Principles of the Declaration Teacher Resources
Find Principles of the Declaration lesson plans and worksheets
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National Endowment for the Humanities
The Argument of the Declaration of Independence
When in the course of a course on historic American events, it becomes necessary for learners to examine, with decent respect, the Declaration of Independence, it becomes evident that there are six separate and equal parts of that...
Teaching American History
Interpretation of the Declaration of Independence
Ready to interpret the Declaration of Independence and understand its meaning? The resource divides scholars into pairs, where they work as a team to match translations with excerpts from the declaration. The class then engages in...
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
Investigating the Declaration of Independence
Teach your class about the Declaration of Independence while giving them practice working as a team. The resource breaks participants into groups and has them answer questions about specific grievances from the Declaration of...
Bill of Rights Institute
The Declaration of Independence
Take classes on an in-depth tour of the Declaration of Independence. An informative resource effectively scaffolds learning by providing warm-up and wrap-up activities. It also includes a variety of handouts for individuals to complete,...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Lesson 2: Religion and the Argument for American Independence
Young scholars examine how religion affected arguments justifying American independence. They read and analyze primary source documents, and write an essay analyzing how Americans used religious arguments to justify revolution against a...
Curated OER
US Constitution
Think about the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence with your budding historians. They analyze the importance of historical documents by examining several famous documents, and then they complete activities that check...
What So Proudly We Hail
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: A Lesson on the Declaration of Independence
What does it mean to say that a right is unalienable? How did the founding fathers convey this revolutionary concept in the Declaration of Independence? Engage in a close reading and analysis of the Declaration of Independence, and...
Curated OER
Examining the Declaration of Independence
Students examine the Declaration of Independence and its significance to American history. They read the document, identify America's grievances with Great Britain, and restate a part of the document in their own words.
Bill of Rights Institute
Constitutional Principles: Consent of the Governed
A government of the people, by the people, and for the people! Invite your class to really analyze the concept of consent of the governed and why it is one of the foundational principles of the United States Constitution and of...
Carolina K-12
Constitutional Period Parade
What a unique and creative way for class members to summarize what they have learned about the United States Constitution! Here you will find project guidelines for learners to work independently on designing a float to represent a topic...
Curated OER
The Decleration of Independence
Eighth graders read through, interpret and discuss the Declaration of Independence. They review the 4 main parts of it and add notes to their graphic organizers. They also read about and discuss the writers of the Declaration and...
Curated OER
Limited Government: Declaration of Independence
Students study the limited government within the Declaration of Independence. They discuss the characteristics of a limited government in contrast to a despotic government. They identify principles of the limited government within the...
Curated OER
Declaration of Independence and Acts of Courage
Students examine the trait of courage. In this Declaration of Independence lesson plan, students discuss what it means to be courageous and identify the courageous acts the signers of the Declaration showed. Students research the...
Curated OER
Documents of Natural Rights: The Declaration of Independence and The Plan of Delano
Eighth graders analyze the philosophy of government in the Declaration of Independence. As a class, they discuss how this philosophy has caused other revolutions in history and how well it supports our natural rights. In groups, they...
Curated OER
Declaring Freedom
Ninth graders study the sections of the Declaration of Independence. In this American Government lesson, 9th graders participate in a weekly discussion board. Students create a multimedia project to demonstrate their applied...
Curated OER
Manifest Destiny
Complete with maps, photographs, and historical documents, this presentation would be a great resource throughout a unit about mid-19th century America. Manifest Destiny, Texas Independence, the Oregon Trail, and the Mexican War are...
Curated OER
A More Perfect Union
Fourth graders complete a unit of lessons on the development of the U.S. government. They examine the main ideas of the Declaration of Independence, develop a class translation of the preamble to the Constitution, create a flow chart,...
Curated OER
Expansion and Reform: Applying the Declaration of Independence
Students conduct inquiries and research-acquiring, organizing, analyzing, interpreting, evaluating, and communicating facts, themes, and general principles operating in American history. They use the Declaration of Independence to...
Curated OER
The Declaration of Independence
Students explore the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. They research a philosopher using reference books and reliable
Internet sources and write a two-page paper utilizing proper writing conventions. In addition, they...
Shmoop
ELA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.9
Guided by close-reading questions, groups examine the similarities and differences between the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. In addition, they look at how the principles are presented in these two foundational US...
Curated OER
Lesson for Core Concept #7: Differing Expectations
Learners investigate how American colonists felt they would be impacted by conflict with the British. In this colonial America lesson, students examine the Declaration of Independence, papers from the Committees of Correspondence, and...
Curated OER
Our National Documents
Students explore the significance of National Documents. In this National Documents lesson, students read handouts regarding the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and Bill of Rights. Students complete the provided...
Curated OER
Influences of the Enlightenment on the American Declaration of Independence
Eighth graders participate in a lesson that focuses on the study of the Declaration of Independence. The freedoms outlined in the document are discussed. Students make connections between philosophy and the writing of the Declaration.
Curated OER
Jefferson's Declaration
Fifth graders understand the people and events associated with the
drafting and signing of the Declaration of Independence and the document's significance. They identify the Founding Fathers and
their affiliations. As the lesson...