Topic: Ideas & Ideologies
Lesson Plan
Declaration of Independence Timeline Activity
The words “all men are created equal” have echoed throughout history. Since 1776, there have been approximately 120 declarations of independence made by different countries and different peoples. This activity...
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Rough Draft of Declaration of Independence
On July 2, 1776, Jefferson presented his draft of the Declaration of Independence to the Continental Congress. In the document’s powerful preamble, he stated that “all men” had certain “inalienable...
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Notes on the State of Virginia
This document is an excerpt of Thomas Jefferson’s only book-length publication. Jefferson wrote the work during the early 1780s in response to a series of questions from Frenchman Francois de...Lesson Plan
Let facts be submitted to a candid world: Categorizing the List of Grievances
Most readers are familiar with the excerpt from the Declaration of Independence above. However, fewer people are familiar with what’s known as the List of Grievances. It’s the third part...Lesson Plan
Did Thomas Jefferson do enough?
Countless documents demonstrate Jefferson’s view on slavery as an “abomination [that] must have an end”, and yet he possessed over 600 slaves in his lifetime; freeing only a handful. This...Lesson Plan
It’s All French to Me
Exploring Jefferson’s relationship with France and how it impacted the founding of America and his legacy in our nationLesson Plan
The Election of 1800: Revolutionary Stability
This lesson is a combination of a few different approaches: students will study primary writings of Jefferson and Adams, examine a range of online documents and images in a DBQ...Lesson Plan
Unalienable Rights – Who Says?
How would different people (from different times) interpret an excerpt from the Declaration of Independence?Lesson Plan
Hashtag- What Would Thomas Jefferson’s Instagram Stream Reveal about Him?
A person’s online social media presence can reveal a great deal about his or her interests, political views, and personality. In this lesson, students will analyze a number of different...Lesson Plan