Most people would prefer to see the dentist than get up in front of a crowd to deliver a speech. I imagine that your students fall under the category of “most people.” I hope they find courage from the students of Greenwood School in Putney, Vermont, profiled in Ken Burns’ new documentary “The Address.”

It aired last night on GPB at 9 p.m. You can watch it below until May 7, 2014

WYSIWYG: EMBEDDED VIDEO

The students from Greenwood suffer from learning challenges. Yet they cultivate their public speaking skills by memorizing and reciting Lincoln’s most important speech: The Gettysburg Address.

The film uses the contemporary story to reveal the history, context and importance of one of the greatest speeches in US history.

PBS Learning Media contains a complementary lesson plan on the film.

Also the PBS Learning Media collection on the Address contains notable figures like Stephen Colbert, former President Jimmy Carter and Bill Gates reciting the Gettysburg address. It also contains classroom tips on how to teach students to memorize Lincoln’s speech.