Lincoln's Public Letters

 

 

 

 

Lincoln’s Public Letters

Instructional Guide

 

Objective:

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Designed with 11th Grade AP US History students in mind, this instructional

guide is intended to assist teachers in preparing their students for the primary

source analysis required of the AP US History exam while also providing them

an opportunity to critically exam President Lincoln’s rationale for some of his most controversial policies: 

suspension of civil liberties, immediate emancipation of slaves in the Confederate states, and enlistment of black soldiers in the Union army.

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After a scaffolded analysis of Lincoln’s Letters, in which students critique the documents from each of the following critical perspectives: Historical Context, Intended Purpose, Intended Audience, and Point of View, students will collaborate to synthesize their analysis into a cohesive, digital presentation. Some possible presentation formats include: a Presentation using either PowerPoint, Google Slides, Prezi, Storyboarder, or Storymap, or a Documentary using iMovie, or another movie platform. Click on the following link for a descriptive handout on the four critical perspectives for extended document analysis. Click on this link for final project options and tutorials.

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Standards:

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The activities suggested in this Instructional Guide meet all of the Common Core English Language 11-12 Standards. A link to the standards can be found by clicking here:  Common Core Standards

They also meet all of the AP US History Curriculum Frameworks’ Historical Thinking Skills Proficiency Expectations, which can be found by clicking here: Historical Thinking Skills Proficiency Expectations

And they foster Ed Leader 21st Century Learning Skills, or 4Cs: Critical Thinking, Creativity, Collaboration, and Communication. Student’s final presentations may be assessed using the 4Cs Final Presentation Rubric, which was developed by the Social Studies Department at Hollis Brookline High School in Hollis, NH in concert with Ed Leader 21.

 

Essential Questions:

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1. What is the historical context of the document?.

2. What in the text of the document illustrates the intended purpose of the author?

3. What in the text of the document illustrates the intended audience(s) of the author?

4. To what extent does the author’s point of view influence the content of the document?

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Suggested Activities:

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The following activities can be easily adapted for students needing more or less of a challenge. For example, analysis of one document may be done by one individual or shared among a small group. Likewise, the summative product may be a simple PowerPoint of two or three slides, or as involved as an iMovie documentary.

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Materials: While this guide focuses on a selection of Public Letters President Lincoln wrote in response to criticisms of his policies on civil liberties, emancipation and enlistment of black troops, the suggested activities can be used for an analysis of any historical document.

The Public Letters for this activity can be found at the Lincoln Letters Website: http://jenniferstaub0.wixsite.com/lincolnletters

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Handouts: To assist students in their documentary analysis, graphic organizers and handouts are linked throughout this Instructional Guide as open google docs, which can be edited, copied and shared. They can also be found at the Lincoln Letters Website: http://jenniferstaub0.wixsite.com/lincolnletters

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Activity 1: Slow Reading of Document

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Divide students into small groups (preferably 4) and assign each group one of Lincoln’s Public Letters found at http://jenniferstaub0.wixsite.com/lincolnletters

Provide each student with Lincoln Letter Handout 1. Instruct each group to select one member to read the document out loud while other group members read along. Have students read the document a second time silently, and underline any unfamiliar words or phrases. When all students have completed their second reading of the document, instruct them to collaborate to complete Handout 1 by first, compiling a glossary of critical vocabulary, and second employing the Question Focus Technique to develop a list of 5 to 7 essential questions for understanding the document’s historical context, intended purpose, intended audience, and point of view.

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Activity 2: Organizing Essential Questions

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Provide each student with Lincoln Letter Handout 2. Instruct each group to categorize their questions into the four categories: historical context, intended purpose, intended audience, and point of view. They can use this opportunity to add more questions, if they come up.

 

Activity 3: Finding Answers, Documenting Sources, Determining Pull Quotes

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Provide each student with Lincoln Letter Handouts 3A-D. Using their textbooks and approved internet sources, which can be found at the Lincoln Letters Website: http://jenniferstaub0.wixsite.com/lincolnletters, instruct students to research answers to their questions and complete Handouts 3A -D.

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Activity 4: Create a digital Presentation

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Provide each student with Lincoln Letters Handout 4. Students will need ample class time to collaborate and adequate technology to complete this activity. If neither is available, students can make a non-digital presentation by guiding the class through a close reading of their letter through the four lenses of historical context, intended purpose, intended audience, and point of view. Activity 4 can also be completed individually, so each student can present the document analysis done collaboratively in their small groups in a format best suited to their individual learning style and comfort level.

All final presentations, should clearly, though not necessarily overtly, engage in a close reading of the assigned Lincoln Public Letter by addressing all four of the critical perspectives: historical context, intended purpose, intended audience, and point of view.

Final presentations will be assessed based on how well they demonstrate mastery of the 21st Century Learning Skills: Critical Thinking, Creativity,  Collaboration, and Communication. Click on the following link to see the Final Presentation Rubric.

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A sample documentary of a close reading of the Conkling Letter can be seen here: Letter to James Conkling: A Close Reading Documentary or by visiting The Lincoln Letters Website

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