Look at the picture and try to answer the questions:
Who is the person shown in
this picture?
What is he doing?
Why is he doing it?
Why is the event shown in
this picture important?
Look at the picture and try to answer the questions:
Who is the person shown in this
picture? Abraham Lincoln
What is he doing?
Giving a famous speech called
the Gettysburg Address
Why is he doing it?
To honor the soldiers who died
at the Battle of Gettysburg
during the American Civil War
Why is the event shown in this
picture important?
It is one of the most famous
speeches in history and it helped
to remind Americans that our
nation was built on democratic
ideas.
Was Lincoln’s Speech original or did he copy it from
an Ancient Greek politician named Pericles?
????????
The Speeches – Background Information
Pericles – Funeral Oration –
Athens, 431BC
•Greece was involved in a civil war,
Athens vs Sparta
•Pericles was speaking at a funeral
ceremony for soldiers
• Pericles had faced criticism for his
handling of the war and used the
speech to highlight positive
features of Athens, such as
democracy
• Pericles started his speech by
praising Greek ancestors and
finished with a reminder that the
living would need to continue
fighting as a way to honor the dead
Lincoln – Gettysburg Address –
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, 1863AD
•USA was involved in a civil war,
North vs South
• Lincoln was speaking at a funeral
ceremony for soldiers
• Lincoln had faced criticism for his
handling of the war and used the
speech to highlight positive
features of America, such as
democracy
• Lincoln started his speech by
praising American ancestors and
finished with a reminder that the
living would need to continue
fighting as a way to honor the dead
Each man would die within two
years of delivering his speech
Lincoln at Gettysburg -1863
Pericles – Athens 431BC
“our fathers brought forth … a
new nation, ….dedicated to the
proposition that all men were
created equal”
“our ancestors, … have handed
down from generation to
generation,… a free state”
“government of the people, by
the people, for the people,”
“Our form of government is . .
a democracy, for the
administration is in the hands
of the many and not the few.”
“The world will little note nor
long remember what we say
here, but it … is for us, to be
dedicated to the unfinished
work which they who fought
here have thus far so nobly
advanced. . .- that from these
honored dead shall not have
died in vain;”
“Any one can speak to you
about the advantages of a brave
defense, … instead of listening
to him I would have you day by
day fix your eyes upon the
greatness of Athens, … reflect
that this empire has been
acquired by men who knew
their duty and had the courage
to do it.”
“But they call me
Honest Abe!”
What do you
think?
WRITE ABOUT IT!
“He
copied
me!”
RAFT ASSIGNMENT
ROLE
AUDIENCE
FORMAT
TOPIC
Lincoln
Pericles
Apology/Explanation
Letter to Pericles either explaining/proving he
did not copy or apologizing for copying (if you
think he did.)
Pericles
Lincoln
Complaint
Letter to Lincoln complaining about the use of
Pericles ideas without permission
Historian
6th grade
students
Textbook entry
Chapter in text that teaches about the two
speeches and explains if Lincoln did or did not
copy from Pericles.
Reporter
News paper
readers
Editorial
Article in newspaper that explains the
connection between the speeches and takes a
stand for or against Lincoln and copying.
Politician
Voters
Speech
Speech on current topic that copies
both Pericles and Lincoln
Poet
Poetry reader Poem
Poem that covers one of the topics above
– at least ten lines or 5 couplets
Choose one row on the chart above and complete the assignment.
Write from the point of view of the name in the “role “column.
Write to the name in the “audience” column.