Published: August 16, 2008 08:59 pm      

Lincoln’s Life Revisited

Traveling exhibit to enlighten today’s students

DANVILLE — Abraham Lincoln will be going back to school next month — not for his own education, of course, but to help enlighten today’s young people.

Details about the 16th president’s life, especially his role in Vermilion County, will be spelled out in a traveling exhibit that will hit all county schools, starting next month.

“They’re just really cool,” Sue Richter, director of the Vermilion County Museum, said as she worked on the exhibit boards. “It’s to encapsulate Lincoln’s history for the students.”

The 33-inch by 34-inch pressed-board panels slide into aluminum frames on cubes, which can be moved around to make different shapes and sizes.

There will be eight main boards covering topics on: friends and foes; Fithian as friend, client, and adviser; Danville in Lincoln’s day; the early years; the presidency and Civil War; a day in court; the judicial circuit; and Lincoln’s legacy.

The boards display copies of laminated photos, letters, maps, and other material from the museum’s archives. Some of the photos haven’t been on display before.

The boards on the bottom row will have broad information. For example, the display about the 8th Judicial Circuit on the bottom will have a map of Illinois, a map of the area Lincoln traveled and a list of towns.

The board on top will be more specific, zeroing in on Lincoln’s law practice in Vermilion County.

The staff had to plan each display, looking for connections to the county.

The display will go to each of the 47 schools in the county, staying at each for about two weeks, through spring 2010. Next summer, it also will travel to seven public libraries.

Along with the display will be 10 teachers’ manuals, which cover a variety of topics, such as the Civil War and slavery. Each manual will have sections that are grade-appropriate.

There are discussion guides and activities, such as making things and coloring pictures. Students also can make a log cabin out of graham crackers, pretzels and peanut butter. There are crossword puzzles, word searches and a dictionary.

Another fun game is “Where’s Lincoln,” similar to “Where’s Waldo?” Students have to spot Lincoln in a map of today and on a map of yesteryear.

Plus, there are photos of buildings from the past and how they look now.

Danville High School students, under the direction teacher Harith Tamimie, came up with many of the ideas. The book was put together by Curt Cline, an intern from Illinois State University.

Michael Metzen, regional superintendent of schools, hasn’t seen the display or the guides yet, but, he said, “The idea is great.”

He said the teachers’ guides will give instructors an excellent opportunity to incorporate into their lesson plans an awareness of Lincoln and what an impact he had on Illinois.

“We really have a lot of rich heritage here that has to do with Lincoln,” he said, citing the Lamon House, Lincoln trail south of Fithian and others. Lincoln practiced law in Vermilion County for 18 years and spoke from a balcony of the Fithian Home in 1858.

Metzen also said he liked that the local events for the bicentennial will involve everyone — not only the schools, but also Danville Area Community College and theater and music groups.

“Sue is overseeing an elaborate celebration for Vermilion County,” he said, referring to Richter.

The display and teachers’ guides were made possible with money from the Vermilion County Regional Schools office, Altrusa Club, John Cadle Foundation, Danville Garden Club, Illinois Association of Museums, Illinois Bicentennial Commission, the McDonald’s restaurants in central Illinois and nationally, and the Ronald McDonald House Charity of Central Illinois and the RMH Charities Global.

ON THE WEB

-- http://www.vermilioncountymuseum.org

-- http://www.lincoln200.net (information about the Illinois Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission)