Declaration of Independence

Summary

This is a lesson that covers the Declaration of Independence using the program Inspiration TM. It is designed to allow students to create semantic maps of the Declaration of Independence through a more creative medium than paper.

Materials

Computer w/ Microsoft Office 2003, Inspiration software Declaration of Independence PowerPoint Presentation Warm-up Activity Slips Declaration of Independence Text

Background for Teachers

A strong working knowledge of PowerPoint and the Inspiration TM program.

Student Prior Knowledge

Causes of American Revolution Some working knowledge of Inspiration TM program

Intended Learning Outcomes

**Performance Objective: Through the study of the Declaration of Independence, students will be able to demonstrate their knowledge of the causes of the American Revolution. Students will demonstrate their knowledge by creating their own written interpretations of the Declaration of Independence in class and give a 5 minute presentation to the rest of class. **Language Objective: Students will be able to identify, understand, and use new vocabulary associated with the Declaration of Independence & the American Revolution. Students will also recognize differences between old English Language use and modern English Language use in written form. **Content Objective: Students will be able to explain the importance of the Declaration of Independence in relationship to the American Revolution by answering the following two questions: Why was the Declaration of Independence written? How was the Declaration of Independence written? **Strategy Objective: Students will be able to create a concept/ semantic map in Inspiration TM (computer software program) that summarizes their section of the Declaration of Independence. Students will understand how using this type of graphic organizer will aid them in reading comprehension.

Instructional Procedures

The Lesson (90 min.): INTO: Warm-up/ Review (10 min.): The class will begin the lesson in the computer lab. As the students walk in, they will pull a slip of paper out of a hat. The class will begin when all students have their Events, Acts, Years, British Reasons, Colonist Reaction (Warm-up Slips). Students will look at their own slips and take a moment to reflect on their prior knowledge about the topic they've received. Students will then be instructed that other students have corresponding slips that relate to their topics. The class will then move around the room asking questions to find the matches. When students find their partners (5 students/ group), they will sit down in front of the computers and put their information together. Students will then elect a spokesperson that will present their information to the rest of class. Once all groups have got together, then the class will move on. INTO: Introduction (2 min.): The teacher will then introduce The Declaration Of Independence Lesson to the students. The teacher will begin the PowerPoint Lesson Presentation which illustrates the lessons objectives and lesson overview. The teacher will explain the performance objectives and why they are important to the lesson, reading, and life-long learning. The teacher will make any clarifications for students if necessary. INTO: Presentation (10 min.): The teacher will continue the lesson by moving the PowerPoint Presentation into the reading strategy and use of technology section. The teacher will give a ten minute presentation, using the PowerPoint Presentation to illustrate how creating semantic maps helps readers to identify important concepts in a text. The teacher will refer back to Patrick Henry's "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" (**Already in PowerPoint Presentation) as an example text to use. The teacher will then tell the students that they will be using the computer program Inspiration TM to create their semantic maps. The teacher will then model how he/she would create a semantic map while reading the text. The teacher will illustrate how they have summarized important concepts of the text in their semantic map, as well as, how new or difficult vocabulary & language structures can be added in the notepad feature of the program and their map. ** TEACHERS NOTE (This presentation & modeling is done with the use of the PowerPoint Presentation!) THROUGH: Practice (40 min.): After the PowerPoint Presentation, students in each group will receive a copy of the text for their section of the Declaration of Independence. Students will read their section of the text and discuss as a group the important concepts that they want to illustrate in their Inspiration TM semantic map. Students will then create their semantic maps using the software, and prepare them for a class discussion. Once all the groups have finished their semantic map, they will elect a spokesperson to talk about their map to the rest of the class. Once all groups have given their presentations, the class will then create a semantic map as a class for the entire Declaration of Independence. THROUGH: Evaluation ( 30 min.): Students will make their own interpretation of the Declaration of Independence. In other words, students will re-write the Declaration of Independence in their own words. Students will also explain their interpretations and why they chose to write it the way they did. BEYOND: Application (Homework): Students will make a semantic map using Inspiration TM of a primary source document from the American Revolution time period. In addition, they will re-write the document in their own words.

Strategies for Diverse Learners

See Performance Objectives

Extensions

Assessment Plan

Inspiration Product & student presentations will be form of assement for this lesson.