REMEMBERING ABRAHAM LINCOLN: DEAR MR. PRESIDENT (by special arrangement only)
DEAR MR. PRESIDENT is a tribute to Abraham Lincoln, our 16th president through the eyes of four women whose lives were greatly influenced by their associations with him. Narrator Helen Nicolay never met Lincolnbut saw him through the eyes of her father, John George Nicolay, who was Lincoln’s chief of staff. He named Lincoln “the ancient one,” “the tycoon,” the wise one.” Eleven year old Grace Bedell fromWestfield, New York wrote to then presidential candidate Lincoln, advising him to grow whiskers, for his face was so thin. Vinnie Reamfrom Wisconsin, was an artistic prodigy as a child and grew up to make a bust statue of Lincoln, who posed for her. As the first woman chosen to create a likeness of a president, her Lincolnbust is on display in the US Capitol Rotunda. Julia Taft was the babysitter for the Lincoln boys who were playmates with her own brothers. She witnessed Lincoln as a loving, caring, playful, and accepting father who found his sons shenanigans most amusing. Just as Lincoln, the peoples’ president, influenced the lives of many Americans, these four young ladies had their lives shaped by their relationship with this warm, sad, deeply philosophical man. You will get to know our 16th president through the eyes and experiences of Helen, Grace, Vinnie, and Julia.
Character Traits utilized: courage, patriotism, citizenship, honesty, fairness, respect for others, kindness, cooperation, self-respect, self-control, courtesy, compassion, tolerance, diligence, generosity, respect for creator, patience, loyalty, perseverance, virtue.
SS4H5e, ELAGSE4SL1, ELAGSE4SL3, TAES4.11
TURN HOMEWARD, HANNALEE
First in the series of one-woman shows by Cathy Kaemmerlen, Turn Homeward… is a dramatic presentation of the plight of one of the 400 Roswell Mill workers who were arrested under orders of General William Tecumseh Sherman in July of 1864, charged with treason for making cloth for the Confederate States of America, and shipped to Louisville, KY to live in refugee warehouses until work as servants, farmhands, or mill workers could be found. The one woman play is loosely based on the historical fiction juvenile novel by Patricia Beatty. The play documents the horrors and realities of war, particularly civil war; family devotion, love, and perseverance, that can provide strength in times that are “hilly, bumpy, and stumpy;” and it portrays the good and bad characteristics of both sides who fought in the Civil War. The play covers the nine month period from July, 1864, through April, 1865, the final months of the Civil War, and Hannalee’s adventures, including serving as an eyewitness to the Battle of Franklin, KY, as she turns homeward. 45 minutes. Grades 4 on up. Character Traits utilized: courage, honesty, kindness, cooperation, self-respect, compassion, tolerance, diligence, generosity, cheerfulness, respect for creator, patience, creativity, loyalty, perseverance, virtue
SS4H5e, ELAGSE4SL1, ELAGSE4SL3, TAES4.11
“It sounded like you were really Hannalee. You had a lot of expression.” — Fourth grader
NEW MANCHESTER GIRL
The true story of Scynthia Catherine Stewart of New Manchester, Georgia, during and immediately after the Civil War. Scynthia, as well as others in the mill town, was charged with treason against the United States government for making cloth for the Confederate cause. After the Yankee soldiers burned the textile mill, she was sent to Louisville, Kentucky, along with her mother and siblings, as prisoners of war. There they were miraculously reunited with their father. After the war, they returned home to their ghost town to find wild strawberries growing in their yard, their manna from heaven that helped them survive that first post-war year. If you want a true account, book this show over TURN HOMEWARD, HANNALEE. Character traits utilized: courage, honesty, diligence, respect for creator, patience, perserverance, virtue, compassion
Fifth grade Social Studies component: The student will explain the causes, major events, and consequences of the Civil War.
SS4H5e, ELAGSE4SL1, ELAGSE4SL3, TAES4.11
“I really learned a lot about the Civil War through your stories. Now I am much more interested about women in the Civil War. Your stories were so moving. Thanks for coming to our school.”