R1/R10 - The Declaration of Independence
With this R1/R10 lesson, students will be asked to read closely and comprehend the Declaration of Independence. They will be asked to respond to text-dependent questions by
citing key details from the document. Students will apply specific disciplinary literacy skills to increase understanding of the Declaration of Independence and indentify the
Enlightenment ideals that contributed to the creation of the document. They can also attribute those ideals to the structure and function of our current government.
Essential / Guiding questions
How did the Enlightenment and other contributing theories impact the writing of the Declaration of Independence?
How did the development of America’s national identity derive from principles in the Declaration of Independence?
How did the Declaration of Independence establish the foundation of the American Government?
Content (What course specific content is included in the lesson?)
Content resolution, civil liberties, fundamental principles, informed citizenry, popular sovereignty, political activism, adversarial nature, political ideology, and self
determination
Skills (What course specific skills are included in the lesson?)
Analyzing primary sources, interpreting texts/primary sources, making generalizations, reading and thinking like a historian, and writing.
Guided / Text-Dependent Questions
1. Break down the 5 sections of the Declaration of Independence and cite examples of how each section conveys a different idea that relates to the theme as a whole.
2. Cite examples of Thomas Jefferson’s idea of popular sovereignty.
3. Explain John Locke’s “Social Contract Theory”, and cite examples of the theory’s influence in the document.
4. After examining the list of grievances in the documents, cite three grievances and explained how the founding fathers fixed them with the implementation of our
new form of government.
*Necessary background – John Locke, Social Contract Theory, popular sovereignty and characteristics of our new form of Government.
Disciplinary Literacy Approaches
1. Sourcing
2. Contextualization
3. Close Reading
Disciplinary Literacy Skills – Reading a like a Historian
1. Historians contextualize by asking questions about what was happening in the world at the time the Declaration of Independence was written.
2. Historians incorporate close reading to carefully consider wording and word choice.
Writing Task (Means of assessment)
After reading the Declaration of Independence write an editorial critiquing how well our current government lives up to the ideas set forth by Thomas Jefferson?
Incorporating strategies to provide ALL students access into complex texts (Identify examples you will consider based on your students’ needs.)
Means of Representation (Presenting information): Product, editorial, poster, newspaper article, essay, interview, PPT Presentation.
Means of Expression (Communicate what you know): PPT Presentation, interpretive dance, sign language, speech, debate.
Means of Engagement (Motivation): Make technology available, make it applicable to daily life, etc…