Warm Up:
1. What is the Declaration of Independence?
2. What would the historical figure you are
studying think of it?
Today’s Question:
What was the purpose of the
Declaration of
Independence?
Agenda
1. Reader’s theater
2. Declaration Notes
3. In groups: Discuss key philosophies of the
Declaration of Independence
4. Draw pictures of the key philosophies
5. Book group meetings
Events Causing Unrest:
Stamp Act
Proclamation
of 1763
Continental
Congress
Boston Tea
Party
Quartering
Act
Boston
Massacre
Intolerable
Acts
Lexington
and Concord
“Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!”
Virginia, 1775
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbghWFMLyiA
1. What is the main point of Patrick Henry’s
speech?
2. How will patriots react?
3. How will the loyalists and British react?
Second Continental Congress
The Committee of Five
Thomas
Jefferson
Robert
Livingston
John
Adams
Ben
Franklin
Roger
Sherman
Declaration of
Independence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZfRaWAtBVg
While we are reading…
1. What was the purpose of the Declaration of
Independence?
2. Who participated in writing it?
3. What important issues did the writers
discuss?
4. What groups of people were excluded from
the rights guaranteed in the Declaration?
Declaration of Independence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZfRaWAtBVg
The purpose of the Declaration of Independence was to tell
the world that the colonies were breaking away from
__________ __________.
In the Declaration, Thomas Jefferson wrote about the
problems with King __________ government, and the type of
government he wanted for the new country.
Many of Jefferson’s ideas on government were taken from
the writings of_____________ philosophers.
Several groups of people were excluded from the rights
guaranteed in the declaration, including ____________ and
____________ ______________.
In Groups:
1. Match the pictures with the key philosophies
of the Declaration of Independence
2. With your group, discuss what you think each
one means
3. Write your answer in the “what I think it
means” box
Four key philosophies of the
Declaration of Independence
Philosophy
People have certain
“unalienable rights” (rights
that cannot be taken away)—
to life, liberty, and the pursuit
of happiness
People establish government
to protect these rights
What I think it means
What it actually means
Four key philosophies of the
Declaration of Independence
Government derives power
from the people
People have a right and a
duty to change a
government that violates
their rights
On the left side of your notebook:
Write one key philosophy of the Dec of Ind. in
each box. Draw a picture to represent that
philosophy!
Which happened first?
Proclamation of 1763
OR
Quartering Act?
What was the first battle of the
Revolutionary War?
Who wrote the Declaration of
Independence?
Who gave the speech “Give me
Liberty or Give me Death?”
What is the Quartering Act?
What act said that colonists could
not cross the Appalachian
Mountains?
What happened at the Boston
Massacre?
Why did Britain begin taxing the
colonists?
What did loyalists believe?
What happened at the Boston Tea
Party?