Lincoln Bicentennial
Discover how two men reshaped their nations forever. Celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday and meet Benito Juárez—Mexico’s legendary president of the same era.
> Learn more about the Lincoln Bicentennial
Exhibitions
Benjamin B. Green-Field Gallery and Mazza Foundation Gallery
Abraham Lincoln Transformed
October 10, 2009–April 12, 2010
He is revered as the president who freed the
slaves, but how did Abraham Lincoln arrive at his highly controversial
decision and what was its real impact? Using rare artifacts and an
immersive multimedia program, this exhibition reveals the intensity and
gravity of the forces that transformed Lincoln’s views about slavery
and forever changed America.
Bessie Green-Field Warshawsky Gallery
Benito Juárez and the Making of Modern Mexico
October 10, 2009–April 12, 2010
Like his contemporary Abraham Lincoln, Mexican
President Benito Juárez faced an urgent situation that would forever
shape the future of his country. While Lincoln focused on keeping his
fractured country together, Juárez was determined to build a foundation
for his. This exhibition provides an introduction to Mexico’s most
revered leader and includes many national treasures on loan to Chicago
for the first time. This exhibition is co-curated by the National
Museum of Mexican Art.
Activities for Students
Decoding Lincoln Monuments
Workshop for grades 6-12
Friday, November 20, 10:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
The Museum invites students to become historians and investigate the meanings and legacies of Lincoln in public art. Explore the exhibition Abraham Lincoln Transformed, analyze the Lincoln monument in the Museum’s backyard, and work with a local artist to formulate a creative response to the statue. Facilitated by James Percoco, high school teacher and author of Summers with Lincoln. Free, but advance registration required. Use the field trip reservation form to register your students.
Imagining Lincoln and Juárez
Self-guided gallery experiences for grades 6-12
Engage students through sight and sound as they explore key artifacts in Abraham Lincoln Transformed and Benito Juárez and the Making of Modern Mexico. Use iPods programmed with environmental sounds and an accompanying worksheet to discover more about these important 19th-century leaders. Reserve this experience for your group using the field trip reservation form. Download the history soundscape audio files, citations, and gallery worksheet for use in your classroom.
> Download the history soundscape audio files
> Download the history soundscape citations (PDF, 109 KB)
> Download the audio experience gallery worksheet (PDF, 47 KB)
> Exploring Lincoln and Juárez online currciculum
Educator Programs
Monumental Lincoln
Workshop for teachers of grades 5-12
Saturday, November 21, 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
3 CPDUs
Discover how to incorporate public art into your history instruction. Join high school teacher and author James Percoco on a visual journey of Lincoln monuments across the country. Percoco compares their meanings when they were unveiled with how we respond to them now, as well as shares tips for analyzing public art with students. See the exhibition Abraham Lincoln Transformed and investigate the Lincoln monument behind the Museum. Fee includes a copy of Percoco’s Summers with Lincoln, breakfast refreshments, and classroom resource materials.
Cost:
$40; Advance registration required.
Curriculum
Exploring Lincoln and Juárez
Resource for teachers of grades 6-12
Take a closer look at Abraham Lincoln and Benito Juárez, two presidents who greatly affected their nations. Designed to complement your field trip, this online curriculum enables students to investigate the lives and careers of these leaders by analyzing primary source materials. The culminating activity invites students to review the exhibitions and post their comments on the Museum’s website.
> Exploring Lincoln and Juárez online currciculum
Abraham Lincoln Transformed is generously supported by Motorola Foundation. Additional support is provided by The Nathan Cummings Foundation. Benito Juárez and the Making of Modern Mexico is generously supported by the Joyce Foundation and The Chicago Community Trust. Additional support is provided by Motorola Foundation.
Artifacts for Benito Juárez and the Making of Modern Mexico have been loaned by CONACULTA (National Council for Culture and Arts), the Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia, and the Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público de México.
Exelon is the presenting sponsor for the Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration. Additional support is provided by the Crown Family and Carole and Gordon Segal. Educational programs for the Lincoln Bicentennial are generously supported by JPMorgan Chase Foundation and the Guild of the Chicago Historical Society.