Contextualizing The Declaration of Independence

Level: Classroom
Grades: Middle School (6-8)
School Quarter: 1

Related School Level Activities:

The American Revolution: 250 Years since the Declaration of Independence

Activity: Contextualizing The Declaration of Independence

Theme Alignment: Histories of Independence

Toolkit Overview (In this toolkit):

• Background
• How to implement this activity
• Classroom / Grade Activities
  • Context: French and Indian War activity, Specific Complaints
  • Vocabulary
  • Reading the Declaration
  • Class Discussion
  • Essay
• Resources:
  • Grade level explanation of each document
  • Vocabulary
  • Word find
• Books

Background:

The Declaration of Independence describes how founders of the United States saw their rights and lists grievances against King George III’s policies and actions in the 13 colonies. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration. A modified version was adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. It was later signed by 56 people and sent to King George and officially launched the American Revolution.

Some parts of the Declaration are widely known and quoted, particularly the second paragraph. However, other parts would be inflammatory if written today. The activity series begins with introducing the context of North America as the land of indigenous peoples which was colonized and competed for by multiple European Empires. It will then discuss the grievances of English colonists against King George and broader concepts of independence, liberty, and happiness. This will prepare them for the school level activity.

How To:

Link to Implementation / How to Checklist

• Context Lesson
  • The French and Indian War
  • Grievances Lesson
    • What is a grievance?
    • Discuss each of the grievances and why they were issues for the colonists.
• Vocabulary Lesson:
  • How was language in the 1700s different from today?
  • Define/Discuss difficult words
  • Introduce Virtual Vocabulary cards
  • Wordfind
• Read the Declaration aloud in class. Ask students to paraphrase what they read
• Discussion Questions
• Essay:
  • Have students pick one of the following essay topics for an essay.
    • What is liberty? What are the responsibilities and constraints of liberty?
    • What does ‘the pursuit of happiness’ mean to you?
    • How are independence and interdependence related?
    • Compare and contrast the Great Law of Peace and the US Constitution
    • Write your version of a Declaration of Independence. How is it similar to the United States’ Declaration of Independence and where does it differ?
    • Chervinsky Essay Activity
• Bonus: Mini Debate
• Bonus: Government 101, presentation from a local official

Resources:

• American Battlefield Trust Declaration of Independence Lesson Plan
• Britannica’s Overview of the Declaration of Independence, including the full text
• The Constitution Center’s Resources on the Declaration of Independence
• Declaration of Independence Vocabulary Virtual Flashcards
• Harvard’s Declaration of Independence Wordsearch No key provided. Includes explanations of words that were or were not included in the Declaration.
• Haudenosaunee: Brief overview incudes The Great Law of Peace, The American Revolution

Books:

• The Signers: The 56 Stories Behind the Declaration of Independence
• If You Were There in 1776
• Jefferson’s Masterpiece: The Story of the Declaration of Independence for Young Readers
• A Peacemaker for Warring Nations: The Founding of the Iroquois League
• Haudenosaunee Guide for Educators