CURRICULAR CONNECTIONS:
 The
Declaration of Independence of Independence and the Committee of Five:
In June of 1776, Continental Congress appointed a Committee of Five to draft a
statement presenting to the world the colonies' case for independence. The committee
consisted of two New England men, John Adams of Massachusetts and Roger Sherman
of Connecticut; two men from the Middle Colonies, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania
and Robert R. Livingston of New York; and one southerner, Thomas Jefferson of
Virginia.
Divide the classroom into five small groups; have each
group be responsible for creating a research report on its assigned committee
member. All groups should offer: biographical information, professional information,
and highlight other significant contributions their respective committee member
might have made. Share findings in the form of oral presentations to other U.S.
history classes.
Create
a Class ABC Book of People and Places Associated with the Constitution:
Have students conduct research to ascertain who is considered as America‚s
Founding Fathers; additionally, list places that figure into the drafting of the
U.S. Constitution, as well. From the lists, make an alphabet book of these people
and places, including pertinent information on all. For example, for the "A"
page, choose Assembly Room, from the Pennsylvania State House, which was later
named Independence Hall, the meeting place of Congress, and where the all three
important documents were signed; for the "B" page, choose Abraham Baldwin
from Georgia, etc. Try to include images that will enhance the text. Bind and
display in school library.
Research
Philadelphia˜Then and Now:
Compare and contrast Philadelphia in 1776,
and that city today. Have students pick five of the premier spots that they would
want to see on a guided tour of the historically important city and create a travel
brochure to advertise it. Use a template from a number of computer programs available
to them, making sure they download photographs, include a walking map, and share
times and dates when the buildings are open to the public.
Bill
of Rights Timeline:
Create a timeline, spanning the years 1789 to 1992,
that places all 27 Amendments to the U.S. Constitution on it. Share important
information about each amendment, specifically mentioning the impact the various
amendments have on a U.S. citizen's life in the year 2004. Debate the timely controversy
that President Bush has recently created, when he declared his support for a constitutional
amendment banning gay marriage.
Vote
for the "Top 10" Milestone Documents:
To engage students in
a better understanding of the records that helped to shape our country, brainstorm
to create a list of 50 milestone documents. The Gettysburg Address, the Louisiana
Purchase Treaty, and the Social Security Act will likely be among them. Hold an
election day during which students, faculty, and staff will cast their ballots
for their top 10 choices they think are the most influential in our country‚s
history. Announce results in the form of a graph displayed in a highly visible
place in your school.
WEB CONNECTIONS:
 For
further study of all core US historical documents, go to:
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/coredocs.html
and to this site for pre-Colonial to present with an expanded list
of documents to review:
http://www.law.ou.edu/hist/
For
a comprehensive study of George Washington, go to:
http://www.pbs.org/georgewashington/
For
great images of historic Philadelphia, check out this site:
http://www.hsp.org/
Then
check out this map of historic Philadelphia at: http://www.nationalgeographic.org/walkingtours/Philadelphia_Walking_Tour/ptmap.html
FOR FURTHER LISTENING AND READING:
  JOHNNY
TREMAIN by Esther Forbes; Early American History comes alive in this contemporary
classic set in Boston, Massachusetts. UNABRIDGED AUDIO and CD and book available
from Audio Bookshelf.
MY
BROTHER SAM IS DEAD by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier; a Newbery
Honor Award-winning piece of historical fiction about the American Revolutionary
War. UNABRIDGED AUDIO and CD and book available from Audio Bookshelf.
In
Defense of Liberty: The Story of America's Bill of Rights (Holiday House,
2003) by Russell Freedman
Give
Me Liberty!: The Story of the Declaration of Independence (Holiday House,
2000) by Russell Freedman
The
Signers: The Fifty-Six Stories Behind the Declaration of Independence (Walker & Co., 2002) by Dennis Brindell Fradin; illustrated by Michael McCurdy
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