Sixth Grade
Worksheets
Honest Abe
Abraham Lincoln's Birthday
Reading Comprehension for February 12
Abraham Lincoln is remembered as a man of sincerity, character, and strength. He was born into a poor farm family in the backwoods of Kentucky on February 12, 1809. From these humble beginnings, he built a reputation of honesty and service. Eventually, he became President of the United States.
Lincoln loved to read. However, finding books to read was difficult. His family couldn't afford such luxuries. Throughout his young life, he borrowed as many as he could. It is told he once walked twenty miles - just to borrow a book! His favorite book was The Life of Washington, a story about our first president, George Washington. He read it many times in his life. One time, he borrowed a copy from a friend. After reading it before bed, he put it between the studs of the wall in his room. In the morning, he discovered it had been ruined by rain leaking through the wall. He went to his friend to explain what had happened and offered to work to pay for the book. After three days of shucking corn, he was rewarded with ownership of the book. Lincoln felt his work was nothing compared with the value of owning his own copy.
Other stories also show the integrity of this great man. He once had a job at a country store. Closing the shop one evening, he counted the money for the day. As he finished, he discovered he had taken a few extra cents from a customer. He walked a long way to return the money and make things right. Another time, he incorrectly weighed some tea for a woman. When he realized what had happened, he brought her the amount that was missing from her purchase. She had never known there was a problem.
