The Declaration of Independence is one of the most important historical documents that Americans can examine and learn about. Fifth grade students at Northern Elementary worked in small groups to interpret and paraphrase each key passage of the Declaration of Independence. Students used a thesaurus to help them understand any difficult vocabulary words and phrases. Students were then instructed to paraphrase each section of the Declaration of Independence and write out the “new” kid-friendly version on to large chart paper. Kids were able to draw patriotic symbols and use markers to make their posters. At the bottom of each document, students signed their names in cursive just like the founding fathers of our country. Students enjoyed working in groups and turning the difficult vocabulary words into fifth grade vocabulary that they could understand. The finished posters were displayed in the hallway at school.
Julie Sammons
Northern Elementary School
Pulaski County Schools
5th Grade
