For Teachers

The following activities were developed to assist teachers and parents managing a shift to remote learning during COVID-19. They include a fact checking activity for the movie National Treasure (currently available on Netflix), a Declaration of Independence word search (adapted from our "Which Words are in the Declaration of Independence?" activity), and a lesson on blackout poetry that uses the Declaration as its text.

• Click to download PDF of National Treasure Fact Checking Activity
• Click to download PDF of Word Search Activity
• Click to download PDF of Blackout Poetry Activity

Teaching the Declaration through Reflection

Teaching with John Trumbull's Declaration of Independence

• Click to download PDF of handout
• Click to download PDF with resources for teachers
• Read the blog post, "Unsullied by Falsehood: No John Trumbull"
  

Teaching the timeline of the Declaration of Independence

• Click to download black and white timeline
• Read the blog post, "Delegate Discussions: The Lee Resolution(s)"
  

Teaching the words in the Declaration of Independence

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• Click to download PDF of handout with resources for teachers
• Click to download PDF with relevant words highlighted on the Dunlap broadside
  Note: p. 1 is the Dunlap broadside, p. 2 has all the words in this activity underlined, and pp. 3-27 have all occurrences of individual words underlined (in the column order from the activity)
  

Teaching about signers of the Declaration of Independence who also signed other founding documents

• Click to download individual graphics: Articles of Association, Olive Branch Petition, Articles of Confederation, United States Constitution
• Click to download black and white PDF of all graphics
  

Teaching when and how the Declaration of Independence spread through the newly United States

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Teaching different perspectives on the Declaration of Independence

• Click to read and download the "Fresh Takes on the Declaration of Independence" e-book, featuring 24 scholars of American history
• Encourage students to take the Fresh Takes Challenge! Have them read and briefly reflect on the Declaration of Independence.
  

Teaching with movies and TV shows

• Read the blog post, "Presenting the Facts: 1776"
• Read the blog post, "Presenting the Facts: National Treasure"
• Read the blog post, "Presenting the Facts: John Adams Miniseries"
  

Video Game in Development