Analyze the ideas and grievances set forth in the Declaration of Independence.
Clarifications
Clarification 1: Students will identify the unalienable rights specifically expressed in the Preamble of the Declaration of Independence (e.g., life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness).
Clarification 2: Students will explain the concept of natural rights as expressed in the Declaration of Independence.
Clarification 3: Students will recognize natural rights, social contract, limited government and the right of resistance to tyrannical government.
Clarification 4: Students will analyze the relationship between natural rights and the role of government: 1. People are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; 2. Governments are instituted among men to secure these rights; 3. Governments derive their just powers from the consent of governed; and 4. Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it and to institute new government.
Clarification 5: Students will recognize the connection between specific grievances in the Declaration of Independence and natural rights violations.
Clarification 6: Students will recognize colonial grievances identified in the Declaration of Independence (e.g., imposing taxes without the consent of the people, suspending trial by jury, limiting judicial powers, quartering soldiers and dissolving legislatures).
Subject Area: Social Studies
Grade: 7
Strand: Civics and Government
Date Adopted or Revised: 05/24
Status: State Board Approved
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Related Access Points
| Access Point Number |
Access Point Title |
| SS.7.CG.1.AP.6 | Identify the ideas and grievances set forth in the Declaration of Independence. |
Related Resources
Lesson Plans
| Name |
Description |
| Language of Liberty: The Declaration of Independence | In this lesson, students will learn the basic rules for effective paraphrasing. Students will read an excerpt from the Declaration of Independence and paraphrase several key sentences to develop their paraphrasing skills and deepen their knowledge of this foundational document. Students will also use reference materials to determine the appropriate definitions of advanced vocabulary within the Declaration of Independence excerpt. Finally, students will answer text-dependent questions to deepen their analysis of the essential rights outlined in this foundational document. |
| The Declaration of Independence | In this lesson plan, students will analyze the ideas and grievances set forth in the Declaration of Independence while completing guided notes that accompany a teacher-presented slideshow. Students will then show what they know by rephrasing excerpts from the Declaration in their own words. |
| America’s Founding Principles | In this lesson plan, students will trace the principles underlying America’s founding ideas on laws and government while completing guided notes that accompany a teacher-presented slideshow. Students will then show what they know by completing and submitting a short written response to a provided prompt. |
| Breaking Up with Britain | In this lesson plan, students will learn about the Declaration of Independence. The teacher will lead a discussion, breaking down the document into four sections and introducing challenging vocabulary. Student groups will use inferencing skills to complete cloze notes with terms given in a word bank. |
| Founding Principles | In this lesson plan, students will learn about the governing principles that can be traced through America’s founding documents. Students will work independently or with a shoulder partner to demonstrate an understanding of the founding principles by completing a vocabulary Card Sort activity and a Primary Source Matching activity. There are six multiple choice questions on the Primary Source Matching activity to assess student understanding. |
| The Declaration of Independence: Matching Grievances | In this lesson plan, students will review and match the colonists' grievances as they expressed them in the Declaration of Independence. Students will match the original wording of these grievances with simplified versions and then link each grievance to the natural rights of life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness. |
Original Student Tutorial
| Name |
Description |
| Analyzing the Declaration of Independence | In this interactive tutorial, you'll learn how to analyze the ideas, grievances (complaints), and language found in the Declaration of Independence, one of the most important documents in the history of the United States. |
Project
| Name |
Description |
| Teaching Idea: Road to Revolution Talk Show | Students will create a talk show or podcast that explains the grievances of the colonists and the British policies and events that led to the American Revolution. |
Teaching Ideas
| Name |
Description |
| Grade 7 Civics Family Guide: Standard 1 | This Grade 7 Civics Family Guide provides some ideas and activities to support civics education when at home, out and about, and in the community. The activities provided align to the civics learning benchmarks within Standard 1 at this grade level. |
| Middle School Source Analysis: Rhetorical Appeals in the Declaration of Independence | In this activity, designed for use in the debate classroom, students will use prior knowledge of ethos, logos, and pathos to analyze the grievances in the Declaration of Independence and classify the rhetorical appeals in each.
|
| The Great Mini Debate: American Ideas (Middle School) | Students will debate which foundational ideas found in American documents are most important in the Great Mini Debate. Students will use evidence from the Declaration of Independence, the Preamble and the Bill of Rights to support their arguments. The Great Mini Debate Cheat Sheet will prompt beginning debaters as to what should go in each speech of the debate. |
Student Resources
Original Student Tutorial
| Name |
Description |
| Analyzing the Declaration of Independence: | In this interactive tutorial, you'll learn how to analyze the ideas, grievances (complaints), and language found in the Declaration of Independence, one of the most important documents in the history of the United States. |
Parent Resources
Teaching Idea
| Name |
Description |
| Grade 7 Civics Family Guide: Standard 1: | This Grade 7 Civics Family Guide provides some ideas and activities to support civics education when at home, out and about, and in the community. The activities provided align to the civics learning benchmarks within Standard 1 at this grade level. |
