Teaching American History for All
Mt. Diablo Unified/UC Berkeley History Social Science Project
8th grade lesson: Creating a Nation – The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution
Developed by: Danae Tywoniak and Kathy Collins
Teaching American History Grant Focus Question:
How did the problems with the Articles of Confederation force the early American leaders to
write the US Constitution, and what issues between the states ensured the protection of
individual rights?
8th Grade Yearlong Question:
How did Americans change from being colonial subjects to American citizens?
Unit Focus:
UNIT 2: Our Colonial Heritage
CH 2: The American Revolution
Unit Focus Question:
How did early Americans create a strong effective government that balanced national needs
with the demand for individual rights?
Unit Working Thesis:
The weakness of the national government created under the Articles of Confederation led some
Americans to believe that it failed to protect the ideas of liberty that were outlined in the
Declaration of Independence. The Constitution, on the other hand, provides a framework for
governing the United States and the Bill of Rights guarantee basic rights of all citizens.
Lesson Focus Question:
How did the Declaration of Independence justify the colonists from breaking away from
England?
How did the Declaration of Independence provide
How did Thomas Jefferson state in the Declaration of Independence that the colonies
had the right to break away from King George III?
Lesson Working Thesis:
In the Declaration of Independence, the American colonists justified breaking away from
England by declaring that all men are granted certain rights and that the people have the right
and duty to overthrow the government and change the system if the government violates their
rights.
Reading Strategies:
1. Deconstructing sentences
2. Keep It or Junk It
3. Identifying historical concepts and key words from a body of reading
Writing Strategies:
1. Basic Paragraph Outline- no sentence starters
2. Summative paragraph
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Suggested Amount of Time:
Two (50 minute) class periods.
Textbook:
United States History Independence to 1944. Orlando, Florida: Holt, Rinehart and Winston Publishers,
2006, Unit 2, Chapter 2, Lesson 2, pages 84, 86-87
Context of the Lesson:
The students will build up to the summarizing paragraph with each reading and writing strategy that
they complete during the two day lesson. It is important that the students use the completed Sentence
Deconstruction activity and the categorized information from the Keep It or Junk It activity when
framing their writing outline.
Teacher Procedure:
1. Reading Strategy #1: “Declaration of Independence” excerpt and Sentence Deconstruction
Chart
 Pass out “Declaration of Independence” excerpt
 Pass out Sentence Deconstruction Chart
 Read the text: Teacher guided choral reading.
 Teacher completes sentence deconstruction chart with students (Teacher can clarify the chart
headings, discuss implied subjects, vocabulary definitions, etc).
 When chart is complete, teacher guides students to look at the verbs to answer the question at
the bottom of the worksheet.
2. Reading Strategy #2: “Declaration of Independence” text and Keep It or Junk It chart
 Teacher assigns four students per group
 Pass out “Declaration of Independence” reading
 Students read the text individually while in groups
 While reading, students circle important terms, people and concepts in the reading
 Teacher introduces chart to students and assigns students the task of listing the circled words on
the chart
 Students fill in their charts with their groups members
 In their group, students then categorize their words while looking for common themes
 Students identify two possible headings for each paragraph in the “Declaration of
Independence” reading
 Each group may send one representative around to other groups to share categories and
headings
 One representative from each group presents the headings to the class
 Students write their final headings on the blank line on the “Declaration of Independence”
worksheet
3. Writing Strategy #1: Writing Prompt Outline
 Pass out the “Declaration of Independence” paragraph outline
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
Students may use their notes from the “Declaration of Independence” reading and Keep It or
Junk It activity to construct their paragraph outline
4. Writing Strategy #2: Declaration of Independence Writing Prompt
 Instruct students to take out prior work: Sentence Deconstruction Chart, Declaration of
Independence reading, Keep It or Junk It Chart, and Paragraph Outline.
 Pass out writing prompt assignment
 Teacher scaffolds writing assignment to show students how they will write the essay by using
all the work they have already completed. Teacher explains how the paragraphs will be
organized by utilizing prior work.
Historical and Social Science Content Standards:
8.1.2 Students will analyze the philosophy of government expressed in the Declaration
of Independence, with an emphasis on government as a means of securing individual
rights (e.g. key phrases such as “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by
their Creator with certain unalienable Rights”).
Historical and Social Sciences Analytical Skills:
Research, Evidence, and Point of View
 Students distinguish relevant from irrelevant information, essential from
incidental information, and verifiable from unverifiable information in
historical narratives and stories.
 Students assess the credibility of primary and secondary sources and draw
sound conclusions from them.
 Students detect the different historical points of view on historical events and
determine the context in which the historical statements were made (the
questions asked, sources used, author's perspectives).
Historical Interpretation
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

Students explain the central issues and problems from the past, placing people
and events in a matrix of time and place.
Students understand and distinguish cause, effect, sequence, and correlation in
historical events, including the long-and short-term causal relations.
Students explain the sources of historical continuity and how the combination of
ideas and events explains the emergence of new patterns.
Common Core English Language Arts Standards:
Reading Informational Text – Grade 8
Key Ideas and Details
1.Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
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.
3. Identify key steps in a text’s description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g.,
how a bill becomes law)
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Writing – Grade 8
Text Types and Purposes
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and
information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
a. Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts,
and information, using strategies such as definition, classification,
comparison/contrast, and cause/effect; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics
(e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or
other information and examples.
c. Use appropriate transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among
ideas and concepts.
d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the
topic.
e. Establish and maintain a formal style.
f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the
information or explanation presented.
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Reading Strategy #1
NAME_______________________________________________
Instructions: Read the following excerpt and circle the verbs/verb phrases. Read
the comprehension question, but do not write your answer yet.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed
buy their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the
pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men,
deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of
Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to
abolish it, and to institute new Government,…
From the Declaration of Independence, 1776
Question: How did the Declaration of Independence justify the colonists from breaking away from England?
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Reading Strategy #2
NAME_______________________________________________
The Declaration of Independence
Directions: Read the passage below and highlight key words related to the focus
question.
Heading:____________________________________________________
In 1776 a committee was created to write a document declaring the colonies’
independence. The committee members were John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas
Jefferson, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman. Jefferson was the document’s
main author.
The Declaration of Independence formally announced the colonies’ break from Great
Britain. In doing so, it expressed three main ideas. The first idea Jefferson argued was
that all men possess unalienable rights. He stated that these basic rights include “life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”.
Heading:_____________________________________________________
Jefferson’s next argument was that King George III had violated the colonists’ rights by
passing unfair laws and interfering with colonial governments. Jefferson accused the
king of taxing colonists without their consent and he felt that the large British army in
the colonies violated colonists’ rights.
Third, Jefferson argued that the colonies had the right to break from Britain. He was
influenced by the Enlightenment idea of the social contract, which states that
governments and rulers must protect the rights of citizens. In exchange, the people agree
to be governed. Jefferson said that because King George III had broken the social
contract, the colonists should no longer obey him.
Text: Holt, Rinehart & Winston United States History – Independence to 1914.
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Reading Strategy #2
NAME_______________________________________________
Keep or Junk It
Directions: List the identified key words in the chart below. Using your list, create
headings that apply to the reading.
Part 2
Part 1
List key words
Create two possible
headings for each
paragraph
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Reading Strategy #2
TEACHER KEY
Keep or Junk It
Directions: List the identified key words in the chart below. Using your list, create
headings that apply to the reading.
Part 2
Part 1
List key words
Create two possible headings
for each paragraph
independence
document
Declaration of Independence
Liberty
Life
Pursuit of happiness
Basic rights
ideas
unalienable
argued
Jefferson
break
author
colonies
 Reasons for Breaking Away
argument
King George III
Enlightenment
Violated rights
argument
Basic rights
Citizens
Unfair laws
Basic human rights
taxation
British Army
Social contract
No longer obey
 Violation of Colonists Rights
 Philosophy of Government
 Enlightenment Ideas
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Writing Strategy #1
NAME_______________________________________________
Declaration of Independence
PARAGRAPH FRAME/OUTLINE
How did Thomas Jefferson state in the Declaration of Independence that the colonies had the
right to break away from King George III?
Thesis Statement:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Evidence:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Spec. Evidence:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Evidence:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Spec. Evidence:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Analysis:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Concluding statement:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
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Writing Strategy #2
NAME_______________________________________________
Declaration of Independence
Writing Prompt
Background: In 1776, after fighting with Great Britain for more than a year, a
committee was created to formally draft a document announcing that the colonies were
seeking to form their own independent government. Thomas Jefferson wrote the
document and used as his arguments the fact that men had basic human rights, King
George had violated these rights, and that as a result, the colonists could separate from
Great Britain.
Question:
 How did Thomas Jefferson state in the Declaration of Independence that the
colonies had the right to break away from King George III?
Expectations:
 In a multi paragraph essay, respond to the question. Analyze the reasons given in
the Declaration of Independence, making sure to address the sources from which
these reasons were taken. Include a thesis statement, supporting evidence and a
conclusion.
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Writing Strategy #2
NAME_______________________________________________
TEACHER KEY
Declaration of Independence
Writing Prompt
Question: How did Thomas Jefferson state in the Declaration of Independence that the
colonies had the right to break away from King George III?
Thesis: In the Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson asserts that men have
unalienable rights and because King George III had violated these rights, the colonists
had the right to separate from Great Britain and form their own government.
Main Points:







Natural Law
Human Rights
Unfair Laws
Taxation
British Army in the colonies
Broken social contract
Enlightenment ideas
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