Applying Standards Based Constructivism:
A Two-Step Guide for Motivating Students
Declaration of Independence

Popular name:  Paraphrasing the Declaration of IndependenceTask
Grade level of lesson: 4th Grade
Discipline: Social Studies and ELA
Standards and Performance Indicators Context
 
Social Studies Standard 1

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in the history of the United States and New York.
  • Understand the basic ideal of American democracy as explained in the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution and other important documents.
ELA Standard 1

Students will listen, speak, read, and write for information and understanding.
  • Present information clearly in a variety of oral and written forms such as summaries, paraphrases, brief reports, and the like.
  • Use the process of pre-writing, drafting, revising, and proof reading.
Core Curriculum Outline Connection
The foundation of a new government and the ideal of American democracy as expressed in the Mayflower Compact and the Declaration of Independence of the State of New York and the United States of America.
Learning Objectives (which will become the dimensions of the assessment’s rubric)
Students will understand the ideas and concepts expressed in the Declaration of Independence (including the reasons why a people has the right to separate from “former systems of government,” the rights of man, the proof that tyranny exists, the need to make efforts to redress).
EXPLORATORY PHASE

(estimated time: 15 minutes)
  • In small groups students brainstorm and record current and old slang terms.
  • Full class reports out, and teacher records and compiles a list on the board.
  • In small groups students translate the slang into everyday basic American English.
  • Whole class report out.
  • The process is debriefed.
  • In small groups students are asked to paraphrase two sentences from the Federalist Papers or from the Articles of Confederation.
  • The whole class then debriefs using the group’s paraphrasing as the topic of discussion.
DISCOVERY PHASE

(estimated time: three 60-minute classes)

Performance Task (including planned interventions and audience beyond the teacher)
  • Students read the Declaration of Independence.
  • Students are guided through the development of a rubric for a paraphrase of the Declaration of Independence that would be understood by a second grader.  (The assessment rubric that appears below is provided as a guide for this rubric development process.)
  • In groups of two students paraphrase the Declaration of Independence.
  • Students rewrite each sentence putting its meaning into language that a second grade student could understand.
  • After drafting and revising their paraphrase of the DOI, students write on newsprint each of their paraphrased sentences under each sentence of the DOI sentences, using markers of different colors to distinguish one from another.
  • When they are finished, the groups post their newsprint and use a carousel process to go around and read each other’s newsprint.
  • Students are then given a chance to adjust their paraphrased DOI based on what they have learned from the carousel experience.
  • Pairs of student-teams act as critical friends to each other by using the class-developed rubric (the development of which is guided by the rubric that appears below).
  • Student-teams are given an opportunity to adjust their DOI paraphrase based on the advice of their critical friends.
  • In teams of two, students use their paraphrase of the DOI to explain the DOI to a group of two or three second graders.  One member of the team reads the paraphrase and conducts the explanation based on the paraphrase and the other takes notes recording the second graders reactions as an indication of the effectiveness of the teams paraphrasing.
  • The teams debrief regarding their effectiveness and the experience as a whole.
  • The students write a test-essay on what they understand is expressed in the DOI.
  • (The critical friend’s process provides one audience and the second grade students are an additional audience beyond the teacher.)
Task Specifications for Developing the Student-Generated Product/Process.
The final essay should be at least three paragraphs long.
Assessment of Performance Task
Dimensions of a paraphrase
Criteria for a score of
4
 Criteria for a score of
3
 Criteria for a score of
2
 Criteria for a score of
1
Analysis of characters in a story
 All nouns, verbs, and modifiers are used in everyday speech.
 Most nouns, verbs, and modifiers are used in everyday speech. 
 Some nouns, verbs, and modifiers are used in everyday speech. 
Few nouns, verbs, and modifiers are used in everyday speech.
Clarity
 All sentences short and clear..
 Most sentences short and clear.
 Some sentences short and clear.
 Few sentences short and clear.
Audience awareness
 All references and images relate to a young child’s view of life.
 Most references and images relate to a young child’s view of life
 Some references and images relate to a young child’s view of life.
 Few references and images relate to a young child’s view of life.


Dimensions of the essay on the ideas and concepts of the DOI
Criteria for a score of
4
 Criteria for a score of
3
 Criteria for a score of
2
 Criteria for a score of
1
The reasons why a people have a right to separate from former systems of government
 Wrote about all of the listed categories either generically or specifically
  • Government is destructive to the rights of man
  •  The right to be an independent nation
  • The right to self-determination
 Wrote about most of the listed categories either generically or specifically.. 
 Wrote about some of the listed categories either generically or specifically
Wrote about very few of the listed categories either generically or specifically
The rights of man
  • Life,
  • Liberty,
  •  The pursuit of happiness;
  • Government comes from the consent of the governed.
 Wrote about most of the listed categories either generically or specifically
 Wrote about some of the listed categories either generically or specifically
 Wrote about very few of the listed categories either generically or specifically.
The proof that tyranny exists
  • Refused to create necessary laws;
  • Abused the legislative process;
  • Manipulated the law courts;
  • Established military law;
  • Restrained lawful trade;
  • Created taxes without representa-tion;
  • Incited civil insurrection
 Wrote about most of the listed categories either generically or specifically
 Wrote about some of the listed categories either generically or specifically
 Wrote about very few of the listed categories either generically or specifically.
The efforts to seek redress
  • Attempts to seek redress;
  • Long suffering; the time has come;
  • Responsible to end tyranny
 Wrote about most of the listed categories either generically or specifically
 Wrote about some of the listed categories either generically or specifically
 Wrote about very few of the listed categories either generically or specifically.
Resources To Be Made Available To Students
  • Copies of the Declaration of Independence
  • Reference books on American history
  • Dictionaries
  • Internet access
Suggestions for the Teacher

Federalist Papers/Articles of Confederation
The teacher may wish to select the sentences to be used – picking those that are in the manner of the Declaration of Independence.

Slang Terms
Student should be prepared for this exercise by reminding them that this is school and only slang term that deals with acceptable topics are to be part of this discussion.

Rubric for the Paraphrase of the Declaration of Independence
This rubric is a means to an end, it is not tied directly to the learning objectives.  It is designed to guide the students to reach the learned objectives.