ELABORATE: Practice making instructional decisions using assessment
Lesson: Declaration of Independence (Stanford History Education Group – Reading Like a Historian Series)
Source: Stanford History Education Group (2006). Reading like a historian: Declaration of independence. Retrieved, October 20, 2014 from
http://sheg.stanford.edu/declaration-independence
Activity
ENGAGE
Display a picture of the Declaration of
Independence (original document).
Ask students central historical question
for the day – “Why did the Founders
write the Declaration of
Independence?”
Students respond thru a quick write on
large post-it notes
Put post-its on display on white board
As a class, categorize answers
Data
¼ of the answers show
misconceptions
½ of the answers show
oversimplification
1/8 of the answers
identify ideological
reasons as motivation
1/8 of the answer identify
selfish reasons as
motivation
What does the data
show?
What does the data
mean?
What will I do to improve
learning?
Answers show that ¾ of
the class does not
understand that historians
have identified ideological
and selfish reasons behind
writing the Declaration of
Independence
We need to broaden
their understanding –
help them see beyond
the obvious answer of,
“To gain freedom from
Britain.”
Remind students - Declaration of
Independence was written by
Thomas Jefferson & signed by
representatives from all 13
colonies on July 4, 1776.
Reread through the student
answers that identified ideological
reasons and selfish reasons out
loud. Ask students who wrote
those answers to elaborate on their
responses. Ask the class if they
would like to change their initial
answers and why.
EXPLORE
Relate to students that historians
disagree on if the Founders were
motivated by ideological or selfish
reasons.
Provide students with historical
interpretations and corresponding chart
(claim/evidence). In pairs, students will
make a claim based on central
historical question and find evidence
from interpretations to support their
claim.
Note: Historical Interpretation #1 –
Modified Excerpts from The
Ideological Origins of the American
Revolution by Bernard Bailyn (1967);
Historical Interpretation #2 – Modified
Excerpts from A People’s History of
the United States by Howard Zinn
(1980)
½ of class is on target
¼ of class is struggling to
find evidence
¼ of class is struggling to
make a claim
ELABORATE: Practice making instructional decisions using assessment
ELABORATE
EXPLAIN
Activity
Review as a class - Bailyn (Historical
Interpretation #1) argues that the
Founders were motivated by
ideological reasons (e.g. equality and
freedom) and Zinn (Historical
Interpretation #2) argues that the
founders were motivated by selfish
reasons (e.g., power, money).
Exit slip - Ask students to answer in
writing the central historical question
of the day, “Why did the Founders
write the Declaration of
Independence?”
Hand out Declaration Preamble and
have students re-write in their own
words.
EVALUATE
Hand out Grievances worksheet and
have students complete in pairs.
Explain to students that most of the
Declaration of Independence is a list of
complaints against the King of
England. They can find the original
grievances in their textbook. The
grievances on this worksheet have been
combined and re-worded.
Data
¾ of my students’
answers were on target
¼ of my students’
answers held
misconceptions
All but 3 students
accomplish this task
Students were able to
categorize a majority of
the grievances and
provide solid reasons for
their classifications.
Two grievances were
given question marks by a
majority of students
What does the data
show?
What does the data
mean?
What will I do to improve
learning?