Abe Lincoln Art Activity

Part directed-drawing, part free-expression, this lesson offers an easy american history art activity to celebrate Lincoln’s Birthday, Independence Day or President’s Day.

Keep it simple by leading a directed-line drawing of Lincoln’s face then pasting onto colored paper. Or develop art skills by using oil pastel and paint to create a stunning and individual background.

This lesson was created for my second and third grade students but I would recommend using it for grades 2-4.

Requiring only two, 40-minute art sessions and using simple art supplies, this activity is suited for any art environment.

This 15-page American History Art lesson includes the following:

Literature connection Abe Lincoln's Dream
About Lincoln Fun Facts for Kids
How to draw Lincoln's Face
Teacher script for directed-line drawing
Creating a stove-pipe hat
Generating an American-themed background
Options for various backgrounds
photo-tutorial of students creating the project
Student gallery
Artist statement

I love projects that don't require a lot of prep. This is one of them. You can choose to keep this project super simple by using white paper and black oil pastel to draw the face and a colored piece of paper for the background or you can delve a little deeper.

Whatever you choose, you'll be amazed at how well this project works for all kids. I created this lesson for 2nd graders but older kids are able to really think about what makes America unique and paint their own ideas for the background. Most second graders were happy painting the American flag!

About Deep Space Sparkle

Thanks so much for considering Deep Space Sparkle for your art lesson needs. I have been teaching art in California for 13 years and offering PDF lesson plans, e-courses and videos for seven years through my website, Deep Space Sparkle.

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