My name is Brittany Gray. I hope you enjoyed this webquest. If you have any questions concerning this webquest, you can email me at brittany.gray@coker.edu.
[img_assist|nid=32253|title=Declaration|desc=|link=none|align=center|width=334|height=190]
Introduction
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Subject: Social Studies Grade level: 4th-5th |
The Declaration of Independence is the founding document of American history. In 1776, soon after the beginning of the American Revolutionary War, the leaders of the war got together to write a letter to the King of England, George III. They wanted to explain why they were fighting to be their own country, free from England. The Declaration of Independence contains their explanation. In this webquest, you will get to know more about the Declaration of Independence and become familiar with some of the famous people who signed this very important document.
Task
Complete one of the following tasks:
- Write your own Declaration of Independence. You live with your parents and your parents have rules of their own, but you still want to be able to have some "freedom." What freedoms would you want? Write and create a document for yourself including the freedoms (at least five) you would like to have. Don't forget to make your declaration fun and creative!
- Use a KWL chart and fill it in based on the Declaration of Independence. Be sure to list what you KNOW, what you WANT to know, and what you have LEARNED using the sources provided. Include at least 5 things under each column.
- Get to know the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Create a document including at least 10 of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. Be sure to include their name, age, where they are from, and their importance.
Process
In order to complete each task, you must follow these steps:
Task #1: Writing Your Own Declaration
1. In order to write your own Declaration of Independence for your house, you need to know what the Declaration of Independence looks like and what it says. The following link will take you straight to the Declaration of Independence.
Declaration of Independence Document:
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html
2. After reading over the Declaration, use Microsoft Word to come up with your own Declaration. Be sure to begin your Declaration with an introduction or Preamble. Refer to the Preamble of the Declaration of Independence for help.
Preamble:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRT85wYYf0Y
3. Be sure to come up with your own freedoms for your house (at least 5). Be creative with your Declaration of Independence!
Task #2: Use a KWL Chart with the Declaration of Independence
1. In order to complete this task, you must use a KWL Chart which can be found using the following link.
KWL Chart:
https://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/pdf/kwl.pdf
2. Under the "K" column, include at least 5 things that you already know about the Declaration of Independence.
3. Under the "W" column, include at least 5 things that you want to know about the Declaration of Independence.
4. Under the "L" column, include at least 5 things that you learned about the Declaration of Independence. You can use the following link to view the Declaration.
Declaration of Independence Document:
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html
Task #3: Getting to Know the Signers
1. In this task, you will learn and write about at least ten of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. You can use the following link to find information about each signer.
Getting to Know the Signers:
http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/signers/index.htm
2. Be sure to include each signers' name, age, what state they are from, their importance, and any fun facts you find about them.
Evaluation
| Project Component | Criteria | Point Value |
|---|---|---|
| Creativity | Is the final project creative? Are there pictures, colors, or subtle accents that creatively blend the information contained in the project? | 10/50 points |
| Information | Is the information included accurate and presented completely? |
10/50 points |
| Spelling/Grammar | Is the project free of spelling and grammar errors? | 10/50 points |
| Class Participation | Did the student effectively manage his/her time to complete the project on time? Did the student remain on task throughout the allotted class time given to work on this project? | 10/50 points |
| Task Completion |
Did the student thoroughly and thoughtfully complete the task they selected? |
10/50 points |
Conclusion
Congratulations! You have completed this webquest. Also, if you would like to, you can add your signature to the Declaration of Independence and print it out by clicking here!
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_sign.html