SS.8.CG.3.1

In this lesson plan, students will be introduced to a breakup letter to King George from the Founders. They will then read, analyze, and annotate the key points of the Declaration of Independence and answer guiding questions. This lesson is intended to set the stage for upcoming lessons on the course of the American Revolution.

In this lesson, students will review the basic rules for effective paraphrasing. Students will read a short speech that President Abraham Lincoln delivered to Union troops during the civil war. They will paraphrase several key sections to strengthen their paraphrasing skills and analyze the use of figurative language to deepen their knowledge of the United States' foundational principles. Students will also answer text-dependent questions to further analyze Lincoln’s remarks.

In this lesson, students will examine the original text of the Declaration of Independence. This is Lesson 2 of 3 in the Declaring Independence unit.

In this lesson, students will use primary sources to examine the principles of indidividual rights and consent of the governed. They will be introduced to the structure and content of the Declaration of Independence. This is Lesson 1 of 3 in the Declaring Independence unit.

Students will analyze colonial maps, holistic and regional, to recognize the geographic locations of US colonial settlements. They will describe the characteristics of each region and close by brainstorming the challenges and viewpoints each area might have encountered. Students will also review the language of the Mayflower Compact and assess how geographical characteristics would have influenced the creation of colonial governments.

In this lesson, students will read Elizabeth Cady Stanton's "Declaration of Sentiments," delivered at America's first women's rights convention in the United States, the Seneca Falls Convention. Students will identify the rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos, and logos) Stanton uses throughout her speech. Students will explain how Stanton's varied purposes are achieved through those appeals.

Students will also complete text-dependent questions to further analyze the speech. As part of this analysis, they will make connections between Stanton's speech and the foundational principles established in the Declaration of Independence.

In this lesson, students will read President George W. Bush’s “9/11 Address to the Nation,” delivered in the evening of September 11th, 2001. Students will analyze the two distinct central ideas that emerge in the speech. They will identify the textual evidence within the speech that supports each central idea.

Students will also complete text-dependent questions to further analyze the speech. As part of this analysis, they will make connections between President Bush’s speech and the ideas expressed in the Preamble of the Constitution.

In this lesson plan, students will read Sojourner Truth’s "Ain't I a Woman?" speech that was delivered in Akron, Ohio at the 1851 Women’s Rights Convention. Students will analyze two distinct central ideas that emerge in her speech. They will identify textual evidence within the speech that supports each central idea. Students will also read and study the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution in order to make connections between the two texts.

In this lesson, students will read Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech, delivered in 1851 to men and women attending the Women’s Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio. Students will analyze how the use of rhetorical appeals, specifically ethos, helps Truth establish and achieve her purpose. Students will describe how this use of ethos supports Truth’s purpose to persuade Americans to support equal voting rights, especially for women, citing text evidence when appropriate.

Students will complete text-dependent questions to clarify their comprehension of the speech. In addition, they will make connections between Truth’s speech and the foundational principles expressed in an excerpt from the Declaration of Independence.

In this lesson, students will read and analyze 3 source documents: the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the Gettysburg Address. Students will first read the documents independently and annotate them. Students will then work cooperatively to compare and contrast the Emancipation Proclamation and the Gettysburg Address and look for the influence of the Declaration of Independence on both.

In this lesson, students will analyze the Declaration of Independence, one of America's founding documents. Students will analyze two central ideas of this text and their supporting evidence. Students will also answer text-dependent questions to convey their understanding of the text, and they'll examine the foundational ideals and principles that are expressed within the document. 

This Grade 8 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 3 at this grade level.

Student will first examine quotes from the pamphlet, Common Sense, written by Thomas Paine in 1775-1776. Students will look on the influence it had on the U.S. Declaration of Independence in 1776. Students will have the opportunity to see how the document Common Sense influenced the Declaration of Independence.

This teaching resource provides teachers with the tools to help students analyze Samuel Adams' "The Rights" of the Colonists" by paraphrasing content and using context clues to understand vocabulary necessary for comprehension.