TAH Unit
November 2013
America’s Founding Documents
Authors: Catarina Kennedy and Audrey Ebbrecht
Subject: Social Studies (US Government)
Grade Level: 6th Grade
Class Time Required: 3 (45 minute) Class Periods
Unit Title: America’s Founding Documents
Essential Questions:
 How have US founding documents helped shape an American identity and influenced
our culture?
 How does a writer build an argument using specific claims, reasoning, and evidence?
Brief Description of Unit:
For this unit students will be introduced to primary sources through the us of US
documents which have played a foundational role in our country’s history. Students will then go
through a modeled process of learning how to write argumentative claims based on their
understanding, reasoning, and evidence. Students will then create and defend short
argumentative essays stating their claim of which US founding document was most influential.
Objectives (Common Core Standards): www.corestandards.org/ELA-literacy
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or
secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior
knowledge or opinions.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.1a Introduce claim(s) about a topic or issue,
acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize
the reasons and evidence logically.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.1b Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant,
accurate data and evidence that demonstrate an understanding of the topic or text, using
credible sources.
Materials Needed:
Anchor Texts:
 “America’s Historical Documents” http://www.archives.gov/historical-docs/
 “The Charters of Freedom—A New World is at Hand”
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/charters_of_freedom_1.html#
 Seen Art? (by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith)
 We the Kids (by David Catrow)
Support Texts:
 Civics in America (6th Grade Textbook) 2003 McDougal Littell
Catarina Kennedy and Audrey Ebbrecht
TAH Unit
November 2013

100 Milestone Documents:
http://www.ourdocuments.gov/content.php?flash=true&page=milestone
 A Kid’s Guide to America’s Bill of Rights: Curfews, Censorship, and the 100-Pound
Giant (by Kathleen Krull)
 Shh! We’re Writing the Constitution (by Jean Fritz)
Other Materials:
 America’s Founding Documents Flash Cards
 Thesis—Proof Chart: http://www.readingquest.org/pdf/thesis_b.pdf
Technology Needed:
 Power Point: America’s Founding Documents
 Projector/Screen
 Computer Lab where each student has a computer
Instructional Strategies: (Teacher Methods)
DAY ONE: Background—US Founding Documents
 The teacher will begin class by reading aloud We the Kids by David Catrow. (Be sure to
the read his introduction)
o As a class discuss why the author feels the Constitution is an important US
documents.
o Then ask the students to share any other documents they may believe are
important in US history.
 Next, have the students go to the computer and access the US Archives site to read about
the 20 documents they have chosen as founding US documents.
o http://www.archives.gov/historical-docs/
 The students can click on each document, see a picture of it and a short description of the
document.
 (If computers are unavailable or the teacher wants to discuss with students…Each of the
documents are in the PowerPoint and can be shown on the screen as the teacher
describes each.)
 The teacher will conclude the lesson by having the students create a list of the ten
documents (from the site) they think are the most important to US history.
DAY TWO: Narrowing the Topic
 The teacher will begin class with a discussion about how individuals make claims and
then support them using evidence.
o Read aloud to the class the picture book Seen Art? by Jon Scieszka and Lane
Smith.
Catarina Kennedy and Audrey Ebbrecht
TAH Unit
November 2013

Discuss with the class about how each character in the book has a different
claim about what creates “art” and talk about how bias and opinions can
shape a person’s claim.
 Then talk about what makes strong/weak claim and the value of evidence.
 Put the students into groups of 3 and give each group a set of “Founding Document”
flashcards. Also, have each student bring his/her list of ten (homework from day one).
o Flashcards can be created by printing the power point slides of each document
(Handouts: 2 per page). This needs to be completed before students come to class.
 Students begin with a discussion about their lists of the ten most important documents.
Then as a group, they need to pick (using the flash cards) the eight most important
documents and lay those flash cards out in front of them.
o Confer with groups as you move around the room to check their understanding.
 Next, have the students narrow their flash cards down to the three documents they find
most important.
o They need to keep these three cards out since they will be using all three for their
writing activity.
 Last, have the groups narrow to one document.
 End class with a large group discussion where each group verbally explains which
document they picked and why.
DAY THREE: Creating and Writing Claims
 Begin class by passing out the Founding Document flash cards and have each group get
out their top three choices, placing the top choice separate from the other two.
 Pass out the Claims diagram/chart.
o Thesis—Proof Chart: http://www.readingquest.org/pdf/thesis_b.pdf
 Using the power point as a guide lead the students through how to write a claim. (Each
student will write on their own charts but they will work as a group to complete the
assignment).
o As this is a sixth grade introductory lesson, it will very teacher driven where
he/she thinks aloud and models.
 Next, have the students (as a group) list three examples of supporting evidence.
 For the two remaining choices, students will give a reason those documents are as
important, in order to refute their claim.
 Explain, how the claim and evidence are formatted into a paragraph and read the example
(which should be based on a document they would not choose).
o Be sure to focus on the importance of transition words.
 Lastly, students will create their own short argumentative paragraphs defending their
claim by using their chart as a guide.
Catarina Kennedy and Audrey Ebbrecht
TAH Unit
November 2013
Instructional Activities: (What students do)
Day One
 Students will discuss important founding documents of the US.
 Students will read and comprehend summaries of twenty founding US documents
provided by the National Archives.
 Students will evaluate each and identify ten that they think are most important.
Day Two
 Students will discuss and question how bias and opinion can play a role in creating
claims.
 Using flash cards, students in small groups will narrow their list of founding documents
down to a single document. Students should be arguing and debating during this process.
Day Three
 Students will create claims statements about the document they think is most important.
 Students will support claims with evidence and acknowledge refuting evidence.
 Students will write short argumentative essays defending their claims.
Suggested Timeline:
 3 (45 minute) class periods
 Complete activity as an introduction to Declaration of Independence and US
Constitution.
Unit Resources:
 PowerPoint: America’s Founding Documents (attached)
o PowerPoint shows a picture of the 20 documents and each step for creating a
claim to guide students
 American’s Founding Document Flash Cards:
o Created from PPT
 “America’s Historical Documents” http://www.archives.gov/historical-docs/
o National Archives choice of 20 founding US documents. Includes pictures and
summaries of each.
 “The Charters of Freedom—A New World is at Hand”
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/charters_of_freedom_1.html#
o Resource provided by the National Archives to lend even more detail about some
of the selected documents.
 Seen Art? (by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith)
o Picture book about a child who is looking for his friend named Art and people
keep sending him to different places in a museum to find “art.”
 We the Kids (by David Catrow)
o Picture book illustrating the lines of the preamble to the US Constitution.
 Thesis—Proof Chart: http://www.readingquest.org/pdf/thesis_b.pdf
Catarina Kennedy and Audrey Ebbrecht
TAH Unit
November 2013
o Website provides materials and strategies for teaching reading/writing in social
studies.
Assessment Descriptions:
 Teacher will confer with students during activities to check for understanding.
 Argumentative essays will be graded according to a scoring guide (attached).
o Focus: Thesis/Claim, Ideas/Organization, Conventions, and Evidence.
Catarina Kennedy and Audrey Ebbrecht