Lesson Plan
Los Angeles Unified School District

Why Is the Declaration of Independence Important?

For Teachers 5th Standards
Fair or unfair? To begin a study of the American Revolution, class members review the treatment of the people of the American Colonies by the King of England and decide which were fair and which were unfair. Class members then annotate a...
Handout
San Antonio Independent School District

Breaking Down the Declaration of Independence

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Are learners heavy sighing at the idea of reading a primary source, written in a language that is difficult to understand and in cursive? Look no further, because the resource breaks down the Declaration of Independence in an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Two Sides of the Declaration of Independence

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Budding historians read six documents related to grievances that led to the writing of the Declaration of Independence. They then craft an essay in which they discuss the perspective of both the colonists and the king. This DBQ could be...
Activity
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media

Investigating the Declaration of Independence

For Students 8th - 10th Standards
Teach your class about the Declaration of Independence while giving them practice working as a team. The resource breaks participants into groups and has them answer questions about specific grievances from the Declaration of...
Worksheet
National Endowment for the Humanities

The Declaration of Independence in Six Parts

For Students 8th - 10th Standards
Everyone knows that the Declaration of Independence is important, but what does it actually say? Members of American history classes analyze the Founding Fathers' arguments against British tyranny and for a more perfect union with a...
Lesson Plan
Teaching American History

Interpretation of the Declaration of Independence

For Students 7th Standards
Ready to interpret the Declaration of Independence and understand its meaning? The resource divides scholars into pairs, where they work as a team to match translations with excerpts from the declaration. The class then engages in...
Lesson Plan
Constitutional Rights Foundation

The Declaration of Independence

For Teachers 8th - 10th Standards
Your class can write a PSA about the Declaration of Independence! They write public service announcements and present them to the class. They also engage in reading and discussion activities to further understand a challenging—yet...
Lesson Plan
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What So Proudly We Hail

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: A Lesson on the Declaration of Independence

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
What does it mean to say that a right is unalienable? How did the founding fathers convey this revolutionary concept in the Declaration of Independence? Engage in a close reading and analysis of the Declaration of Independence, and...
Lesson Plan
Bill of Rights Institute

The Declaration of Independence

For Teachers 8th - 10th Standards
Take classes on an in-depth tour of the Declaration of Independence. An informative resource effectively scaffolds learning by providing warm-up and wrap-up activities. It also includes a variety of handouts for individuals to complete,...
Unit Plan
Judicial Branch of California

Understanding the Declaration of Independence

For Teachers 8th Standards
Help pupils actively read the Declaration of Independence with a variety of activities in the resource. They storyboard and participate in a skit, an activity where they translate the Declaration of Independence, and respond to...
Lesson Plan
Middle Tennessee State University

The Declaration of Independence: Its Legacy and Ideas in Today’s World

For Teachers 8th Standards
How is it possible that such an old document still triggers modern discussions? Teach scholars why the Declaration of Independence is still so important today using an informative resource. They watch various educational videos, work in...
Lesson Plan
Stanford University

Declaration of Independence

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Scholars work in pairs to decide whether leaders wrote the Declaration of Independence for the rich and powerful or for every man. To draw their conclusion, pairs read excerpts from two historians and complete a graphic organizer...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Vocabulary Building - Declaration of Independence

For Teachers 7th - Higher Ed
Young scholars read the first part of the Declaration of Independence and mark the words they don't know. First, they try to guess what the words mean by looking at the them in context, and then they look up the words in a dictionary.
Worksheet
Arizona State University

Declaration of Independence: A Transcription

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
The Declaration of Independence may seem like an outdated document, but it exists as one of the most important to the United States government. Middle and high schoolers read the declaration, complete a graphic organizer, and take notes...
Lesson Plan
Academy of American Poets

Teach This Poem: “Declaration” by Tracy K. Smith

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Tracy K. Smith's erasure poem "Declaration" challenges scholars to use their noticing skills to make connections between an engraving entitled "The Declaration of Independence" and Smith's poem. Class members record observations and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Understanding the Declaration of Independence

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students identify and interpret the Declaration of Independence and the rights and privileges demanded in the document. They also identify how those rights and privileges have affected our history. Students then research about the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson: Allison Smith: What Are You Fighting For?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Trench art is a nontraditional art form created by soldiers in trenches during wartime. Artist Allison Smith connects her art to the American Revolution and the question: "What are you fighting for?" Kids examine her art, how it connects...
Unit Plan
Annenberg Foundation

Spirit of Nationalism

For Teachers 6th - 12th
What were the virtues and values that helped form America? Pupils watch and discuss a video, read biographies of early Americans, chart the differences between early American religious movements, write journals and letters, draw, and...
Worksheet
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K12 Reader

Dear King George

For Students 4th - 5th Standards
Thomas Jefferson's letter to King George III, which evolved into the Declaration of Independence, is the subject of a two-part reading comprehension exercise that asks kids to first read the attached article, and then to respond to a...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Analyzing a Central Idea: Carlotta’s Journey to Justice

For Teachers 8th Standards
Verbs are deceptive and like to disguise themselves. Young linguists identify verbals, specifically gerunds, infinitives, and participles when analyzing the third stage of Carlotta's journey in the novel A Mighty Long Way. Bridge...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Make the Connection

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students practice connecting words into phrases. They use the Declaration of Independence to help them connect phrases.
Lesson Plan
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National Endowment for the Humanities

Courage “In the Time of the Butterflies”: A Common Core Exemplar

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The courage of Las Mariposas, the Mirabal sisters, is the focus of a series of activities designed to accompany a reading of In the Time of the Butterflies that ask readers to consider what it means to be courageous. Beautifully crafted...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Declaration of Independence

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders participate in a discussion about the Declaration of Independence.  In this Declaration of Independence lesson, 5th graders write imaginary stories in the voice of a member of the committee at Independence hall....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Declaration of Independence and Your Own Rights

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners read and discuss the Declaration of Independence and the Declaration of Sentiments. They discuss how the rights of the colonists and women were being violated. Students write about their own personal rights and how their rights...