Government Startup Project: Declaration of Independence
Jennifer Sharp
Lincoln-Way East High School

Summary: After studying the origins of democracy, including analyzing different types of governments along with different philosophies, the students will focus on starting up a new government. They will choose a country that they want to break away from and must justify their reasons why. The government start up project includes activities such as naming their country, designing a flag, writing a declaration of independence, writing an anthem, answering particular questions about the structure of their government.

Vital Theme and Narrative: Values, beliefs, political ideas, and institutions.

Habits of Mind:

Objectives:

Procedures: The government start up project lasts about I week. Students will be required to write a declaration of independence justifying their reasons for seeking sovereignty from a current country. The declaration must include ideas from at least three political philosophers as well as list a minimum of five to seven reasons why they must declare independence. The groups must also cite all primary documents used in order to complete their document. (They should obtain information from at least 10 different sources.) They may not cite the U.S. Declaration of Independence more than once. They may use the copy of Jefferson's edited script as a guide for completing their own.

Source(s): Declaration of Independence, American Government textbook, Selected readings from different philosophers (i.e. Plato's Republic, etc.), primary source documents such as bills of rights and constitutions from different countries. Used for ideas on implementing ideas about goals of particular governments.

Assessment: Groups present their projects to the class while the audience records pros and cons of each new government. The audience will question their justifications or use of certain ideas and the groups will have to respond. I grade their project using a rubric and each individual portion of the project will also be turned in for review. I look at their declaration and make sure they have met all requirements, but I also review their work to see if their justifications match the problems that current countries may be facing. Their new government should also reflect the goals they have through part of the declaration.