Lesson Planet
Search educational resources
  • Sign In Try It Free
  • AI Teacher Tools
    • Discover Resources Search reviewed educational resources by keyword, subject, grade, type, and more
    • Curriculum Manager (My Content) Manage saved and uploaded resources and folders To Access the Curriculum Manager Sign In or Join Now
    • Browse Resource Directory Browse educational resources by subject and topic
    • Curriculum Calendar Explore curriculum resources by date
    • Lesson Planning Articles Timely and inspiring teaching ideas that you can apply in your classroom
    • Our Story
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Testimonials
    • Contact Us
  • Pricing
  • School Access
    • Your school or district can sign up for Lesson Planet — with no cost to teachers
      Learn More
  • Sign In
  • Try It Free

Hi, what do you want to do?

Create a lesson plan
Create a lesson plan
Generate resources with 80+ AI teacher tools
Generate resources with 80+ AI teacher tools
Search 200,000 instructional videos
Search 200,000 instructional videos
Find a teaching resource
Find a teaching resource
Declaration of Independence Lesson PlanDeclaration of Independence Lesson Plan
Publisher
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
Resource Details
Curator Rating
Educator Rating
Not yet Rated
Grade
6th - 8th
Subjects
Social Studies & History
4 more...
Resource Type
Lesson Plans
Audience
For Teacher Use
Duration
1 hr 30 mins
Instructional Strategies
Collaborative Learning
1 more...
Technology
Video
Internet Access
Usage Permissions
Creative Commons
BY-SA: 3.0
cc
Lesson Plan

Declaration of Independence

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet
This Declaration of Independence lesson plan also includes:
  • The Declaration Committee (lithograph)
  • The Boston Massacre (engraving)
  • Give Me liberty, or Give Me Death!” (lithograph)
  • The Repeal, or the Funeral of Miss Ame - Stamp
  • Rough Draft of the Declaration of Independence
  • The Declaration of Independence
  • Too Late to Apologize: A Declaration
  • The Declaration of Independence
  • Student Worksheets
  • Join to access all included materials

Give budding historians a guided exploration of the Declaration of Independence, historic photos, videos, and more as they deepen their understanding of the American Revolution and the attitude of the colonists leading up to the war.

155 Views 152 Downloads
CCSS: Adaptable

Concepts

the declaration of independence, colonies, constitutional law, primary sources

Additional Tags

social studies

Instructional Ideas

  • The approach to looking at the Declaration of Independence through drafts to see how it changed can also be applied to the Constitution
  • Could be expanded by also looking at Jefferson's Instructions to Virginia's delegates to the First Continental Congress

Classroom Considerations

  • Ensure historians have Internet connection if you assign it as homework

Pros

  • Well-organized
  • Variety of primary sources involved (photo, video, text), all of which are provided in the lesson

Cons

  • None

Common Core

RH.6-8.1 RH.6-8.2 RH.6-8.7

See similar resources:

Lesson Plan

Declaration of Independence

Stanford University
Scholars work in pairs to decide whether leaders wrote the Declaration of Independence for the rich and powerful or for every man. To draw their conclusion, pairs read excerpts from two historians and complete a graphic organizer...
6th - 8th English Language Arts
CCSS: Adaptable
Lesson Plan

Declarations and the Quest for Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness

West Virginia Department of Education
Understanding how John Brown got his inspiration from the Declaration of Independence helps learners further understand both West Virginia and United States history. The resource, a standalone, uses worksheets, discussion, and essay...
6th - 12th Social Studies & History
CCSS: Adaptable
Lesson Plan

The Declaration of Independence

Constitutional Rights Foundation
Your class can write a PSA about the Declaration of Independence! They write public service announcements and present them to the class. They also engage in reading and discussion activities to further understand a challenging—yet...
8th - 10th English Language Arts
CCSS: Adaptable
Lesson Plan

The Declaration of Independence

Bill of Rights Institute
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,...
8th - 10th English Language Arts
CCSS: Adaptable
Activity

Picturing the War in the Pacific Photos, Datelines and Captions

National WWII Museum
Young historians have the opportunity to see photos from the war in the Pacific and learn more about what each photo represents. Scholars use their knowledge of WWII to match dates and descriptions to real-life photos from the war. The...
7th - 12th Social Studies & History
Lesson Plan

US Constitution

Curated OER
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...
7th - 11th Social Studies & History
Lesson Plan

The Declaration of Independence

Curated OER
Students examine the Declaration of Independence. For this colonial America lesson, students read literature regarding the document as well as excerpts of the document itself. Students also perform a Reader's Theatre script based on the...
2nd - 6th Social Studies & History
Lesson Plan

Teach This Poem: “Declaration” by Tracy K. Smith

Academy of American Poets
Tracy K. Smith's erasure poem "Declaration" challenges scholars to use their noticing skills to make connections between an engraving entitled "The Declaration of Independence" and Smith's poem. Class members record observations and...
6th - 12th English Language Arts
CCSS: Adaptable
Lesson Plan

Understanding the Declaration of Independence

Curated OER
Students identify and interpret the Declaration of Independence and the rights and privileges demanded in the document. They also identify how those rights and privileges have affected our history. Students then research about the...
6th - 8th Social Studies & History
Lesson Plan

1765 to the Declaration of Independence

Curated OER
Students research philanthropists of the American Revolution. In this philanthropy lesson, students watch the video Johnny Tremain and analyze the characters and determine their motives. Students read the Declaration of Independence...
6th - 8th Social Studies & History
Try It Free
© 1999-2026 Learning Explorer, Inc.
Teacher Lesson Plans, Worksheets and Resources

Sign up for the Lesson Planet Monthly Newsletter

Open Educational Resources (OER)

  • Health
  • Language Arts
  • Languages
  • Math
  • Physical Education
  • Science
  • Social Studies
  • Special Education
  • Visual and Performing Arts
View All Lesson Plans

Discover Resources

  • Our Review Process
  • How it Works
  • How to Search
  • Create a Collection

Manage Curriculum

  • Edit a Collection
  • Assign to Students
  • Manage My Content
Contact Us Site Map Privacy Policy Terms of Use