Overview

In this 60-minute lesson, Grade 5 students will read and analyze a non-fiction article about the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre, focusing on John Wilkes Booth’s actions on that tragic night and the following days. The lesson closely adheres to the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts to develop reading comprehension, vocabulary, and critical thinking skills through an engaging historical text.

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Common Core Standards Addressed

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1: Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.2: Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.4: Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.3: Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Read and comprehend a non-fiction text about a historical event.
• Identify and explain John Wilkes Booth’s actions on April 14, 1865.
• Define and use key domain-specific vocabulary related to the assassination.
• Summarize the main events and write a short informative paragraph.
• Participate in group discussion sharing facts and making connections to historical events.

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Materials

• Printed copies of the non-fiction article (provided below).
• Whiteboard and markers.
• Vocabulary cards with key terms (e.g., assassination, theatre, conspirator, barn, history).
• Graphic organizer for note-taking (cause-effect and timeline).
• Writing paper and pencils.

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Lesson Procedure

1. Introduction and Engagement (10 minutes)

• Begin by asking students if they know who Abraham Lincoln was and why he is important in American history.
• Briefly explain the context: Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States and played a key role during the Civil War.
• Introduce the day's focus — the night Lincoln was assassinated and what happened after.
• Show vocabulary cards and briefly go over meanings, asking students if they’ve heard these words before.

2. Guided Reading of the Article (20 minutes)

• Distribute the non-fiction article.
• Read the article aloud as a class, pausing after each paragraph to check comprehension and discuss key points.
• Use the graphic organizer to build a timeline of the key events related to Booth’s actions that day.
• Ask guided questions:
  • What did John Wilkes Booth do earlier that day?
  • What happened at Ford’s Theatre?
  • How did Lincoln’s death affect the nation?
  • What happened to Booth later?

3. Vocabulary and Text Analysis (10 minutes)

• Highlight important vocabulary words within the text.
• Ask students to use context clues to define meanings.
• Prompt discussion about the relationship between Booth’s actions and their consequences by drawing cause-effect connections on the board.
• Encourage students to share their inferences about Booth’s motivations based on the information.

4. Independent Writing Activity (15 minutes)

• Have students write a 4-5 sentence paragraph summarizing the article in their own words, focusing on John Wilkes Booth’s actions from the day of the assassination to his death.
• Encourage them to include at least two vocabulary words from the lesson.
• Circulate to offer support and check for understanding.

5. Closing and Sharing (5 minutes)

• Invite a few students to share their paragraphs with the class.
• Reinforce key facts and vocabulary from the article.
• Summarize the main points of the lesson and how understanding history helps us learn important lessons.

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Assessment

• Observe student participation during the reading and discussion for comprehension and engagement.
• Review graphic organizers for accuracy in identifying and sequencing events.
• Evaluate written paragraphs for understanding of main ideas, vocabulary usage, and clarity.

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Non-fiction Article: The Night Lincoln Was Assassinated

On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth, a famous actor and Confederate supporter, planned a terrible crime. Earlier that day, Booth waited for the perfect moment to attack President Abraham Lincoln. Booth knew the president would be watching a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., so he made a plan to kill him there.

That evening, Booth entered Ford’s Theatre during the play "Our American Cousin." He quietly sneaked into the president’s private box and fired a gun. Lincoln was hit and fell to the floor. After shooting Lincoln, Booth jumped down to the stage and escaped through the back door. People in the theatre were shocked and scared.

Lincoln was taken to a nearby house where doctors tried to help him. Sadly, President Lincoln died the next morning, on April 15. The whole country mourned because Lincoln was a great leader who worked hard to keep the country united during the Civil War.

Booth’s actions did not end after he escaped Ford’s Theatre. He ran away and hid with some of his friends. For 12 days, soldiers searched for him across Virginia and Maryland. On April 26, Booth was found hiding in a barn. When he refused to surrender, the barn was set on fire. Booth died there, bringing an end to his violent story.

This tragic event reminds us how powerful one person’s actions can be and the importance of working for peace and understanding in our country.

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This lesson plan and article provide a structured, standards-aligned approach to deepen students’ historical knowledge and literacy skills while engaging young learners in meaningful discussions and writing.