In this lesson, students will explore and better understand the role that books and, more specifically, reading played in the writing of the Declaration of Independence. Through a series of activities, students will explore how the things that people pay attention to—the books they read, the ideas they think about—affect their written expression. This exploration will lead students to be able to explain the reciprocal relationship that reading has to the act of meaningful writing. By engaging in this lesson, students will be positioned to cognitively empathize with the Declaration’s writers while maintaining a critical lens as they consider their own perspectives and the perspectives of the Declaration’s writers.

• How can approaching literature like traveling help us understand how people in different historical periods interpreted, responded, and wrote about their societies?
• What skills do readers need to develop to travel to an author’s world and understand the author’s point of view rather than judge the author’s work by contemporary standards?
• What does it mean to read with historical empathy while maintaining analytical rigor?

• Analyze the perspectives of the writers of the Declaration of Independence. understanding how their historical context influenced their writing.
• Identify themes from two texts: the Declaration of Independence and excerpts from “A Founding Father’s Library.”
• Make connections between the values identified in two texts and the values they observe in modern life.
• Construct arguments about the relationship between reading and writing, using evidence from relevant literature and historical texts.

• NAR‑4.B: Identify and explain the function of point of view in a narrative.
• NAR‑4.C: Identify and describe details, diction, or syntax in a text that reveal a narrator’s or speakers’ perspective.
• FIG-5B: Explain the function of specific words and phrases in a text.
• LAN‑7.C: Develop commentary that establishes and explains relationships among textual evidence, the line of reasoning, and the thesis.
• LAN‑7.D: Select and use relevant and sufficient evidence to both develop and support a line of reasoning.

• Sphere Education Initiatives: Core Principles of the Declaration of Independence
• Copies of the Declaration of Independence
• Copies of excerpts from “A Founding Father’s Library”
• Optional graphic organizer
• Excerpts Graphic Organizer (at the end of the lesson)

Post the following quotations on the board. Have students choose a quotation and write about it on a physical or digital document.

• “Books permit us to voyage through time, to tap the wisdom of our ancestors.” — Carl Sagan
• “Books help to form us. If you cut me open, you will find volume after volume, page after page, the contents of every one I have ever read.… I am the unique sum of the books I have read. I am my literary DNA.” — Susan Hill
• “To know a man’s library is, in some measure, to know a man’s mind.” — Geraldine Brooks
• “A capacity, and taste, for reading, gives access to whatever has already been discovered by others. It is the key, or one of the keys, to the already solved problems.” — Abraham Lincoln

After students have had a chance to write for 5–10 minutes, ask them to share their thoughts with a partner.

As you transition to the learning activities, ask students the following questions. Have them share their thoughts with a partner, or ask a few students to share their thinking with the whole group.

• What connections do you see between these quotations?
• What do these quotations say about the value of reading?
• Which quotation resonates most with you as a reader or writer? Why?

Explain the goal of today’s lesson to students. Share with them the idea that reading and writing are intertwined—so much so that who we are as readers greatly influences the ways we think of and write about the world we inhabit. Why? Because when we read—particularly when we read deeply—we pay attention to particular ideas and thoughts. As William James said, “My experience is what I agree to attend to. Only those items which I notice shape my mind.…”

Tell students to keep the William James quotation in mind (you might write or project it onto the board to encourage this) as they read the Declaration of Independence. Then hand out physical copies of the Declaration and ask students to individually read and annotate the text. Specifically, students should pay attention to particular words, phrases, or passages that stand out to them.

After students have read and annotated the text, give them the following prompt.

Prompt:
Choose a passage (1–2 sentences in length) that stands out to you. Write an explanation of what it is about this passage that intrigues you. You might choose to discuss the word choice, figurative language, or way an idea or thought is written. You might also choose to discuss the way this passage connects to your own experiences or thinking. Be ready to share your work with a partner.

To scaffold this activity for learners, you may use the following optional graphic organizer.

When all students have finished writing their passages and explanations, divide them into small groups of 3 or 4. Group members should share their work with their small group. After every person has had a chance to share, each group should discuss the following questions:

• Did any of your group members choose the same passage? If so, why do you think you and the other person/​people paid attention to it? If not, why do you think everyone in your group chose a different passage to write about?
• What are some themes that emerged from the passages your group members chose? Why do you think those themes emerged?
• Thinking about the passages your group chose and the themes that emerged, what values and beliefs seem important to your group, as a whole? How is this different from or similar to the values and beliefs of the individuals in your group?

Debrief with students and ask them what they learned about the similarities and differences of their group members. Help students see how their own experiences, learning, and reading affect the ways they read, interpret, and explain a text. The next activity will ask them to take those insights and apply them to the Founders.

Explain to students that the authors and many of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were extremely literate, valued reading, and read widely. To emphasize this point, you might share the following daily schedule of study that Jefferson suggested in a letter to his friend who aspired to be a lawyer.

Tell students that just as their experiences and what they’ve read played a role in how they interpreted the Declaration—the passages they chose and their written explanation of why they chose those passages—the Founders’ experiences and readings likewise played a role in writing the Declaration. Then revisit the quotation by William James: “My experience is what I agree to attend to. Only those items which I notice shape my mind.…” Explain that in the next activity they will consider how the things that the Founders attended to (what they read and thought about) shaped not just their minds, but also the mind of America.

Before you begin, prepare copies of the Founding Father’s Library excerpts, which you will find at the end of this lesson. Divide students into groups of 3 or 4. Give each group 1 of the excerpts from ”A Founding Father’s Library.” As seen in the link, historian Forrest McDonald wrote this essay in 1978.

Students should grapple with the language in the excerpt and take the initiative to look up the books cited in their excerpt for deeper understanding. The following list presents brief summaries about each excerpt for teacher use:

• Excerpt 1: The Founders valued reading about history and its practical implications. This type of reading highlighted history’s lessons on civics, government, and moral character for later generations.
• Excerpt 2: Literate, well‐​educated people in the 18th century read classical texts about the ancient world. This subject was popular in all of educated society and found in public libraries, not just among the collections of the Founders.
• Excerpt 3: A popular subject of study was English history, particularly that of the Ango‐​Saxons. These texts conveyed ideas that would have appealed to some colonists’ sense of ancestry and allowed readers to understand more about the history of English governance.
• Excerpt 4: The Founders were not only interested in history but also in scientific works by well‐​known scientists such as Sir Isaac Newton. Although science was not studied as seriously as other subjects, many well‐​known Americans (including some of the Founders) were clearly interested in its progress.
• Excerpt 5: Many people were very interested in international law, particularly after the moment when America declared itself a nation. Of particular note is the idea of “natural law” by authors who were pioneers in their field—such as Hugo Grotius, who wrote The Rights of War and Peace.
• Excerpt 6: Learned people, such as the Founders, were expected to know about figures such as Plato and Aristotle, although they usually were cited only for show, and there were disagreements about how useful their ideas were. Most of the authors that the Founders relied upon were from the 17th and 18th centuries—particularly John Locke and his Second Treatise on Civil Government.

Have students read their excerpt with their group. While they are reading, students should identify 2 pieces of information.

• According to your excerpt, what books and subjects did the Founders read?
• Why do you think these books and subjects were read? Explain your thoughts by using what you know about this period and what is said or implied in the passage.

Hand out the following Excerpts Graphic Organizer. Every student should have a copy of the table and write their group’s responses to their excerpt.

Ensure that the students in each group are well‐​versed in their group’s response and have written it in their graphic organizer. Then re‐​form the groups so that each group is made up of students who represent each excerpt.

In their new groups, each student will share their group’s conclusions about their excerpt with other people in their group. By the end of this step, all students should have a completely filled‐​in graphic organizer.

Debrief about the previous activity by asking students to share out themes they have noticed about what the Founders were “paying attention” to as they worked on writing the Declaration of Independence. Write these themes on the board.

Some themes that might emerge are as follows:

• Valued the reading of history and historical context as a source of wisdom
• Valued reading for practical experience more than for theory or philosophy
• Greatly influenced by reading ancient or classical literature
• Affected by reading about historical struggles for liberty and independence
• Influenced by reading about international and natural law
• Interested in reading about scientific progress
• Not afraid to critique or express skepticism against certain philosophical ideals

Have students revisit their copy of the Declaration of Independence. Then divide students into pairs or small groups and ask them to choose 2 themes on the board. Tell them they are going to reread the Declaration of Independence in light of their chosen themes. Then students in each pair/​group should discuss the following questions about each theme:

• How is this theme reflected or expressed in the Declaration of Independence?
• What specific words or passages reveal this theme?
• How does knowing more about how reading affected the writers of the Declaration affect your own understanding of the text? How is your understanding similar to or different from your understanding at the beginning of the lesson (from your 1st reading of the Declaration)?

After pairs/​groups have had a chance to discuss, facilitate a whole‐​group discussion about the different themes and how the perspectives of the writers of the Declaration contribute to a more meaningful understanding of the document.

Give students the following essay prompt and ask them to write their response on a physical or digital document. *Note: This essay will be a way for you to assess their ability to both cognitively empathize and critically analyze through writing.

Essay Prompt:
Reflect on the quote by William James: “My experience is what I agree to attend to. Only those items which I notice shape my mind.” Consider how the backgrounds and experiences of the writers of the Declaration of Independence influenced the content and meaning of this foundational document.

• Instructions
  • Write a well‐​organized essay in response to the prompt, using either a physical or digital document.
  • Your essay should demonstrate your ability to engage in cognitive empathy and critical analysis regarding the perspectives of the writers and the historical context of the Declaration of Independence.
• Considerations
  • Think about how the writers’ personal histories and societal influences shaped their ideas
  • Analyze specific language and passages from the Declaration to uncover the writers’ intentions and beliefs.
  • Reflect on your own experiences and how they inform your understanding of the document.

In closing, ask students to reflect on how understanding the influences on the Declaration’s writers can deepen their appreciation for both their own literary experiences and historical texts. If there is time, allow a few students to share their thoughts with the class.