1. What was Thomas Jefferson’s central idea in the first 2 paragraphs of the “Declaration of Independence,” and what do you think he will address in the next section of the text?
Bellringer—Write AT LEAST 2 full sentences addressing the prompt to the right.

2. “Declaration of Independence”
Lesson 2

3. Discuss how an author structures an argument to convey a main idea.
9-10.RI.CS.5 Analyze how an author’s ideas or claims are developed and refined by particular sentences, paragraphs, or larger portions of a text.
Analyze a text to determine how an author reveals a central idea.
9-10.RI.KID.2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development; provide an objective or critical summary.
Objectives

4. What You’ll Need for this Lesson
Your copy of “Declaration of Independence” found on page 184 of your purple guide books
Writing utensil(s)
Group Report Handout (provided by the teacher)
Grievance Strips (provided by the teacher)
Two dictionaries for your group to share

5. Color Groups
Work with your group to analyze entries from Jefferson’s list of grievances in “Declaration of Independence” by completing each step described in your “Group Report.”
You have 15 minutes to complete these steps.

6. Group Speakers: Make sure you address the questions below when you speak to the class.
Do any grievances seem smaller or larger than others? Explain.
Why do you think Jefferson chose to include these specific grievances?
Yes. There are grievances listed that seem to be examples of people’s fundamental human rights being threatened, such as explaining that the King, “ has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.” This is a larger crime than inventing new offices, which while corrupt does not affect all American’s rights.
Jefferson wants to be thorough and seem subjective in his listing of the reasons for declaring independence. Ultimately, he also needs to demonstrate that many, many injustices have threatened American citizens civil liberties, and he achieves this goal with such a thorough list.

7. Look at your group’s summary of section 2 and compare your content to this sample.
England has committed many offenses against the colonies which are listed here. These include issues such as forcing colonists to house English soldiers, enforcing laws on the colonies without their consent, refusal to protect the colonies, and over taxing the colonists.
Did you notice any major points you left out?
If yes, understand this may be due to your assigned grievances not addressing all issues; however, take time to look over the list of grievances in its entirety outside of regularly scheduled class time, and let your teacher know if you have specific questions about the content.

8. Ink-Pair-Share—Take 2 minutes to respond to the prompt below
Ink-Pair-Share—Take 2 minutes to respond to the prompt below. Then you will discuss with your “elbow partner” when directed by your teacher before we discuss as a whole group!
Why would Jefferson blame the kind of the problems leading to the Declaration of Independence on the King when Parliament, not the monarch, passed the acts and approved the taxes that led to the colonists calling for independence?
While Parliament may have passed the acts that led to the taxes, Jefferson makes it clear with many of his claims, such as that the King “has made Judges dependent on his Will alone,” that the King wants power and is corrupt, and that is why the colonies need independence.

9. Final Thoughts—Whole Group Discussion
What do you notice about the structure/format of this section of the text that is different from the other sections?
Why do you think Jefferson chose to format this section in this way?
Do you think this was the most effective approach, or would a different format have been more effective? Why?
These questions are #s 3-5 on the Group Report, so students should have already worked through the answers with their groups. This will give them an opportunity to share ideas with classmates and review the importance of a well-structured argument one more time with guidance from the teacher.