Oklahoma Social Studies 8.C.12.1.B
The Standard
- 8.C.12
- Analyze the course and consequences of the Civil War.
- 8.C.12.1
- Analyze major issues of the presidential election of 1860 and its immediate consequences.
Identify President Lincoln’s stance on slavery and intention of preserving the Union, as stated in his Cooper Union Address.
Oklahoma Academic Standards for Social Studies (2026) · 8.C.12.1
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students explain that Lincoln called slavery wrong and opposed its spread into federal territories. They also explain that he did not propose ending slavery in states where it already existed and would not give in to threats against the Union.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can point to lines in the speech about slavery in the territories and in existing states. They can use Lincoln's response to threats against the government to explain his aim to keep the Union together.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think Lincoln called for the immediate end of slavery everywhere. Some confuse this 1860 speech with the later Emancipation Proclamation.
How to Assess It
- On an exit ticket, ask: “What did Lincoln want to prevent in the territories, and how did he respond to threats against the government?” Require one detail from the speech for each answer.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs sentence strips from the speech to sort under slavery, existing states, and threats to the Union.
Ask students to write: How could Lincoln call slavery wrong but oppose ending it in states where it existed?
Play evidence match with claim cards and short speech excerpts about territories, existing states, and threats to the government.
On an 1860 map, trace a family's move west and discuss how rules on slavery in territories could affect their new home.
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Related Standards
- 8.C.11.1
Evaluate the goals of the Compromise of 1850 regarding the issue of slavery.
- 8.C.12
Analyze the course and consequences of the Civil War.
- 8.C.12.4.C
Describe how the Battle of Gettysburg ended the Confederate attempt to invade the North and analyze Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address clarifying the Union’s motivati...
- 8.C.13.1.A
Evaluate Lincoln’s plans for reconciliation, as expressed in his Second Inaugural Address, and the impact of his assassination on Reconstruction.
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