Abraham Lincoln and Facebook Templates for Learning

Last week Jane Bozarth and Cammy Bean shared a hilarious parody imagining what Abraham Lincoln’s Facebook page might look like. Not only is it cleverly crafted and funny, but it also doubles as a mini history lesson, weaving in both well-known and obscure facts about Lincoln.

For example, are you familiar with all the references in the page:

Did you know Lincoln took on the town bully in a wrestling match and won both the match as well as the respect of the town?

I love this one. It’s a great summary and partly explains why Lee turned down Lincoln’s offer to lead the Union.

I don’t remember learning about Joshua Speed when I went to school, but he’s certainly part of Lincoln history today.

Friends? Really?

And of course this famous quote refers to Lincoln’s unwillingness to emancipate the slaves.

Lincoln’s depression was well documented.

Facebook templates and educational role playing

Okay, so you get the point. Rather than listing Lincoln’s history in a page or two in a text book, the information is presented using multiple voices, perspectives and formats. It’s more of a conversation than a history book, yet it’s the same information one would expect on a mid-term.

How great would it be for teachers to have similar platforms in their schools to use for educational role play? Teachers could use the pages to engage their students on any subject while using a medium familiar and engaging to students.

Centralized role play

Teachers could take this a step further by setting up their own Facebook-style pages for course topics, posting as the “voice” of the page. Students would then interact directly with the teacher through the platform.

Using the Lincoln example, the teacher could role-play as Lincoln, posting comments, quotes, and status updates. Students would respond “wall-to-wall,” engaging with the teacher as if they were interacting with Lincoln himself.

This isn’t far off from what’s already done in most online classes using platforms like Blackboard, where students are required to reply to each other’s posts. The big difference? This format brings the content to life in a more creative, engaging way than your standard Blackboard thread.

Decentralized role play

In this setup, students create and manage their own page for research topics. It could focus on a historical figure like Lincoln or take a more creative turn—anthropomorphizing a place, event, or concept, like a country, product, or economic policy.

The best part? Students can interact with each other’s “pages.” They could comment, ask questions, or even “like” posts. Grading could be flexible too, whether it’s based on participation, quality of posts, or depth of engagement.

Offline Facebook templates and workbooks

I know, I know—most schools probably don’t have access to their own Facebook setup, or they’re not exactly thrilled about using Facebook Live for classroom activities. Totally fair.

But here’s the thing: creative teachers can still harness the idea of Facebook for something fun and engaging—without actually going online.

Here’s what I did: I took my Photoshop skills (and trusty rectangular marquee tool) and whipped up a blank Facebook page—completely sanitized and ready to go. The result? A generic Facebook activity sheet that opens up a ton of possibilities.

One idea? Students could fill it out for a historical figure or event they’ve studied in class—or even something they’ve researched on their own. They could add posts, comments, photos, or whatever else might fit.

Once they’ve completed the worksheet, here’s where it gets even more fun: they exchange with a classmate and build on each other’s work. Maybe they add comments or reactions, just like a real Facebook thread.

So, what would students include on these blank worksheets? Posts about key moments, photos that represent turning points, or even “reactions” from historical allies or opponents. The possibilities are pretty much endless.

What do you think? Could this be a hit in your classroom?

Students could be asked to provide content from multiple perspectives such as:

• First person updates (what kinds of updates and comments would they make?)
• Second person (who do they interact with? who would post on their page? why?)
• Quotes (from, for, about the person)
• Groups (what groups would they join and why?)
• Links (what links would they share?)
• Friends (who are they?)
• Flamers (who wouldn’t be accepted as a friend and why?)

Or maybe I’m over-thinking all of this and it’s really just a creative parody?

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Facebook for Learning Resources

Educause:
http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7025.pdf

Facebook Group:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6726749007

Facebook as a Learning Platform:
http://elearningtech.blogspot.com/2007/10/facebook-as-learning-platform.html

25 Facebook Apps that are Perfect for Online Education:
http://www.collegedegree.com/library/college-life/15-facebook-apps-perfect-for-online-education

Facebook Learning:
http://www.jarche.com/2008/10/facebook-learning/

I’m majoring in Facebook, how about you:
http://money.cnn.com/2007/10/08/magazines/fortune/blakely_facebook.fortune/index.htm

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Update:

A K12 teacher just offered her students a President’s Day extra credit opportunity.

Their task: Create a Facebook page for any American President. Awesome!

She further identifies the learning standards addressed in the assignment:

1. Writing
2. Research skills
3. Making connections and drawing conclusions
4. Determining point of view
5. Interpreting quotes
6. Interacting with technology

Good luck Anna and please feel free to share any experiences you can.