Pedagogical Purpose of the Website
The Common Core State Standards for History/Social Studies in Grade 11-12 center on increasing students’ literacy skills and include focus on getting students to identify the key ideas and details, understand the craft and structure, integrate knowledge and ideas, and comprehend a range of reading and level of text complexity. One effective way to address these standards is to teach history through using primary sources. Many organizations have produced programs that use primary sources to address the Common Core State Standards, including the Library of Congress’ “Teaching with Primary Sources Program” and Gilder Lehrman’ “Teaching Literacy Through History.” Lincoln and Emancipation fits with the Common Core State Standards in regards to literacy. Through reading the primary sources on this site, students will need to identify the key ideas. In analyzing the primary sources, students will understand the craft and structure in identifying the purpose of the author. Students will integrate knowledge and ideas through grappling with the different primary and secondary sources, and at times conflicting information, in order to draw their own conclusions supported by evidence. The specific standards that align with this website can be found below in the suggested lesson plan.
Suggested Lesson Plan
Lesson Overview:
Students will analyze primary and secondary sources regarding Lincoln’s opinions on and actions regarding emancipation. Through individual and group work, students will aim to answer the question: When did the war for union became a war for freedom? This lesson assumes students are familiar with the general timeline of the Civil War.
This lesson is arranged for two high school, 90-minute class sessions but could be adjusted to fit other schedules.
Lesson Objectives:
Students will be able to:
-discuss the evolution of Lincoln’s emancipation policies
-compare expert scholarship on the topic of Lincoln’s commitment to slavery
-formulate their own opinion using evidence as to when the Civil War evolved from a war for union to a war for freedom
Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.1
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.2
Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.3
Evaluate various explanations for actions or events and determine which explanation best accords with textual evidence, acknowledging where the text leaves matters uncertain.
Lesson Procedure and Assessment:
Procedure:
1. Assignment Explanation:
House Divided Speech (1858)
Cooper Union Address (1860)
First Inaugural Address (1860)
First Draft of the Emancipation Proclamation (1862)
Letter to Horace Greeley (1862)
Emancipation Proclamation (1863)
For more advanced students, the teacher may choose to assign more than 2 documents to each student.
For less advanced students, the teacher may choose to provide students with further excerpted documents.
2. Hook: Think/Pair/Share
3. Class Discussion:
4. Group Discussion:
5. Class Discussion:
-differences between documents?
-is their an evolution to Lincoln’s ideas? Continuity? Stark changes?
6. Homework:
James Oakes (“Forever Free”)
Gary Gallagher (“Union Proud”)
James McPherson (interview - "The War that Became a Revolution")
7. Second Day Hook: Think/Pair/Share:
8. Class Discussion:
Assessment:
Possible Extension:
Downloadable lesson plan: lincoln_and_emancipation.docx
The Common Core State Standards for History/Social Studies in Grade 11-12 center on increasing students’ literacy skills and include focus on getting students to identify the key ideas and details, understand the craft and structure, integrate knowledge and ideas, and comprehend a range of reading and level of text complexity. One effective way to address these standards is to teach history through using primary sources. Many organizations have produced programs that use primary sources to address the Common Core State Standards, including the Library of Congress’ “Teaching with Primary Sources Program” and Gilder Lehrman’ “Teaching Literacy Through History.” Lincoln and Emancipation fits with the Common Core State Standards in regards to literacy. Through reading the primary sources on this site, students will need to identify the key ideas. In analyzing the primary sources, students will understand the craft and structure in identifying the purpose of the author. Students will integrate knowledge and ideas through grappling with the different primary and secondary sources, and at times conflicting information, in order to draw their own conclusions supported by evidence. The specific standards that align with this website can be found below in the suggested lesson plan.
Suggested Lesson Plan
Lesson Overview:
Students will analyze primary and secondary sources regarding Lincoln’s opinions on and actions regarding emancipation. Through individual and group work, students will aim to answer the question: When did the war for union became a war for freedom? This lesson assumes students are familiar with the general timeline of the Civil War.
This lesson is arranged for two high school, 90-minute class sessions but could be adjusted to fit other schedules.
Lesson Objectives:
Students will be able to:
-discuss the evolution of Lincoln’s emancipation policies
-compare expert scholarship on the topic of Lincoln’s commitment to slavery
-formulate their own opinion using evidence as to when the Civil War evolved from a war for union to a war for freedom
Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.1
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.2
Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.3
Evaluate various explanations for actions or events and determine which explanation best accords with textual evidence, acknowledging where the text leaves matters uncertain.
Lesson Procedure and Assessment:
Procedure:
1. Assignment Explanation:
- Teacher will explain the format of the website and the homework due for the following day. Students will read the “Background Information” page and examine two documents on their own. For each document, students should read the document, watch the close reading video/listen to the podcast, complete HAPP-Y (historical context, audience, purpose, point of view, and Y-significance), and write a one-sentence summary of the document.
- Students will examine one of the following documents (teacher should assign students to a specific document to ensure all are covered for the following day’s activity):
House Divided Speech (1858)
Cooper Union Address (1860)
First Inaugural Address (1860)
First Draft of the Emancipation Proclamation (1862)
Letter to Horace Greeley (1862)
Emancipation Proclamation (1863)
- All students will examine the following document:
For more advanced students, the teacher may choose to assign more than 2 documents to each student.
For less advanced students, the teacher may choose to provide students with further excerpted documents.
2. Hook: Think/Pair/Share
- Students will use their notes on the Letter to Hodges and answer the question, “When did the war for union become a war for freedom?”
- After students have an opportunity to write their own answer, they will share out with a partner. Next, the teacher will facilitate a quick class discussion. Students should be required to support their answers.
3. Class Discussion:
- Teacher will lead a discussion on the HAPP-Y (historical context, audience, purpose, point of view, and Y-significance) of the Letter to Hodges.
4. Group Discussion:
- Students will work with the others that read the same document. As a group, students will talk through HAPP-Y to ensure everyone is on the same page in their understanding.
- Next, each group must choose one quote, phrase, or word that they feel best represents Lincoln’s opinion on emancipation in that document. Each group should be prepared to explain why their chose their selection.
5. Class Discussion:
- Each group will share out the HAPP-Y of their document and the quote/phrase/word they selected. As students share out, the teacher should write the main ideas and quotes on the board. Students should take notes on the contributions of their classmates.
- After each group has shared out, ask students for their observations:
-differences between documents?
-is their an evolution to Lincoln’s ideas? Continuity? Stark changes?
6. Homework:
- Students will read the expert scholarship pieces found under the “Expert Scholarship” tab and write a one-sentence summary for each.
James Oakes (“Forever Free”)
Gary Gallagher (“Union Proud”)
James McPherson (interview - "The War that Became a Revolution")
7. Second Day Hook: Think/Pair/Share:
- Which author did you find most compelling? Why?
- After students have an opportunity to write their own answer, they will share out with a partner. Next, the teacher will facilitate a class discussion. Students should be required to support their answers.
8. Class Discussion:
- Teacher should transition the opening discussion on the expert scholarship back to the essential question for the lesson: When did the war for union become a war for freedom? Teacher should emphasize that there is not one correct answer here as long as the students use evidence to support their claim (as seen by the fact that historians disagree on the subject).
Assessment:
- Students will write a paragraph answering the lesson’s essential question: When did the war for union become a war for freedom? Students must have a specific thesis and pull in specific support from atleast 3 primary sources and one secondary source.
Possible Extension:
- Was the 13th Amendment constitutional? Downloadable lesson plan: emancipation_lp.docx
Downloadable lesson plan: lincoln_and_emancipation.docx
