Author:
Kristin Robinson
Subject:
Education, English Language Arts, History
Material Type:
Lesson, Lesson Plan
Level:
High School
Tags:
  • CAST
  • Clusive
  • Lesson Plan Template
  • Lesson Plans & Materials
  • clusive
  • lesson-plans-materials
  • License:
    Creative Commons Attribution
    Language:
    English
    Media Formats:
    Downloadable docs, eBook, Text/HTML

    Clusive Lesson: Making the Declaration of Independence

    Clusive Lesson: Making the Declaration of Independence

    Overview

    What makes a revolution possible? Values, beliefs, grievances, and solutions formed a potent mixture that made the American Revolution happen. In this lesson, students use a variety of materials to learn about the making of the Declaration of Independence. The lesson culminates in students recreating the Declaration in their own words, or making their own personal declaration of independence.

    This Lesson Plan was created to use in conjunction with materials in Clusive [https://clusive.cast.org], a free, online learning environment that makes materials flexible and accessible. 

    Making the Declaration of Independence

    InformationName the lesson so that you and others can quickly find and use it.

    In preparation for this lesson,

    1. Assign specific Clusive texts to students:
      • Declaration of Independence

    Variability

    InformationConsider the barriers that you can reduce; provide choice and options for the materials that students may use, for example.

       

       

      About This Lesson

      Description    

      Information Briefly describe the lesson topic, what students will be doing in this lesson, and why.

      About this Lesson:

      Many people in the American Colonies felt that King George III was not a fair ruler. After the Boston Tea Party, negative feelings against the King and the English Parliament grew.  Eventually, colonists banded together and wrote the Declaration of Independence, declaring the American colonies free and independent from England.

      In this lesson, you will learn how the Declaration of Independence was written. You'll learn who the key people were who made the Declaration. And you will learn why these people took the risk to declare themselves independent from the greatest power in the world at the time.

      For a wrap-up activity, you will be able to choose to either

      • Rephrase the Declaration of Independence in your own words OR
      • Create a declaration of independence of your own that captures your values, complaints, and solutions.

      Prerequisites 

      Information In student friendly terms, describe the requirements that need to be in place for students to start this lesson.

      • familiarity with Clusive Settings and Vocabulary lookup
        • If students have not yet used Clusive, create and add your class to Clusive and ask students to sign in.
        • Have students do "Clues to Clusive" text activity as a way to learn the basic features of Clusive.

      Goals

      Clusive Goals:

      InformationClusive goals are skills and understanding that students will work toward to become more expert learners. Focus on one or two of these skills during a lesson to support learner growth.  

      •  Engagement: Students can identify a topic or theme that they want to explore further. 

      Instructional Goals:

      Information Instructional goals are the overall skills or understanding that students will work toward during a lesson. Unless a specific means (production type) is the instructional goal (i.e., writing), instructional goals should be unrestricted by the means students use to achieve the goal.

      By the end of the lesson, students will be able to

      • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.2
        Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
      • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.7
        Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.

      Learning Objectives:

      Information Create objectives that serve as concrete, specific, measurable steps that will lead students toward accomplishing the instructional goals and inform adjustments to instruction. Express the objectives in words that will be easy for your students to understand.

      • explain what the Declaration of Independence is;
      • explain why the Declaration of Independence was written;
      • describe who wrote the document;
      • connect ideas or values in the Declaration to something happening today.

      Estimated Time 

      Information Indicate the amount of time you think this lesson will take.

      • 3 class periods

       

      Description

      Many people in the American Colonies felt that King George III was not a fair ruler. After the Boston Tea Party, negative feelings against the King and the English Parliament grew.  Eventually, colonists banded together and wrote the Declaration of Independence, declaring the American colonies free and independent from England.

      In this lesson, you will learn what the Declaration of Independence is, and why it was written. You'll learn who the key people were who made the Declaration. And you will learn why these people took the risk to declare themselves independent from the greatest power in the world at the time.

      For a wrap-up activity, you will be able to choose to either

      • Rephrase the Declaration of Independence in your own words OR
      • Create a declaration of independence of your own that captures your values, complaints, and solutions.

      How much time this will take us:  

      3 class periods

      By the end of this lesson, you will be able to

      • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.2
        Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
      • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.7
        Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.

       

         

         

         

         

        Materials

        Variability

        Information In any class, there is wide variability in how students learn and express what they know. For this lesson, it is predictable that learners will come with varied levels of engagement, background knowledge, and skills. What are your thoughts on how this lesson can support this diversity as learners work through the lesson?

        • I will engage students by giving varied formats and activities to build background knowledge and understanding
        • I will provide choices for
          • display options in Clusive
          • Reading History.com page OR viewing PBS Video on the drafting of the Declaration

        Clusive text(s) Go to https://clusive.cast.org to find and assign texts

        Information List the specific texts you will use. Find texts in Clusive Public Library or upload your own content into Clusive to provide students with accessible, customizable, and adaptive materials.

          Clusive Version of The Declaration of Independence

           

          Clusive Feature or Tool Focus

          Information Identify the Clusive feature that you will encourage and support students to use.

          • preference settings
          • vocabulary lookup

           

            Other Materials and Supplies

            Information List any other materials and supplies you and your students will use in this lesson. With your lesson goals and objectives in mind, use media and materials that address the variability in your classroom.

            • Printouts of Declaration and History.com webpage

             

             

              Materials we will read, watch, and interact with in this lesson:

              • You will choose 2 of 3 resources (a reading, a video, or a timeline game)
              • We will all read the Clusive Declaration of Independence text.

              We focus on these Clusive tools/features:

              • preference settings
              • vocabulary lookup

              Other materials and supplies you can use:

              • Printouts are available of:
                • Declaration of Independence text
                • History.com website on Writing the Declaration of Independence 

              Building background knowledge

              Opening

              Information Encourage student motivation and persistence by helping learners relate the lesson to their own priorities and concerns. Think about varied and flexible ways to prompt students to relate the lesson to their real-life concerns and interests.   

              Watch as a group

              Tea, Taxes, and The American Revolution: Crash Course World History #28

              The Declaration of Independence was the first important document in our new nation. It set forth a set of beliefs that the colonists had.

              Some priming questions: 

              • What are some of the ideas you saw or heard in the video?
              • What are some beliefs that are important to you?
              • If you were creating a new country, what beliefs would you include?

               

              Priming activity:

              • Create a slogan for a new country that you are creating. A great slogan is short, but captures a key idea, goal, or wish.
              • Share your slogan with the class!
                • Here are a few examples of slogans to help your thinking
                  • (For a school): "A Building With Four Walls And Tomorrow Inside."
                  • (For a coffee shop): “America Runs on Dunkin.”
                  • (For cosmetics): “Maybe She's Born With It… Maybe It's Maybelline.”
                  • (For paper towels): “The Quicker Picker Upper.”

              Background overview:

              Watch

               

              Play Screen for Tea, Taxes, and American Revolution Video

              Tea, Taxes, and The American Revolution: Crash Course World History #28

               

              The Declaration of Independence was the first important document in our new nation. It presented the values, beliefs, complaints, and solutions of the American colonists.

              Some priming questions: 

              • What are some of the ideas you saw or heard in the video?
              • What are some beliefs that are important to you?
              • If you were creating a new country, what beliefs would you include?

              Priming activity:

              • Create a slogan for a new country that you are creating. A great slogan is short, but captures a key idea, goal, or wish.
              • Share your slogan with the class!
                • Here are a few examples of slogans to help your thinking
                  • (For a school): "A Building With Four Walls And Tomorrow Inside."
                  • (For a coffee shop): “America Runs on Dunkin.”
                  • (For cosmetics): “Maybe She's Born With It… Maybe It's Maybelline.”
                  • (For paper towels): “The Quicker Picker Upper.”

              Dig into some documents

              During

              Information Think about the varied methods you will use during the lesson to support learner engagement, understanding and interaction with the lesson concepts. Include options and supports for how students get and process information, how students express their knowledge, and how you will support and evaluate progress toward the instructional goals.

               

              Independent Practice

              • Have students sign into Clusive
              • Show students how to find the story choices
              • Give them a few minutes to find and choose the story they want to work on

              Choose 2 of these 3 resources:

              ReadWatchDo

              History.com page titled Writing the Declaration of Independence

              Go to this History.com webpage.

              Read the page. Pay special attention to the section on Thomas Jefferson and his role in the Declaration of Independence.

              PBS video Drafting the Declaratin of Independence

              Watch this PBS video about the Drafting the Declaration of Independence.

              Make a copy of this graphic organizer and fill it out as you watch the video.

              Screen capture of brainpop.com game start screen

              Play this game to learn more about the timeline of the writing of the Declaration of Independence.

              EVERYONE will read:

               

              Picture of the Declaration of Independence

              Clusive Version of The Declaration of Independence

              Tasks as students read...

              • USE  the Clusive Settings and choose the display options that work for you
                • background color
                • text size
                • vocabulary highlights
              • Look up words that are unfamiliar
              • Highlight and comment on parts of the text that show
                • parts that show the writers' beliefs
                • parts that show the writers' complaints

              Now let's dig into some documents to find out about who and why the Declaration of Independence was created.

              First, choose to read, watch, or do 2 of these 3 resources. Take notes in the graphic organizer on the people, values/beliefs, and complaints you notice in these resources.

              ReadWatchDo

              History.com page titled Writing the Declaration of Independence

              Go to this History.com webpage.

              Read the page. Pay special attention to the section on Thomas Jefferson and his role in the Declaration of Independence.

              PBS video Drafting the Declaratin of Independence

              Watch this PBS video about the Drafting the Declaration of Independence.

               

              Screen capture of brainpop.com game start screen

              Play this game to learn more about the timeline of the writing of the Declaration of Independence.

              EVERYONE will read:

               

              Picture of the Declaration of Independence

              Clusive Version of The Declaration of Independence

              As you read...

              • USE  the graphic organizer
              • USE the Clusive Settings and choose the display options that work for you
                • background color
                • text size
                • vocabulary highlights
              • Look up words that are unfamiliar
              • Highlight and comment on parts of the text that you want to remember

              Create your own Declaration of Independence!

              Recap student progress so far:

              • Learned about the people who wrote the Declaration of Independence
              • Learned about their values and beliefs
              • Learned about what was bothering them

              Make connection with students of their values/beliefs/what is worth protesting with Declaration of Independence

              Show example of Declaration rephrased in modern language.

              • Highlight features that make it strong
              • Highlight elements and co-construct/edit as a class to make it stronger

              Give assignment: Now make a Declaration of your own. Choose to:

              • Rephrase the Declaration of Independence in your own words.
                OR
              • Create a declaration of independence of your own. that

              To make this version of a Declaration of Independence, 

              • capture the important values, beliefs, complaints, and solutions
              • Use any combination of text, video, audio, images, or cartoons, protest signs. If you have another idea, check with me.

              Link to rubric:

              https://www.rcampus.com/rubricshowc.cfm?code=H4BW2B&sp=yes&

              So far you've...

              • Learned about the people who wrote the Declaration of Independence
              • Learned about their values and beliefs
              • Learned about what was bothering them

              Now make a Declaration of your own. Choose to:

              • Rephrase the Declaration of Independence in your own words.
                OR
              • Create a declaration of independence of your own. that

              To make this version of a Declaration of Independence, 

              • Capture the important values, beliefs, complaints, and solutions
              • Use any combination of text, video, audio, images, or cartoons, protest signs. If you have another idea, check with me.
              • Use the Personal Declaration of Independence Rubric to help you build or rephrase your Declaration.

               

               

               

              Wrap up

              Assessments

              Clusive Teacher Dashboard

              Before the lesson:

              Note what your Clusive teacher dashboard tells you about 

              • student reactions 

              • student interests

              • student use Clusive features

              During / After the lesson:

              Check in on your Clusive Dashboard. What does it show you about

              • student reactions, topics of interest, student use Clusive features?

              • What was the level of student engagement during the lesson? 

              • What will you build on?

              • What will you change in your next lesson?

              • What will you do to further support learners to become more independent, self-directed learners? 

              Formative Assessments           

              Information List the formative assessments you will use to evaluate how students are progressing in the lesson. Formative assessments should be based on the lesson objectives. Use the feedback from these ongoing, formative assessments to monitor and adjust instruction, methods, or materials.

              • 3,2,1 Exit ticket   
              • Looking at Clusive Dashboard to check in on student activity and identify barriers       

              Summative Assessments

              Information Enter the assessment(s) you will use in your lesson. Summative Assessments are usually end-of-lesson or-unit measures that assess the depth to which students have learned the skill or content related to the instructional goal.

              Congratulations! You've made the Declaration of Independence your own. Now check how you've grown as a learner by looking at the data on your Clusive Dashboard

              What does your Clusive dashboard tell you about 

              • your reactions?

              • your interests?

              • which Clusive tools and features are helpful for you?

              Before you leave today

              1. Complete the exit ticket