Military necessity in the Emancipation Proclamation

Generate a historical argument that is reasoned and based on historical evidence selected, arranged, and analyzed.

Write an effective narrative that describes and analyzes the past for its use in the present.

Specific Student Learning Outcomes:

Students will collect and cluster evidence about military necessity in the Emancipation Proclamation and form 2 arguments.

Students will write a blueprinted thesis using the 2 arguments (concepts) they have formed from analyzing the evidence.

Students will write an outline that plans an effective 2 part argumentative paper.

Students will write topic sentences and varied evidence sentences that link the 2-part argument to the evidence.

Students will write an introduction paragraph for the Emancipation Proclamation composition that follows the classic funnel format.

Extensions of the Assignment
The assignment can be made more complex by asking students to go beyond the proclamation text to explain Lincoln’s motivations for each of the students’ arguments.