

“Why, what do you want to be, now?” asked Mrs. Crawford in surprise. 

“Oh, I'll be President!” said Abe with a smile. “I will lead the nation.” 

“You'd make a pretty President with all your tricks and jokes, now, wouldn't you?” said the farmer's wife. 

“Oh, I'll study and get ready,” replied the boy, “and then maybe the chance will come.” 

That was how it all started. You may not believe this story, but it is like what happened. Abe Lincoln was a truly remarkable person. He is the President who really changed our country.
 
     
     
 
Task 1: Vocabulary Activity (40 points)
Instructions: Please complete the following vocabulary activity by choosing the correct meaning of each word selected from the passage and use of each word correctly in a sentence.
Vocabulary Questions
Word/Phrase: Warped | Tier: 2 | Points: 10
Q1 "Looked at the stained leaves and warped binding." What does the word "warped" mean in this sentence?
A. To be bright and shiny.
B. To be covered in a decorate paper.
C. To become bent or twisted out of shape. *
D. To be frequently used.
Which sentence below uses the word "warped" correctly?
A. My brother felt warped because he lost his favorite shirt.
B. When I left my baseball bat outside all Summer it was ruined after being warped by the rain and sun. *
C. I warped my mother's birthday present in pink and purple paper.
D. My neighbors new car warped in the sun.
Word/Phrase: Heir | Tier: 2 | Points: 10
Q2 "Abraham Lincoln that he had fallen heir to a fortune..." What does the word "heir" mean in this sentence?
A. To be disappointed.
B. To be honest.
C. To be given bad luck.
D. To be entitled to the property or rank of another persons. *
Which one of the sentences below uses the word "heir" correctly?
A. Since I am an only child I am the only heir to all of my parents wealth and property. *
B. When my Dad told me the game was cancelled due to rain I became heir.
C. I broke the vase so I would rather be an heir then get in trouble for lying.
D. The evil witch gave heir to the children that were bothering her on Halloween night.
Word/Phrase: mud-daubing | Tier: 3 | Points: 10
Q3 "It seems that the mud-daubing had got out of the weather side of that crack..." What does the word "mud-daubing" mean in this sentence?
A. A small furry animal.
B. A game you play outside when the ground is wet.
C. A cover or coat of soft mud used as adhesive matter. *
D. A sign used to keep people away from cracks in the ground.
Which one of the sentences below uses the word "mud-daubing" correctly?
A. When building the log cabin my father cover the outside with mud-daubing to keep the wind out. *
B. My mother sent me hunting for a mud-daubing so she could make it for dinner.
C. I did not see the mud-daubing so I tripped on the crack in the ground.
D. My siblings said the rain had finally stopped so they wanted me to come mud-daubing with them.
Word/Phrase: split rails | Tier: 3 | Points: 10
Q4 “I don't intend to shuck corn, split rails, and the like always,” What does the phrase "split rails" mean in this sentence?
A. To owe another person money.
B. To break a wooden log in half lengthwise. *
C. To jump over train tracks.
D. To use an ax to chop down crops.
Which one of the sentences below uses the phrase "split rails" correctly?
A. I have to split rails until we have enough pieces to surround our garden with a new wooden fence. *
B. My mom does not like it when I split rails at the old train depot because she says it is dangerous.
C. My job for the summer is to split rails of wheat if I want a new bike to ride to school in the fall.
D. I have to slit rails to my friend Jack until I get my allowance on Friday since he bought me a soda.
Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.4,
 
     
     
 
Task 2: Discussion Activity (30 points)
Instructions: This discussion forum will have questions for students to respond. Read the posted questions, and respond to each. Students are responsible for posting one initial and and two peer responses for each topic.
  Topic Title Replies
Message Fallen heir to a fortune...
"Had Mr. Crawford told young Abraham Lincoln that he had fallen heir to a fortune the boy could hardly have felt more relief." Using context clues what is the author trying to convey with this sentence?
Sent on: Feb 17, 2015 by: Taylor Morgan		 0
Message Leadership Profession
What does the author mean when he says “I'm going to fit myself for a leadership profession"?
Sent on: Feb 17, 2015 by: Taylor Morgan		 0
Message Honest Abe
Based on this passage would is Surprise you to learn Abraham Lincoln's nickname is Honest Abe? How in the story is Abraham honest? Please use specific examples.
Sent on: Feb 17, 2015 by: Taylor Morgan		 0
Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.4a,
 
     
     
 
Task 3: Writing Activity (30 points)
Instructions: You are to write a 500 words essay on if you think that Abe meant to ruin the book on purpose? Why or why not? Use specific examples from the story to defend your answer.  
Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.1,
 
     

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