A mourning ribbon for President Lincoln with his portrait, birth and death dates in the center. Surrounding the portrait are small American flags. Hanging from the bottom are blue and hello ribbons and two decorative tassels.
Ford’s Theatre Collection.

Teaching Lincoln’s Assassination and Legacy

We offer ready-to-use history lesson plans focused on how to teach President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination and the Civil War.

Explore the life, leadership, death and legacy of Abraham Lincoln through primary sources and lesson plans developed by our education staff and master teachers. We offer ready-to-use history lesson plans focused on how to teach President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination and the Civil War.

Choose what works for your classroom needs. Lessons are written for Grades 3-5, 6-8 and 9-10.

In addition to teacher-directed lesson plans, we offer activities for students to complete on their own without requiring the assistance of a teacher or adult at home.

Primary Sources

Remembering Lincoln Digital Collection

Remembering Lincoln is our award winning online database that compiles primary sources illustrating the reaction to Lincoln’s assassination. Browse or search the database to find newspapers, letters, images and more to help students learn about how a divided nation responded to tragedy. You can also view existing teaching modules, create your own, or explore curated collections to use in your classroom.

Ford’s Theatre

Virtual Tour

Bring your students on a virtual tour of Ford’s Theatre. See inside the Presidential box and learn more about the events of April 14, 1865. Investigate the place where Booth murdered Lincoln.