Letter of Leadership

This worksheet supports students in Grades 5, 6, and 7 as they practice close reading, primary source analysis, and historical reasoning through an adapted excerpt of Abraham Lincoln’s 1862 letter to Horace Greeley. Students examine author purpose, perspective, tone, and historical context to understand Lincoln’s priorities regarding the Union and slavery during the Civil War, using direct textual evidence to support their interpretations.

Academic Focus

• Primary Source Analysis (Grades 5-7)
  Interpret an adapted historical document using close reading strategies.
• Author’s Purpose & Perspective
  Analyze Lincoln’s intentions, priorities, and reasoning as expressed in the letter.
• Civil War Context
  Understand how historical circumstances influenced leadership decisions.
• Evidence-Based Responses
  Cite specific details from the text to support conclusions.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource
  Designed by educators to align with social studies and ELA standards.
• Guided Analysis Questions
  Prompts help students focus on purpose, tone, and historical significance.
• Accessible Adapted Text
  Makes a complex primary source understandable for upper elementary and middle school learners.
• Flexible Classroom Use
  Suitable for independent work, discussion, assessment, or primary source practice.
• Low-Prep Format
  Print-and-go worksheet for classroom or homeschool instruction.

This printable worksheet strengthens historical thinking, evidence-based analysis, and understanding of Civil War leadership through a meaningful primary source. By examining Lincoln’s words and decisions within their historical context, students gain deeper insight into differing perspectives and the complexities of leadership during a pivotal moment in U.S. history. It’s a valuable resource for both classroom instruction and homeschool learning.

This worksheet is part of our historical text worksheets collection.