The Declaration of Independence Activities for 8th Grade

A crucial document in American history, our Founding Fathers signing of the Declaration of Independence was the moment that the colonies officially severed ties from Great Britain (the mother country)

The Declaration was written by Thomas Jefferson and adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. It is considered one of the most important historical documents in the United States and is a great resource for 8th grade history teachers to use in their lesson plans.

The Declaration of Independence outlines the key ideas and grievances that led to the American Revolution, including the belief in Natural Rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

These ideas were heavily influenced by Enlightenment thinkers such as John Locke, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams, as well as the writing of the Magna Carta centuries earlier. The Declaration includes a list of grievances against King George III, while another section of the Declaration of Independence outlines the colonists' complaints about British rule. As 8th grade history teachers, it is essential to include the Declaration of Independence in your lesson plans and to engage your middle school students in activities that will help them understand the structure of the document, the expression of the American mind, the declaration of sentiments, the meaning of unalienable rights and its historical significance, and the events that led to its creation (for example, the decision to dissolve and replace the Articles of Confederation).

One way to do this is by breaking the class into small groups and having them read and analyze in the correct order the different sections of the Declaration. I also like to have students discuss the key ideas that are expressed throughout the Declaration, how the document may be viewed as a social contract, and the events that led to its creation. Another engaging activity is to have the students reenact the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This can be done by assigning each student a role as one of the signers of the Declaration and having them sign a "break-up letter" to Great Britain. This activity helps students understand the emotions and motivations of the colonial leaders who signed the Declaration and allows them to display and utilize their prior knowledge. As mentioned above, it's also important to ask students essential questions that will guide their understanding of the Declaration of Independence and the events that led to its creation. For example, here are some of the following questions I'll typically ask at some point in the lesson:

"What were the key ideas and grievances outlined in the Declaration of Independence?"

"Why did the American colonists feel the need to break away from Great Britain?"

Download a FREE WEEK of lesson plans HERE!

It's also important for students to understand the historical context in which the Declaration of Independence was created and its impact on the American government. For example, the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Second Continental Congress, and later, the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights were created. All too often, I've found, students confuse these documents with one another, at least a little bit! To help students understand the historical context, it's important to provide them with primary source documents on each: the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. In doing so, these documents will give students a deeper understanding of the structure of the new nation's government and the key ideas that guided its formation, allow them to compare and contrast them, and identify both the similarities and differences of each. It's also important to note that the Declaration of Independence is a revolutionary document, not just in terms of its content but also in terms of its style. It is written in a clear, concise, straightforward, and succinct manner, and it makes use of arguments that are grounded in common sense to establish its case. As a result of this, the average person should have no trouble understanding it.

No more stress over lesson planning!

In addition, when planning out your lesson, it is also essential for students to have a solid understanding of the historical circumstances and the historical events that led to the drafting and signing of the Declaration of Independence, as well as the effect it had on the governance of the colonies and colonists. For instance, it's important to understand the specific events that led to the breakup between the American colonies and Great Britain, such as the numerous acts the British Parliament and King George enacted, such as the Intolerable Acts or the Tea Act, which culminated in the Boston Tea Party. Other examples may be some of the transformational events that swayed many colonists' viewpoints of the monarchy, such as the Boston Massacre, the Battle of Lexington and Concord, and the British willingness to resort to violence. And that as a result of these events, the Second Continental Congress decided to adopt the Declaration of Independence and in subsequent years later, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

As 8th grade history teachers, it is essential to provide students with a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the Declaration of Independence and its historical significance!

By providing students with a variety of engaging activities and primary source documents and asking essential questions, you can help your students develop a deeper understanding of this important document and the events that led to its creation. In a nutshell, the Declaration of Independence is an important document in the annals of US history because it served as the catalyst for the formal separation of the united colonies (the United States) as an independent nation and is a great resource for 8th grade social studies teachers to use in their lesson plans. Your students will gain a more in-depth comprehension of the fundamental concepts that influenced the development of the new nation's government as well as its governmental structure by reading these papers. By asking your students important questions in conjunctions with the use of primary source materials, you'll be helping students contextualize the significance of the Declaration of Independence while also helping them develop an appreciation of the documents truly remarkable significance in not only U.S. history, but in the history of the world!

If you're thinking there's no way I have time to create all of those worksheets and resources or scour sites like Teachers pay Teachers every week just to patch together a bunch of different resources from a bunch of different teacher authors - I HEAR YOU!!

I've been in your shoes and that's why I've built this website and created curriculum bundles exclusively for teachers like YOU! I've put my years of experience in the classroom and in various administrative roles, as well as my LOVE for ALL things history-related, so that I could proudly offer high-quality, easy-to-use, affordable and PROVEN history curriculum bundles.

Imagine...

• Spending more time on teaching and less on lesson plans

• More time on nights and weekends to share with friends and loved ones

• No longer endlessly searching for amazing lesson plans and resources

Have a look at my curriculum bundles HERE!

I hope this article has provided some inspiration and ideas for your classroom!

-Jillian (a.k.a. the "Lesson Plan Guru")