February 12, 2009 marks the 200th birthday of one of the greatest American presidents. A commemorative coin to honor Abraham Lincoln is being developed. During the bicentennial, the Lincoln penny is getting a new look- actually four new looks! One of the designs features the log cabin from the Lincoln’s birthplace, Hodgenville, Kentucky. The Kentucky Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission has been planning events and developing products to honor Abraham Lincoln during the bicentennial. We want our students to understand the legacy of Abraham Lincoln.

Why does his legacy live on? Why do we still remember him today? During this bicentennial and beyond, his leadership during one on the most crucial times in our history should be recognized. Abraham Lincoln was an average man who had to work hard for his education. Lincoln rose from his modest roots to the American presidency. He took the character traits gained through his life events and from influential people in his life to the presidency with him. He illustrated those traits in the decisions that he made as a leader of our country.
Abraham Lincoln certainly was a man of character. We remember him because he was smart, ambitious, and honest. Lincoln was a self-made man who made choices, worked hard to educate himself, and despite many failures, persevered to eventually become a successful lawyer and politician. Through his rhetoric, we understood his passion for equality and the principles of democracy.

Lincoln believed in the principles of the Declaration of Independence. He believed in democracy, liberty, and equality. While giving the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln demonstrated his ideology by saying, "Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." He advocated for equality while focusing on the goal of preserving the Union. He used his leadership skills to accomplish this goal.

Lincoln’s leadership style is observed in the lessons from primary to high school. The lessons on this site were created by the Lincoln Bicentennial Teacher Network. Introductions at the varying grade levels were added to support the lessons. The lessons are aligned to state standards and have resources added for the teacher. These lessons are enriched with learning experiences that allow the students to understand the decisions that Abraham Lincoln had to make during his presidency. Students will understand why he is still remembered today.

Helpful Links:

• Kentucky Lincoln Bicentennial
• Lincoln Bicentennial
• Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
• "Lincoln, I, too, am a Kentuckian."

The Lincoln Bicentennial Teacher Network

To honor Abraham Lincoln for his accomplishments, Congress created the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission (KRS 171.347) to inform the public of the impact he had on the development of our nation. From this commission, educational initiatives were planned (KRS171.348) to commemorate the 200th birthday of Lincoln and focus on his many contributions to America and the world.

Through funding from the Kentucky Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, the Lincoln Bicentennial Teacher Network was formed. The Kentucky Department of Education partnered with the Underground Railroad Research Institute based at Georgetown College to create this network of teachers from around the state. The goals of this network were to create content specific and interdisciplinary lessons/standard-based units focusing on Lincoln’s accomplishments, align lessons and units to Kentucky’s content standards in the Program of Studies and Core Content for Assessment, and to create tools and support materials to be shared with teachers throughout the state, to reach all students grades K-12.