To critically analyze a historical text like the Declaration of Independence, students first need to build background knowledge. This lesson provides historical context through video, class notes, individual investigations, and team collaboration.
To critically analyze a historical text like the Declaration of Independence, students first need to build background knowledge. This lesson provides historical context through video, class notes, individual investigations, and team collaboration.
Class PowerPoint: Examining the Declaration of Independence
Video Opener: “What Is the Declaration of Independence?”
Website: National Archives, The Declaration of Independence
Butcher paper for concept map
Open class with the following quotation and prompt written on the board. Have students respond to the prompt on a sheet of notebook paper or in their journals.
Quick write: “We hold these truths to be self‐evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” What does the quotation mean to you? What stands out? What elements of this quotation are new to you?
Timed pair‐share: Ask students to share what they wrote with a partner. Then bring the class back together and ask follow‐up questions:
Say:
What did you hear your partner say? What were similar ideas or questions you shared?
Video explainer:
Say:
We’re going to start building background knowledge with a video. As you watch, pay attention to how the document was written, its purpose, and its authors. Please record your thinking in your notebook.
Share out/class notes: Invite one or two students to share what they learned from the video, then jump into class notes outlining the who, what, where, and why of the document (see slides).
Say:
Now that you’ve had a bit of guided practice with building background knowledge, it’s your turn to investigate and share your findings in teams. We will use the National Archives links for our investigation.
Team investigation: What does it say? How did it happen? How was it made?
Read to students the following instructions:
Using the National Archives links, you will investigate these questions in teams. First, decide who will research which question. As you review the content on the appropriate page, record sketch notes in your notebook. You will be responsible for sharing what you learned about your question when the team reconvenes. NOTE: This investigation can be modified to meet student needs. You can assign all three questions to students, then have them reconvene, or you can jigsaw the activity by assigning one question to each student. Note that the last question has less material than the others, so you will want to be mindful of how you assign the questions.
Ask students to reflect on and discuss the questions below. Then invite them to record their thoughts on butcher paper. As you move around the room listening to the discussions, be sure the following questions are displayed on the board:
What was the purpose of the document, and who was its intended audience?
How is the document broken down?
Who wrote the document, and how does it relate to the Revolutionary War itself?
Who signed it, and what did it come to represent?
Ask students to reflect on the activity with the following questions:
Reflect: What makes this document important? Why should we examine it today?
Parking lot: Invite students to record questions on sticky notes for tomorrow. What questions do we still have about the historical context for the document?
