The Multiple Dilemmas of Abraham Lincoln

This lesson, an interactive historical simulation, presents students with five difficult decisions Abraham Lincoln made between his election in November 1860 and the battle of Fort Sumter in April 1861. The strength of this lesson is the wealth of primary and secondary source evidence that it uses to help students understand the challenging questions Lincoln faced.

This lesson is designed for students to complete online, but can be modified for classrooms that lack computer access. It is presented through five online modules, each centered around a different dilemma. All modules provide students with historical background, an explanation of the issues facing Lincoln and resources that shed light on some of the information Lincoln had to consider when making the decision.

Students are given a list of the likeliest decision options available to Lincoln, but are also encouraged to come up with their own solutions for these historical dilemmas. Of particular value, is the ability to read about Lincoln’s actual decision and compare it to student generated ones.

Due to the length of this lesson and its reliance on computers, we recommend that teachers consider focusing on only one of the decisions, printing out only the relevant resources to use in class.

The authors of this lesson note the shortcomings of historical simulations, pointing out that students’ simulated policy decisions might be colored by presentism and hindsight. Rather than a simulation, teachers could use these materials to examine the issues Lincoln faced and his responses, and then use the documents to evaluate why Lincoln responded as he did.

Notes

Teachinghistory.org Lesson Plan Rubric

Field	Criteria	Comments
Historical Content	Is historically accurate?	Yes. Wealth of bibliographic information provided.
Historical Content	Includes historical background?	Yes. Tremendous amount of relevant background.
Historical Content	Requires students to read and write?	Yes. Only formal writing is note-taking, but tasks can be turned into writing assignments.
Analytic Thinking	Requires analysis/construction of interpretations using evidence?	Yes. Heart of the lesson: using evidence to understand Lincoln’s decisions.
Analytic Thinking	Requires close reading and attention to source information?	Yes
Scaffolding	Appropriate for stated audience?	Yes
Scaffolding	Includes scaffolding materials and strategies?	Yes. Students can click on words for additional information.
Lesson Structure	Includes assessment criteria focused on historical understanding?	Yes. Reflection questions included but not comprehensive. No specific criteria.
Lesson Structure	Defines clear learning goals and progresses logically?	Yes
Lesson Structure	Includes clear directions; realistic for classrooms?	No. Requires students to work individually at a computer.