Be aware that this example is from NY, but the key point is that no matter how high sounding standards are, if those planning the lessons and teaching the material are vacuous, no rubber will meet the road.

This example shows a typical pedagogical approach to the Gettysburg address that goes from a reasonable approach to ludicrous.

See, the good idea is to ensure students become aware of the text first, and before bringing in a student's opinion or external documents and texts. No problem here. But, the Gettysburg Address could hardly be a worse choice because its meaning and significance is not contained in its text.

Analyze as one would poetry, perhaps, like its rhythms, its imagery, its vocabulary, its structure; but not its content -- it's not a self-contained work that allows for a detailed analysis from its content alone.

It's too obvious to mention but it's clear from the teachers' script that the educators involved had little historic knowledge. The lesson proposed would be a complete waste of time and only give an illusion of having educational content.