One place to look is a collection of Lincoln's writings. Students should take notes on their findings. Students should discuss the significance of the Emancipation Proclamation, why it was issued, and what impact it had on the course of the war and the future of the United States. Encourage volunteers from each group to present their findings to the class. Challenge students to examine other primary sources from the Civil War period, such as Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and Second Inaugural Address, or diaries and letters from those who fought in the war.
Students can identify what each primary source tells about the writer and the war.
You might discuss with students how primary sources written for a small audience, such as letters and diary entries, can be more personal and contain more details than those written for a large audience, such as speeches and laws. This paragraph addresses the American idea of individual rights. Challenge students to write a brief report about this statement. Students should tell when and why the Declaration was made and quote some of the most important parts of it in your report. Then have students discuss how the idea of indicidual rights connects to the ideas expressed in the Emancipation Proclamation.