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 Multi-Flow Map 15 Cause Effect Cause Effect Declaration of Independence Cause Effect Cause Effect 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.