Educators

Explore Abraham Lincoln’s changing views toward slavery and racial equality through five of his key speeches: A House Divided (1858); his first and second inaugural addresses (1861, 1865); the Gettysburg Address (1863); and the speech on Reconstruction (1865). Use the two PDFs to help your students interpret and investigate the legacy of Lincoln’s presidency as More

Designed for children ages 6 to 12, My Chicago uses the symbols and design of the city’s flag to explore our rich and diverse history. The curriculum illustrates Chicago’s past and present by drawing on the Museum’s collections, including a variety of photographs, documents, and images of artifacts. The activities are appropriate for use in the classroom More

Inspired by the Museum’s collection, local classroom teachers wrote and tested History Lab lesson plans. They are grouped into twelve topics. Lessons from each unit may be used independently or as a set. Each lesson includes a lesson plan, student materials, and reproductions of artifacts and/or photographs from the Museum’s collection. These materials may be downloaded, More

These resources were originally developed in 2008 for Catholic Chicago, a temporary exhibition, and can be adapted for use in the Chicago: Crossroads of America exhibition. The gallery conversation cards will help you frame your exploration of the Museum and highlight seven themes related to life in Chicago—people, place, work, community, education, reform, and celebration. Build More

This group of four lessons examines key subjects and events in Lincoln’s lifetime: slavery; his election in 1860; the Emancipation Proclamation and black soldiers in the Union army; and his assassination. Each lesson includes high-quality reproductions of images and documents from the Museum’s collection as well as background information, analysis questions, instructional strategies, and extension More