Activities and Strategies All Grade Levels I Do Declare…

Activities and Strategies All grade levels I Do Declare…

Objectives: • Students will analyze the statement of beliefs from the Declaration of Independence identifying the key beliefs of our government stated therein.

Materials: Worksheet: I Do Declare copied for each student also made into an overhead transparency, dictionaries, Video/DVD America Rock, School House Rock. Procedures:

1. After discussing the events that led to the writing of the Declaration of Independence, have the students imagine themselves as American colonists. They should write a letter to King George III in which they explain why they are writing and what they want from the King.

2. Ask for volunteers to read their letters. On the board, jot down ideas that they had.

3. Now, discuss the writing of the Declaration of Independence. Read to them the statement of beliefs. Does it sound like what they wrote?

4. Ask what they understood. They probably won’t understand much.

5. With the students, pick apart the meaning of the statement of beliefs using their copy of the worksheet “I Do Declare” and your overhead transparency. Push the students to figure it out. It will be difficult, but in the long run they’ll understand it better.

6. Once you’ve completed it, have the students recite it a few times as a class. Impress upon them just how powerful those words are for Americans.

7. Have the students complete a double‐bubble map or a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting their letter to King George III and the Declaration of Independence.

8. Extension: View “Fireworks” on America Rocks School House Rock. This will help the musical‐rhythmic and visual‐spatial students.

10 I Do Declare…

The Actual Words What it Means We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men,

deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

11 I Do Declare…

The Actual Words What it Means We hold these truths to We believe the following to be obvious, be self-evident, that all men are created All people are the same equal, that they are endowed All people have been given by their God by their Creator with certain unalienable Specific rights that cannot be taken away rights, that among these are These include the right to live, the right to be free, and the right to try to be happy. life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

That to secure these To keep these liberties rights, governments are Governments are made by the people in the country instituted among men,

deriving their just And the government gets its powers that are fair powers from the consent of the From the people in the country. governed.

12 Activities and Strategies All grade levels

Causes and Effects of the Declaration of Independence A Multi‐Flow Map Puzzle

Objectives: • Students will analyze the causes and effects of the Declaration of Independence using a multi‐flow map graphic organizer.

Note To Teacher: You should make the causes and effects more difficult/easier depending upon your class.

Materials: Causes/Effects sheet, plain paper or construction paper, glue stick, scissors, markers

Procedures: 1. Give each student a copy of the Causes/Effects sheet.

2. Have the students cut out the eight events.

3. The students must decide if each event is a cause or an effect of the Declaration of Independence.

4. They should check with the teacher first, to see if it is correct. Only tell them how many causes or effects are correct. Make sure they figure it out.

5. When they have the correct causes and effects, they should create a multi‐flow map on the construction paper.

6. In the center, they should create a box that says Declaration of Independence.

7. On the left hand side, they should glue the causes. Arrows should come from each cause and point towards the Declaration of Independence.

8. On the right hand side, they should glue the effects. Arrows should come from the Declaration of Independence and point towards each effect.

9. Once this is complete, the students should circle what they believe is the most important cause and most important effect. On the back or on a separate sheet of paper, they should explain why they chose these as the most important.

13 Which are causes and which are effects of the Declaration of Independence?

Cut out each box and determine which are causes and effects of the Declaration of Independence. You will glue these on a separate sheet of paper to create a multi‐flow map.

The dispute between King George III ignored the England and her colonies is Olive Branch Petition that the no longer viewed as a civil Continental Congress sent. war but as a war between two independent countries.

Thomas Paine writes The Treaty of Paris is signed Common Sense arguing that in 1783 making America an the colonists should stop independent nation. being a part of Great Britain.

Colonists are angered by the Other countries seeking new taxes Parliament independence from passed. monarchs and/or colonial rule use the document as an example for their own independence.

The war lasts another five Hostilities break into war on years and ends with the April 19, 1775 at the Battle of British surrender at Yorktown Lexington and Concord, in 1781. Massachusetts.

14 Cause Cause Cause Cause Multi-Flow Ma Independence Declaration of p

Effect Effect Effect Effect

15 Elementary Activities and Strategies (K‐5)

• Explain to the class that a long time ago, our nation was under the rule of the King of England (George III) who lived far away. Use a wall map to explain the geographical space between the colonists and Great Britain. This king imposed many rules and taxes that made people in the colonies upset because they were not always fair rules. Explain that the Declaration of Independence is a statement that was developed long ago because the colonists wanted to rule themselves without the abuse of a king. This statement was meant to free them from the unfair rules made the King of England. Invite students to think about the freedoms they enjoy and how class rules help protect these freedoms. Work with students to develop class rules and consequences to be followed for the school year. Have the students draw pictures for each rule developed and post the pictures under each rule around the classroom.

• Show the class a copy of the Declaration of Independence (if possible, find a copy that includes the signature of the founders). Write the classroom rules on a large yellow chart paper and discuss the rules with the class. Explain that a signature means the person who signed something believes in the worth of the document being signed. Invite the class to sign the poster with the classroom rules as their belief in the importance of following the classroom rules. Optional – send a copy of the rules home for students to review, discuss. Have parents and students sign copy of the rules and return it to the classroom teachers.

• After studying about the Declaration of Independence as a symbol of our new nation, discuss the flag or other patriotic symbols and what they stand for. You may include a school symbol or mascot. Ask students to create a symbol representative of their classroom. Use this symbol in all correspondence though out the school year.

• Read and learn about the Fourth of July holiday. Make sure students understand the relevance of this holiday in terms of American independence from Britain.

• Read books, stories such as Aesop’s Fables, Miss Nelson is Missing, Dr. Seuss’ Yertle the Turtle, and Sh! We’re Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz, or other stories that are related to civics or civic virtue. Discuss the importance of rules of law. Based on the reading of the stories have students rewrite the books by reorganizing the storybook leaders in order to form “new rules of order.” Primary age student may draw picture and include copying basic vocabulary words.

• Explain and discuss the grievances included in the Declaration of Independences again the British crown. Ask upper elementary students to make a list of general problems related to a school or classroom issue. Each group should share its list of problems with the class. Have the class prioritize the problems and develop a list of possible solutions. Divide the class into work groups that will address each problem and present solutions. Ask students

16 to write a personal Declaration of Independence, including resolutions, based on these issues and present them to the other class members.

• Have students research and explore how the Declaration of Independence was a precursor to the Preamble and our Constitution and therefore, helped form our present system of laws and government stating human rights and government responsibilities. Ask students to compare and contrast the various documents.

• Discuss the role and function of government or laws. Explain that government is the means by which people make sure that every person has equal rights. Furthermore that these rights, given by God or nature cannot be taken away by man. Ask students to list the ways the British government did not protect these rights of the colonists. Share this information with class members or other classes. You may want to have students role pay various scenes where individuals rights are being trampled and the role of government to protect these rights.

• Have students research to find information about the “writers of the Declaration” Who would they close in their class or school to write an important document and why?

• Have student find out how the Declaration of Independence has been preserved over the years. Have students brainstorm as to how they would preserve an important document. This would be a good time to introduce the National Archives. Have students visit the National Archives web site and look at the Declaration of Independence. http://www.archives.gov/

• Tell or read the story of how the Declaration of Independence was publicized. Have the students suppose Orange County wanted to become a separate country. How would they let people know? Compare and contrast today’s methods with those used in 1776.

• Have students create a list of grievances community members might have if Orange County wanted to form a new country. Using this information have students create a Declaration of Independence for Orange County.

• Have students brainstorm and write about how they would let their grievances be known if they are unhappy with a current situation. What steps would they take? What if they are ignored?

17 Middle School Activities and Strategies (6‐8)

• Research and discuss significant events leading to the adoption and signing of the Declaration of Independence. Create a time‐line or flow map of events. Have students choose specific events from the time‐line and create a political cartoon depicting the events.

• List and discuss the many grievances of the colonists. Ask students to imagine they are colonists living in Virginia in 1776. Have each student write a letter of complaint to King George III.

• Provide students with a copy of the Declaration of Independence. After discussion and analysis have students (individually or in small groups) explore the questions below.

According to the Declaration of Independence:

o What is the purpose of government? Can people get rid of their government, and if so, under what conditions? o What are people’s basic human rights?

• Using individual copies of the Declaration of Independence, identify wrongs done by the King. Have students create posters that might be placed around colonial towns and villages listing their grievances.

• Have students work in small groups to compare and contrast Thomas Jefferson’s rough draft of the Declaration of Independence with the final version. The rough draft of the Declaration of Independence is available at http://www.education‐world.com/a_lesson/00‐ 2/lp2046.shtml.

• Hold a mock trial for King George III. Students will take the roles of King George III, witnesses (British soldiers, loyalist, John Hancock‐or other patriot, colonist), prosecutor, defense attorney, jury and judge. Students will determine the charges against the king as well as the format of the mock trial.

• Students will select 10 sentences from the Declaration of Independence (5 complaints against the King and 5 whereas and/or Resolved statements). Each student should rewrite these sentences into present day English.

• Have students stage a dramatic reading of the entire Declaration of Independence.

• Students will take the role of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. As such, they should write a journal entry describing their thoughts and motives for signing the document

High School Activities and Strategies (9‐12)

• View the video of the musical 1776. The following website has a lesson plan for using this video as a teaching tool and includes detailed information clarifying minimal historical inaccuracies: http://www.teachwithmovies.org/guides/1776.html

• Students should read the original draft of the Declaration of Independence as written by Thomas Jefferson and the final version as we know it today. Working in groups, students should identify the differences between the two versions. Students should speculate as to why the changes were made and whether they would have made the same changes. The original draft and final version of the Declaration of Independence are available at: http://www.education‐world.com/a_lesson/00‐2/lp2046.shtml

• Students often complain. Ask them to make a list of general complaints about (you insert the topic). In small groups, students should reach a consensus regarding ten complaints. Each group should share its list of complaints with the class. Ultimately, the class should prioritize the complaints to develop a class list. After establishing the class list, the students should then divide into groups to integrate the complaints into a class document which resembles the format of the Declaration of Independence.

Expanded ideas for the above section are available at: http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?ID=282

• The Declaration of Independence was used as a model for the Seneca Falls 1848 “Declaration of Sentiments” about women’s suffrage. Consider having students compare the two documents and possibly write their own Declaration of Sentiments from another point of view (students’ rights, gay rights, African‐American rights, etc.).

19 Literature Connections

Adler, David A. (1991) A Picture Book of Thomas Jefferson. This is a good book from an excellent series of biographies. (Grade 3)

Smith, Lane (2006) John, Paul, George & Ben. Smith relates how the Founding Fathers of the title–and Jefferson, too–played a part in securing Americas freedom. (Grade 2‐5)

West, Jean M. and Delno C. (2000 ) Uncle Sam and Old Glory: Symbols of America From the bald eagle and the buffalo to the Minuteman and the cowboy, the illustrations (by Christopher Manson) and text convey the history and meaning of fifteen traditional symbols of American identity.

Keenan, Sheila (2004) O, Say Can O, Say Can You See? America’s Symbols, Landmarks and Inspiring Words

Ellis, Joseph. (2000) Founding Brothers An illuminating study of the intertwined lives of the founders of the American republic‐‐John Adams, Aaron Burr, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington. (High School)

Berkin, Carol (2002) A Brilliant Solution: Inventing the American Constitution Shares the story of the Constitutional Convention in 1787 Philadelphia, detailing the human side of the considerable ideas, arguments, issues, and compromises that shaped the formation of the U.S. Constitution and government. (High School)

Cheney, Lynne (2002) America: A Patriotic Primer. A succinct history of the United States, the ABC’s of the principles on which this country was founded. (all ages)