Historic Southern Indiana

Education Projects Summary Bicentennial Celebration
provided by Bill Bartelt

As part of the Department's Lincoln Project for Schools and Communities:
(1) There will be Lincoln bookmarks distributed to Indiana schools in the fall.
	• There will be four bookmarks: one for each of four grade spans (k-2; 3-5; 6-8; 9-12+).
	• Each bookmark will provide a list of about ten books about Lincoln and his time.
	• The bookmarks will also be available online for the public and those who want to download more copies.
(2) There will be The Lincoln Resource Guide, a companion piece to all the events and materials used by schools, libraries, and communities for celebrating the Lincoln Bicentennial in Indiana, available online this fall.
	• The guide will provide background information and resource suggestions about Abraham Lincoln, his life and times.
	• The sections of the guide will include everything from information regarding Lincoln's youth in Indiana from the time he was seven until he moved at twenty-one to Illinois, his family tree and the First Family, his achievements as President, the events of the Civil War, the Underground Railroad, The Gettysburg Address and The Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln's assassination and funeral, and much more.
	• The appendices will provide extensive book, music, and poetry lists for doing additional research as well as "book talk" lessons for teachers and a one-page study guide that will aid teachers, students, parents and community members in coming together for a "book-club type" discussion of books they have read about Lincoln and his time.
	• The guide will also provide background information about the painting "The Life of Abraham Lincoln" and its artist Tom Kennedy along with grade-span lessons and project ideas for teachers and students who initiate a study of the painting.
	• The guide will also be useful to schools implementing year long interdisciplinary projects to become official Indiana Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Schools as defined by the Indiana Bicentennial Commission

As part of the Indiana Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission's education outreach:
(1) Hardcover books will be distributed to schools in Indiana.
	• Grades K-2: Abe Lincoln's Hat (F) by Martha Brenner • Grades 3-5: Abe Lincoln Remembers (NF) by Ann Turner • Grades 6-8: Lincoln: A Photobiography (NF) by Russell Freedman • Grades 9-12: Abraham Lincoln and Civil War America: A Biography (NF) by William E. Gienapp
(2) There will be 2008-09 school year project and writing competitions for schools that choose to participate.
	• Elementary School Commemorative Stamp Competition: "Abraham Lincoln in Indiana: 1816-1830" • Junior High/Middle School Power Point Presentation Competition: "Abraham Lincoln's Indiana Years (1816-1830) • High School Essay Competition: "Indiana's Influence on the Life of Abraham Lincoln"

The Indiana Humanities Council is seeking funding for a proposal, "One State, One Story: Indiana Reads About Lincoln," involving public libraries and communities. It will be jointly sponsored by three statewide organizations: Indiana Center for the Book (Indiana State Library), Indiana Department of Education, and Indiana Humanities Council.
The project will seek to inspire adults and children to read, discuss, and engage in activities focused on Abraham Lincoln.
	• It will highlight reading and literacy in a statewide program. • It will encourage reading about Abraham Lincoln during the year of his bicentennial. • It will create an opportunity for intergenerational learning. • It will create a solid collaborative program structure to ensure program sustainability and adaptability to new themes on an annual basis.

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