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Dear Founders

Subjects

• Social Sciences
• Arts & Humanities
• Ed. Technology

Grades

• 6-8

Brief Description

After reading short biographies of the men who signed of the Declaration of Independence, students write letters to some of the signers.

Objectives

Students learn about the men who signed the Declaration of Independence. Students demonstrate critical and creative thinking skills in writing letters.

Keywords

Founders, biography, Declaration of Independence, letter, signer

Materials Needed

paper, pens or pencils, computers with Internet access or printouts of biographies from Biographies of the Founding Fathers

Lesson Plan

• Review with students some of the important points about the Declaration of Independence. Have students view the document at the site The Declaration of Independence or on an overhead projector. Ask students to closely view the signature section. Tell students that 56 men signed this document.
• Have students look up the site noted in the Materials Needed section, or if Internet access is not available to everyone, print out the main page and distribute copies to students.
• Assign each student one name from the list. Have students look up that person via the hyperlinks on the site, or print out the biographies you choose.
• Have students read the biographies and then write letters to their assigned signers. Tell students to include questions and/or comments about the individual's life or his work on the Declaration of Independence.

Assessment

Group the class into pairs. Have students exchange letters with their partners; they can offer comments and gentle critique about the letters.

Lesson Plan Source

Education World

Submitted by

Lois Lewis