Internet used to prove teacher wrong on Kennedy-Lincoln Connection

An old worksheet I found from junior high social studies discusses the "Eerie Kennedy-Lincoln Connection." Some examples:

• Lincoln was elected in 1860, Kennedy in 1960.

• Lincoln's secretary, whose name was Kennedy, advised him not to go to the theatre.

• Kennedy had a secretary named Lincoln (who was born 100 years after Lincoln, and whose husband's nickname was Abe) who warned him not to go to Dallas.

• Both presidents were shot from behind in the head.

• Both presidents were shot in presence of their wives.

• Both presidents were shot on a Friday.

• Both presidents were accompanied by another couple.

• Both presidents' last names have 7 letters.

• Both presidents have five syllables in their full name (which counts Kennedy's middle initial).

• John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald each have 15 letters and 3 words.

• There are 6 letters in each Johnson's first name.

• Booth ran from a theatre to a warehouse, Oswald ran from a warehouse to a theatre.
  

This list continues, and as entertaining as it is, some of the statements are not fully true. A good discussion of the Kennedy-Lincoln list can be found at this webpage.

Sadly, this gimmicky list is more memorable than the usual worksheets used to teach and test in that class.

Here is an example of the typical worksheet with my answers:

• What was the name of the play presented the night that President Lincoln was assassinated? Our American Cousin

• Who was the star of the play? Laura Keene

• Who was the conductor of the stage orchestra? William Withers Jr.

• What song was to be played for President Lincoln that evening? "Honor to Our Soldiers"
  

Why was the gimmicky list memorable and the typical worksheet not?

The list made connections and implied patterns. The typical worksheet tests memorization and recall.

A formalized classification of this difference in learning is presented by Benjamin Bloom's Taxonomy.

Bloom says that there are different levels of learning, with knowledge being the lowest and the higher levels being comprehension,application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.

The characteristic that distinguishes a human brain from a computer is the ability to make connections and recognize patterns and learning at the higher levels of Bloom.



Unfortunately, teachers typically ask their students to define, label or name, questions at the lowest level. Those asked in my social studies class were at the lowest level.

The more appropriate type of question would evaluate if the students can make a connection and recognize patterns or lack thereof- compare, design, argue, distinguish, interpret, evaluate.

The answers to knowledge questions can now be found by an internet search, they are merely a statement of the written record.


With a few clicks to verify sources, students can now check their teachers by using the internet and they can also find related information to help learn at a higher level if their teachers are not providing that information.