Page 9 - JM Teacher's Guide

n Assign the students to use excerpts from Jefferson’s Masterpiece to create a skit. Encourage them to use their imaginations to add additional characters and dialogue, as well as their own interpretations of what they believe might have taken place.
SUGGESTIONS:
1. The scene where Jefferson was asked to write the Declaration of Independence, pages 1-3;
2. The scene where Franklin asked Jefferson about his progress on writing the Declaration, pages 11-13;
3. The conversation between Jefferson and Thomas Paine, pages 33-36;
4. The scene where John Adams reviewed the Declaration of Independence, pages 39-40;
5. The scene where Jefferson met John and Sam Adams at City Tavern, pages 57-60;
6. The scene where the Virginia Resolution was debated, pages 63-67;
7. The July 4th scene where the Declaration was debated and approved, pages 83-90;
8. The August 2 scene when the Declaration was signed, pages 111-115.
n Instruct the students to pretend that they attended the first reading of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776. Tell them to describe what they saw, what they heard, what they thought and how they felt when they heard the Declaration of Independence being read.
n Students could recreate the debate on the Virginia Resolution that took place in the Pennsylvania State House on July 2, 1776. Each student would be assigned a delegate to impersonate. They would conduct research on their delegate in order to be able to imagine what he might have said during the actual debate. The question under consideration is: Should they vote to break ties with the British Crown and become free and independent states? Information about the signers can be found in Jefferson’s Masterpiece on pages 131-147 or http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/signers/index.htm. RESOURCE G: VIRGINIA RESOLUTION
n Students could stage a dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence for other students.
n Direct the students to make trading cards for their 5 favorite signers. List the types of information that should be included on each card. Information about the signers can be found in Jefferson’s Masterpiece on pages 131-147.
Jefferson’s Masterpiece
n Tell the students to complete WORKSHEET 11: JEFFERSON’S MASTERPIECE QUIZ.
Quiz
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