English Language ArtsSocial Studies9-12+
Lincoln's Cooper Union Address: Primary Source Analysis
By Kim C.
A primary source analysis worksheet built around Abraham Lincoln's 1860 Cooper Union Address, with the full excerpt and a glossary of archaic terms included. It is designed for 11th grade and above, builds close reading, rhetorical analysis, and historical contextualization skills, and works well as a single 45 to 60 minute class period or as a homework assignment.
Customize for your classroom
Teacher Guide & Tips
- Use this as a close-reading lesson in a U.S. history or rhetoric unit on the causes of the Civil War, pairing it with background on the 1860 election and the slavery debate.
- Discussion question: How does Lincoln use Douglas's claim about the Founding Fathers to build his own argument, and why might that strategy be effective with a Northern audience?
- Scaffold for struggling readers: Have students read the glossary first, then annotate the excerpt in pairs, marking each sentence as a claim, evidence, or appeal to shared values.
- Extension for advanced students: Ask them to compare Lincoln's appeal to the Founders with a speech by Douglas or a later Lincoln address, and assess how the rhetorical choices differ.
- Estimated time: About 15 minutes for the glossary and first read, 25 to 30 minutes for the analysis questions, and 10 minutes for a short debrief.
English Language ArtsSocial Studies9-12+
Lincoln's Cooper Union Address: Primary Source Analysis
By Kim C.
A primary source analysis worksheet built around Abraham Lincoln's 1860 Cooper Union Address, with the full excerpt and a glossary of archaic terms included. It is designed for 11th grade and above, builds close reading, rhetorical analysis, and historical contextualization skills, and works well as a single 45 to 60 minute class period or as a homework assignment.
Customize for your classroom
Teacher Guide & Tips
- Use this as a close-reading lesson in a U.S. history or rhetoric unit on the causes of the Civil War, pairing it with background on the 1860 election and the slavery debate.
- Discussion question: How does Lincoln use Douglas's claim about the Founding Fathers to build his own argument, and why might that strategy be effective with a Northern audience?
- Scaffold for struggling readers: Have students read the glossary first, then annotate the excerpt in pairs, marking each sentence as a claim, evidence, or appeal to shared values.
- Extension for advanced students: Ask them to compare Lincoln's appeal to the Founders with a speech by Douglas or a later Lincoln address, and assess how the rhetorical choices differ.
- Estimated time: About 15 minutes for the glossary and first read, 25 to 30 minutes for the analysis questions, and 10 minutes for a short debrief.