Grade 9-10 What was Most "Revolutionary" About the Declaration of Independence?
This lesson will use a close reading of the Declaration of Independence to explore the American colonists' reasons for separating from Great Britain. By the conclusion of the lesson, student will understand the role of the Declaration in encouraging support for American Independence, and in laying the groundwork for a new system of government and individual rights.
http://consource.org/static/lesson-plans/9-10_Declaration_of_Independence.pdf
Grade 6 "When in the Course of Human Events:" Introducing the Declaration of Independence
This lesson will use a close reading of the Declaration of Independence to explore the American colonists' reasons for separating from Great Britain. By the conclusion of this lesson, students should be able to identify the specific arguments made for Independence. Students will assess the objectives of the Declaration and identify if and how the drafters may have fallen short of some of their stated goals.
Grades 6
http://consource.org/static/lesson-plans/6_Declaration_of_Independence.pdf
The Declaration of Independence: Created Equal
This lesson focuses on a few key concepts of the Declaration of Independence, beginning with the phrase "All men are created equal." Students gain an appreciation of Thomas Jefferson's efforts to deal with the complex issues of equality and slavery in the Declaration of Independence.
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/lessons/equal/
Founding Documents: The Meaning of the Declaration of Independence.
On June 8, 1776, the Continental Congress voted to write a declaration of independence. It named a committee to do the writing. One of its members was Thomas Jefferson, a lawyer from Virginia. He had been a leader in Virginia, and Virginia had elected him to the Continental Congress. The others on the committee were too busy with the revolution to work on the declaration, so Jefferson wrote it alone.
http://www.crfcelebrateamerica.org/index.php/holidays/4th-of-july/62-documents
Independence Day Lesson Plans & Resources
On July 4 each year, the United States celebrates Independence Day. This day commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, in which citizens of the thirteen American colonies announced their break from the British Empire and their intention to form a new nation: the United States of America. This Share My Lesson collection provides educators with free preK-12 lesson plans, activities, and materials to use to teach their students about Independence Day.
Grades K-12
https://sharemylesson.com/collections/independence-day-july-4-lessons-and-activities
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: A Lesson on the Declaration of Independence
With this teacher-created lesson plan, students will be able to: understand the meaning and central ideas of the Declaration of Independence; cite textual evidence to analyze this primary source; and analyze the structure of the document. Common Core-aligned.
Grades 11, 12
http://www.whatsoproudlywehail.org/life-liberty-and-the-pursuit-of-happiness-a-lesson-on-the-declaration-of-independence
"An Expression of the American Mind": Understanding the Declaration of Independence
The major ideas in the Declaration of Independence, their origins, the Americans' key grievances against the King and Parliament, their assertion of sovereignty, and the Declaration's process of revision. This lesson will focus on the views of Americans as expressed in primary documents from their own time and in their own words.
http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/declaration-independence-expression-american-mind
The Argument of the Declaration of Independence
In this lesson, students attempt to formulate their own declarations before examining the Declaration of Independence. Through a close reading of the document, they come to an understanding of how its structure forms a coherent, lucid, and powerful argument for independence.
http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/argument-declaration-independence#sect-background
The Road to Independence
This resource provides students with an English language video and associated student friendly readings (in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole), as well as reading and video guides and self assessment tools. Using these, students will explore the road to independence and key events along the path to the Declaration of Independence!
Free registration is required to use the resource.
ESL Appropriate
http://civics360.org/modules/B1Cv90FIl
The Meaning of Independence Day
What is the legacy of the Declaration of Independence and its self-evident truths of equal and unalienable rights? Our ebook, "The Meaning of Independence Day," explores the ideas behind the American Founding and their significance for our present personal freedoms and national flourishing. Each selection includes a brief introduction by the editors with guiding questions for discussion. Includes readings by Thomas Paine, Samuel Adams, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Frederick Douglass, and more.
http://www.whatsoproudlywehail.org/curriculum/the-american-calendar/the-meaning-of-independence-day-2