Student Declaration of Independence

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Want to get your students excited about the declaration of independence? Have them write their own!

This lesson breaks the original declaration into 4 four parts that are easy for students to recreate. They'll get an opportunity to express themselves and their complaints about whatever "oppressive" institution they choose.

This lesson contains a detailed description of how you ought to spend your time over the 2 hour lesson (step by step "script"), a model for summarizing the 4 sections of the Declaration, a blank copy for the students to fill out, an outline for planning their student declaration, a model student declaration, and a copy of the text of the declaration of independence.

When I taught this lesson, the kids had fun reading their declarations to the class in their best "Declaration Writer" voices. The lesson took all of a two hour block I had planned, & I used a little time the next period to allow them to "polish" their declaration posters.


LEARNING TARGETS:
• Students will know that the Declaration of Independence has three main parts: A preamble identifying rights of the people and responsibilities of the government, a list of grievances, and a formal declaration of independence from the authoritative body.
• Students will understand that the ideals set forth by the Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are still alive within contemporary American government.
• Students will demonstrate interpersonal and small-group skills by working cooperatively on the creation of their own Declaration of Independence.