Teaching American History Grant
American Tapestry
Lesson Plan Template
Teacher: Karen Gallagher
Unit Topic:
Grade: 3
The Declaration of Independence
Standards:
 Identify and use primary sources, such as artifacts and photographs, and secondary
sources, such as texts and videos related to important historical figures or events.
 Use primary or secondary sources, such as pictures, artifacts, or books, to identify
important people or events from the past.
 Recognize important people or events in artifacts, videos, or photographs.
o Examples: Examples may include, but are not limited to, artifacts, photographs,
paintings, maps, images, documents, audio and video recordings.
History Essential Questions:
What is the Declaration of Independence and why was it written?
Standards of Learning:
History SOL: The student will:
1. Identify the colonists’ grievances and concerns for unfair treatment by the British King
and Parliament.
2. Examine the purpose of the Declaration of Independence as identified in the document.
3. Identify and interpret a primary source document.
4. Create a flipbook about the Declaration of Independence.
Reading SOL: The student will:
Use reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of informational texts,
primary source documents, and media content.
Lesson Objectives:
Content: The student will:
· Understand the structure of the Declaration—beginning, middle and end
· Identify the key ideas in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence: natural rights, the
social contract, the right to revolution, popular sovereignty, and the right of self-determination
Process: The student will:
Listen to multiple representations using kid-friendly language that describe what the Declaration
of Independence is and why it was written. In addition, they will read the actual (copy) of the
Declaration of Independence so that they are exposed to the language of the day. They will then
create a flipbook about the Declaration of Independence.
Materials:
Tradebooks: We the Kids, the preamble to the Constitution of the United States, by Catrow and
Declaration of Independence, by Leavitt and Aime
Books: Harcourt Social Studies textbook
Technology: Promethean Flipchart and United Streaming Video clip
Handout: Flip book activity
Primary Source Document: The Declaration of Independence (You can use the Internet to
source a copy @ www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/image.htm) I have one that I
purchased in Washington, D.C.
Social Studies Journals, one for each student
Promethean Board or Promethean Software and projector
Assessment/Evaluation: The student will:
Write a summary of why the Declaration of Independence was written recalling facts that are
included in the beginning, the middle, and the end of the document.
Complete the flipbook activity
Lesson Procedure
Background Knowledge and Purpose Setting: The teacher will:
Discuss what students know about the Declaration of Independence by using a K-W-L chart.
The first two sections will be completed at the beginning and the “what we learned” section will
be completed at the end.
Before the lesson: The teacher will:
Review what students know and what they would like to know about the Declaration of
Independence.
Utilize the teacher created Promethean flipchart on the Declaration of Independence.
During the lesson: The student will:
Use their Social Studies Journals to write key points they are learning.
Write new vocabulary words and their meanings.
Vocabulary:
Unanimous: everyone agrees
Parchment: Animal skin treated with lime and used as a form of paper
Engrossing: The process of preparing an official document in a large, clear hand. Timothy
Matlack, a Pennsylvanian who had assisted the Secretary of the Congress, Charles Thomson, was
probably the engrosser of the Declaration.
Quill pen: A pen made from a quill feather
After the lesson: The student will:
Make a list of “what I learned” about the Declaration of Independence independently in their
Social Studies journals.
Closure: The student will:
Share what they learned with the class.
Culminating Ativity:
Using a copy of the Declaration of Independence – Whole Group
Teacher will perform a guided reading activity using the introduction to the Declaration of
Independence. Teacher will model how to decipher language and "explain" its meaning and
significance, i.e. what is the main idea in this first part, why is it here, and WHY is it important?
Extension/Differentiation: The student could:
Create their own flipbook depicting the events leading up to the writing of the Declaration of
Independence.
Create a poster depicting what it says in the beginning, middle, and end of the Declaration of
Independence.
More Fun Activities:
Why is there a handprint at the bottom of the Declaration of Independence? Research this to find
out what you can about why it is there.
Create an “old” document by briefly soaking white paper in a pan of strong black tea. Let dry.
When it does, it will be crackly and lightly browned. Give your students a feather and a bottle of
ink to sign his “John Hancock.”
Create a little drama in the classroom by having each student draw from a box an index card on
which you've written a request, such as "I want to sell things I make and keep all the money," "I
want to help make the laws," or "I want to buy land for a house." One card, however, will read
"King George." Explain to the kids that they will have to run all their requests by King George
and the British Parliament, which will then decide what the students will be allowed to do, even
though the king and the members of Parliament live clear across the ocean.
The "king" will enjoy the power he has over his subjects and deny many of their requests.
Brainstorm with the kids what actions they could take to get out from under his rule. End the
session by explaining that this was the situation in which the colonists found themselves.
Challenge students to write their own "declaration of independence" to the class king, in which
they state that they will no longer be part of the British Empire; contrast their declarations by
reading the opening of the Declaration of Independence. As time allows, read some of the
grievances against King George.
Resources:
http://myloc.gov/Education/OnlineActivities/Pages/onlineactivities/Declaration/default.html
http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/usstates/colonies.htm
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/northamerica/after1500/government/declaration.htm
http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=2
http://woosterschool.org/academics/curriculum-guide/3rd-grade
http://www.classbrain.com/artholiday/publish/article_112.shtml
ERIC (Education Resources Information Center): Declaration of Independence
SS 3rd Grade Integrated Unit_latham.pdf
Teacher Notes:
In order for third grade students to appreciate the Declaration of Independence, they need to
understand its importance, both as a historical document and as it relates to their own lives.
Exposing children to the reasons behind the decision to declare independence from Great Britain
will put the declaration in the proper perspective. By giving kids an opportunity to talk about
why the Declaration of Independence is important today, the document will be better understood
as a living thing, not just something belonging to the pages of history.
The Declaration of Independence can be divided into three main parts.
The first part is an introduction that states the purpose of the document, which was to explain
why the American people were declaring independence from the government of Great Britain.
The second part is about individual rights generally accepted by Americans from the 1770s until
today. All individuals are equal in their possession of certain rights, which are not granted by the
government. Rather, these are human nature. Therefore, the first purpose of a good government
is to secure or protect these rights. A good government is based on the consent of the governed -the people -- who are the sole source of the government's authority. If their government always
violates this theory of good government, then the people have the right to change it.
The third part of the document is a list of grievances against King George III, who was singled
out to represent the actions of the British government. These grievances are examples of actions
that violated what good government should be as stated in the second part of the Declaration of
Independence. These grievances, include, separation from the King's bad government and
establishment of a good government to replace it. It proclaims the determination of Americans
to defend and maintain their independence and rights.
This is a shot of my flipchart that I created. The entire lesson is covered in this flipchart.