Course: US History I (Pre-Columbian 1865)

Robertson Lesson Plan 1

This lesson hits on three of the key concepts that I believe are key to a social studies classroom —reading, writing, and primary source analysis. In this lesson, students analyze the primary source of the Declaration of Independence through reading. Then they are asked to present their knowledge of this analysis through writing. The lesson also includes a mini-lesson on how to analyze primary source documents based on the PIC acronym. Based on these things, this lesson provides students the support and practice to cultivate their reading, writing, and primary source analysis skills which are essential to social studies.

Course: US History I (Pre-Columbian – 1865)

Age Group: 6th Grade

Time Allotted: 90 Minutes

SOL(s) Covered: USI.6b “The student will demonstrate knowledge of the causes of the American Revolution by identifying how political ideas shaped the revolutionary movement in America and led to the Declaration of Independence.”

Objective(s): Students will analyze the primary source document of the Declaration of Independence and use it to discuss and articulate the key ideals of natural rights, governmental purpose, and source of governmental power.

Instruction: Students will enter the classroom and complete a bell ringer (see below) analyzing Benjamin Franklin’s Join or Die political cartoon from the 18th century. The teacher will then go over the cartoon with the class, placing particular emphasis on the process of analyzing primary source documents according to PIC:

P—Place yourself in the shoes of the timeframe

I—Ignore the little details

C—Concentrate on what’s important

After this, students will receive direct instruction about the Declaration of Independence through reading in the textbook, having discussion, and filling in the “Signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776” on their “American Revolution” timeline. Once this is complete, students will do a primary source analysis in-class of the Declaration of Independence. Students will complete the front of a worksheet concentrating on the connections between English philosopher John Locke and Thomas Jefferson for homework the night previous to this lesson. This will ask them to read a paragraph about John Locke and answer three questions about him. It will also ask students to define the following words: unalienable, consent, self-evident, endowed, institute, and derive. Robertson Lesson Plan 2

In class, students will be separated into groups of two or three and complete the back side of this work sheet which asks students to look at the Declaration of Independence and answer questions such as (but not exclusive to):

 What truths are held self-evident?

 What does it mean to be “created equal”?

 What is the job of the government according to the Declaration?

 Where does government get its power according to the Declaration?

 What happens if governments do not fulfill their purpose according to the Declaration?

 What are some of the grievances according to the colonists?

Once students have completed the backside of this worksheet (and the teacher has informally checked to ensure that all students are working), the teacher will go over the answers and how to find them with the students. The last activity of the day will be watching a parody of the Declaration of Independence found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZfRaWAtBVg and discussing its validity.

Assessment: The teacher will informally assess the students throughout the day and by checking students’ progress as they work on the backside of the worksheet. The date and description of the “Signing of the Declaration of Independence” will be assessed in the Revolutionary War Timeline quiz (three days from the current lesson).

Materials Needed: “Join or Die” Bell Ringer for every student, Declaration of Independence ActiveBoard flipchart open on the screen, YouTube video open and loaded, extra copies of the John Locke worksheet for students who do not have one. Robertson Lesson Plan 3

Bell Ringer

Look at the political cartoon above and read about it at the bottom of pg. 141 in your textbook. Once you’ve done that, answer the following questions in complete sentences.

1.) What is this a picture of?

2.) Who created this picture?

3.) What’s weird about the picture?

4.) What could the eight letters on the different sections of the drawings represent? Robertson Lesson Plan 4

5.) What statement was the cartonist trying to make with this political cartoon?

6.) Is this a good political cartoon? Do you think the cartoonist succeeded in whatever his goal was?