STUDENT TEACHER LESSON PLAN FORMAT

Day: Monday Date: 1 March 2021

Subject: Eighth Grade Civics: The Declaration of Independence

Common Core Standard(s):

• SS:CV:1: The Nature and Purpose of Government: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the
nature of governments, and the fundamental ideals of government of the United States.

Objective(s): At the end of this lesson my students will be able to…

• Explain the ideas in the Declaration of Independence.

• Explain the events that led to the separation of the American colonies from Britain as written in the
Declaration of Independence.

Resources/Materials List:

• Note-taking organizer for writing notes to the slides posted on Google Classroom.
• Google Classroom for remote students and students using Google Chromebooks to access the organizer
online.

Procedure:

• Review and Recall

o The 1760s and 1770s were tumultuous decades for the thirteen colonies. Taxes and violence
began to increase.
o Emphasize that the colonists were not angry about the taxation. Emphasize that the colonists
were angry that the colonists were angry about taxation without representation.
o In 1775, three battles took place that marked the beginning of the American Revolution:
Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill.
o In 1776, delegates from the thirteen colonies signed the Declaration of Independence: It
formally announced the thirteen colonies’ separation form Britain and the efforts to form a new
country.
o Transition into the guided practice: But what does the Declaration of Independence actually
say?
• Guided Practice/Discussion with Power Point
o Use the Power Point to go through the Declaration of Independence with the class using guided
practice and open discussion.
▪ Slide 1: Go over the “Unit Big Idea: What are the documents that make up the
foundation of our government?”
• Go over SWBAT, which are the objectives stated above.
• Summarize SWBAT: We are going to rewrite the Declaration of
Independence in our own words.
▪ Slide 2: Explain the Continental Congress and how Thomas Jefferson wrote the
Declaration of Independence with the Congress’ approval
• Students will take down notes for this slide on their organizer.
▪ Slide 3: Explain to students that there are four parts of the Declaration of
Independence
• Click on the link that takes the computer to a BrainPOP video.
 ▪ Slides 4 to 13 are slides where students will take notes on their organizer. The way
each slide is constructed is that each slide provides a certain section of the Declaration
of Independence quoted. The plan is to break down each quote and talk to the class
about what they think it means. As a class, we will paraphrase in our own, present-day
words. After this, I will press the button on the computer that is supposed to reveal the
next slide, but instead the summarized version that I have already written on the Power
Point will be revealed. Students will take notes on this part.
▪ Slide 4: Talk to students about how the Preamble introduces to the reader why the
people of the thirteen colonies are writing this Declaration.
• Transition to Part 1: Explain that Part 1 lists out the ideals/beliefs of the
colonists.
▪ Slide 5: Talk to students about Part 1: All people are created equal and that the
colonists believed that government is given power by the people and nothing else.
▪ Slide 6: Talk to students about Part 1: Although governments should not be
overthrown for small reasons, the king acted like a tyrant.
• Transition to Part 2: Explain that Part 2 lists out the grievances of the
colonists towards the King and Britain.
▪ Slide 7: Talk to students about Part 2: The King has refused to pass laws, and either
refused or made it very difficult for the Americans to pass laws.
▪ Slide 8: Talk to students about Part 2: The King has ruined our justice system by
standing in the way of us setting up courts, and by making our judges biased.
▪ Slide 9: Talk to students about Part 2: The King granted immunity to troops, cut
colonial trade, and imposed taxes without colonial representation.
▪ Slide 10: Talk to students about Part 2: The King took away fair trials by taking away
juries and sending Americans to Britain for trial.
▪ Slide 11: Talk to students about Part 2: The King has declared war on the colonies and
already started to destroy them.
▪ Slide 12: Talk to students about Part 2: The Americans petitioned the King more than
once and reached out to Parliament.
• Transition to Part 3: Explain that Part 3 states that as a result of these
grievances, the colonies have declared their independence from Britain.
▪ Slide 13: Talk to students about Part 3, especially the meaning of this quote: “That
these United Colonies are, and of Right out to be Free and Independent States.”
• Transition into exit ticket
▪ Slide 14: Ask students to look at the end of their organizer and answer the following
questions:
o What ideas made the American colonists believe they should be
independent? (Hint, these are listed in Part 1.)
o Do you agree that the King was acting like a tyrant? Why or why
not? (Hint, look at the grievances from Part 2.)
• Tell students that there is no wrong answer. This is an opinion question.
• Ask students to answer that question before the end of class.
• I will go around and make sure that the notes are filled out as well as the exit
ticket.
▪ Slide 15: If there is enough time, we will watch a video that is a song about the
Declaration of Independence.

Plans for differentiation:

• For in-person students, students can take down their notes on a hard copy organizer or through the
Google Chromebook by accessing the online version in google classroom.
• For remote students, students can take down their notes on a hard copy organizer that they have printed
out or through their laptop or computer by accessing the online version in google classroom.

Assessment:

• Formative Assessment: Student responses during instruction.

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 o This includes their voluntary responses as well as responses when called on.
o I will have a roster in front of me to serve as a checklist for who was able to respond during
instruction effectively.
• Formative Assessment: Student responses during exit ticket.
o I will go around class and check each student’s response to the exit ticket.

Plans for accommodation/modification:

• J.D. – Provided with a modified organizer that has more lines to take notes on.
• S.G. – Provided with a modified organizer that has the power point slides on the organizer packet.
• R.G., J.L., P.O. – Allowed to have extra time on the exit ticket.
• M.S. – Can see the nurse at any time.

What’s next? Next class, students will learn more about the events of the American Revolution, from the signing
of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 to the Treaty of Paris in 1783.

Student Teacher Post-Instruction Reflection: (I was able to present slide 11 in class) My cooperating
practitioner said I did a very good job of presenting this slide. The only concern I had was that the students were
not raising their hands and were shouting out answers. My cooperating practitioner said that it was nothing to
worry about because of the hybrid situation. The in-person class is essentially have the size of a traditional
classroom. In this case there were nine students. Thus, open discussion included not having to raise your hand.