First-grader students engaged in a guided historical inquiry about Abraham Lincoln. The teacher carefully intertwined historical content, close reading, critical thinking, and text-based writing during Reading, Writing, and Social Studies classes. Students scrutinized secondary sources, which were largely biographies of Lincoln, to build their…

The author's school is located in Caldwell, New Jersey, which has the honor of being the birthplace of President Grover Cleveland. She wanted her students to connect that legacy to their study of the presidency. She knew that first graders are kinesthetic learners who love stories. She decided to combine excellent children's literature with…