Memorizing the Gettysburg Address

[TheBellhop]

Evillllllll Evillllllllll Evillllllllllllll Gettysburg Address...

Lincoln could have made it smaller but nope, had to make it so long..and our english teacher had the bright idea to make us MEMORIZE THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS BY FRIDAY!!! How am I supposed to do this? Anyone else have to do this when they were in 8th grade? And how bout some study tips...please? Pretty please? With lots of sugar on top...

Thanks.

 

[luvdisney81]

how do you learn best? Doing, seeing or hearing?

Doing, try being dramatic when saying it. Goofiness can pay off. Big bows and hand gestures, It works!

Seeing, read read read! I've recopied it before in small sections. Also copying onto poster board and taping to wall so you can practice reciting, and look away more and more.

Hearing, record yourself and listen over and over. Maybe listen to a recording of him so you get more inflection.

I'm a theatre teacher so these are methods i use often.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Originally posted by TheBellhop
.....Anyone else have to do this when they were in 8th grade? And how bout some study tips...please?.....

As one of the great American speeches, as it says so much in so few words, I do think most, if not all, students in the US learn it. I did, and I was in 8th grade in '57.

Study tips? To memorize a speech? Hop off the Net, go to your room and read it over, slowly, thinking of the meaning behind the words. Once you have the concept of the thoughts President Lincoln was conveying, it will make it much easier. Then read, read, read, all the while recalling the meaning. Good luck, you'll do it.

 

[Beanie]

I remember having to learn this in 9th grade! It took time, but I finally got it. How do you memorize words to your favorite songs? Try doing it that way, that's how I learned! LOL

 

[TheBellhop]

Thanks all, you guys have great tips! You guys are awesome!

Now off to study!

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

I remember by writing - a lot to write being the Gettysburg address. Practice reciting a few times each night, before bedtime.

 

[MinnieYC]

Sometimes what helped for me for things like this was to take a blank cassette tape and record myself saying it, and then listen to it over and over again.

 

[CindyKansas]

I remember memorizing it in the 8th grade. Now DD, who is a sophomore, has yet to have to learn it. I also remember just writing it down over and over and over again.

 

[gr8tpanther]

I can't even memorize my own kids' social security numbers and sometimes have to ask them how old they are I am pretty sure that there is no way in this lifetime or any other that I could memorize something like THAT! Thank GOODNESS I never had to learn that!

I would suggest making a song out of it or writing a million times

 

[disneyeveryyear]

DS, was in 4th grade last year and had to learn it and be able to recite it.

We live in Springfield, IL, home to the only house Lincoln ever owned. He was also also elected president while living here, so we are huge on Lincoln.

4th grade does a section on Illinois history, thus the Lincoln tie-in and the memorization of it.

It gave me chills to hear those 9 year olds recite it when I was roommom one day and one of my tasks was to check on how well they were doing.

If you take time to actually think about it while you read it, and they recite it, it can flow quite beautifully.

FYI - the other speaches given that day were all over 2 hours each. Be glad this is the one you have to memorize.

 

[luvthatduke]

"...the world will little note, nor long remember..."

Our wonderful Mr. Lincoln could never know
his impact on this country!

Anyways, I think I recalled that part correctly...
I had to memorize it, too.

Hope it goes well for you,
let us know Friday night how you did.

P.S. A tutoring tip: Read small portions
out loud, then write them down from memory,
doing piece by piece until you get to the end.

 

[eeyore kelly]

When DS had to memorize the preamble to the constitution, I made him a power point that each slide had more and more ______ instead of words. By time he finished it only a few Of's for's and the's were left. He did the presentation twice a day for 5 days and passed the test with an "A" I make powerpoints for kids spelling words every week, they usually get an "A"

 

[monkeyboy]

It's not always easy to memorize text. Little Johnny was having difficulty memorizing Lincoln's `Gettysburg Address.'

His teacher scolded him, "How can it be so difficult? Why, Abraham Lincoln wrote the entire thing while riding to Gettysburg on the back of an envelope."


"Wow," Johnny said, "How did such a tall man fit onto the back of an envelope?"