The Declaration of Independence:
Short-term Text or Long-term Document?
Jason Artman
Woodland High School

Focus
This lesson is meant to entice students to analyze and evaluate questions about Thomas Jefferson's intended purpose for the Declaration of Independence. More than 200 years after its writing, the Declaration remains an influential writing, guiding people's beliefs about government and civil rights but that may be more a coincidence than an intentional act on Jefferson's part. In studying the Declaration and defending their opinions with historical evidence, the students will practice the skills of reflective discussion.

Vital Theme and Narrative
Comparative History of Major Developments

Habit of the Mind
Grasp the complexity of historical causation, respect particularity, and avoid excessively abstract generalizations

Objective
Using the Declaration of Independence, the students will analyze and evaluate Thomas Jefferson's intended purpose(s) in writing a document that has remained useful and inspirational more than 200 years later.

Procedures

1. Play "A Powerful Performance" video
2. Discuss students' reactions to video
3. Pass out a copy of the Declaration of Independence
4. Discuss students' feelings about the following discussion questions:
   1. Who was Jefferson's intended audience? Why might he have been writing for those audiences?
   2. What parts of the Declaration of Independence have been used for other historical purposes? What parts continue to be useful today?
   3. What parts of the Declaration may have had the most meaning to Jefferson? To what purpose does Jefferson devote the majority of the document?
   4. Do you think Jefferson knew at the time that he was writing a document that would inspire people long after his death?

Sources

• The Declaration of Independence
• "A Powerful Performance: The Companion Video to The Declaration of Independence, A Living Blueprint for Democracy," Scholastic, 2002.
• Maier, Pauline. American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence. Vintage Books, New York, 1997.

Ideas for Assessment of Student Learning
Give students a writing prompt for which they can develop a well evidenced essay Do you feel Thomas Jefferson intended for the Declaration of Independence to continue inspiring people 200 years after its writing?

American History
Analyzing a Primary Source Document
Declaration of Independence ? with editing marks

name

1. List 3 words or phrases that were crossed off or edited by Congress. a. ' C.

2. For each word or phrase mentioned above, what is different about the word or phrase used in its place? a.

'

3. What issues at the time (I 780s) might have influenced their decision to make these changes?

4. Why was the paragraph on slavery deleted?

5. Why is it necessary for politicians and leaders to moderate their wording?