View all 2 pagesDeclaration of independence reading passage for kids
Explaining how and why the Declaration of Independence was written
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2 pages118 KB
Declaration of Independence Worksheets
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence and why, its four parts and famous words, a primary-source excerpt, who was left out in 1776, and why it still matters.
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The Declaration and its writers
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View all 2 pagesDeclaration of independence Timeline: summer 1776
Sequencing the events of the summer of 1776
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2 pages45 KB
View all 2 pagesDeclaration of independence key people worksheet
Identifying key people connected with the Declaration of Independence
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2 pages30 KB
Inside the Declaration
View all 2 pagesDeclaration of independence primary source excerpt worksheet
Analyzing a short primary-source excerpt from the Declaration of Independence
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2 pages43 KB
View all 2 pagesParts of the declaration of independence worksheet
Identifying the parts of the Declaration of Independence and their purposes
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2 pages29 KB
View all 2 pagesDeclaration of independence famous words worksheet
Explaining famous phrases of the Declaration of Independence in plain words
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2 pages30 KB
View all 2 pagesDeclaration of independence grievances worksheet
Connecting the Declaration's complaints to earlier events
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2 pages31 KB
View all 2 pagesDeclaration of independence vocabulary worksheet
Determining the meaning of words used in and about the Declaration of Independence
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2 pages27 KB
Then and now
View all 2 pages“All men are created Equal”: then and now reading
Comparing the Declaration's ideals with the realities of 1776 and later changes
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2 pages42 KB
View all 2 pagesWhy the declaration of independence matters reading
Explaining the lasting importance of the Declaration of Independence
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2 pages40 KB
Review and write
View all 2 pagesDeclaration of independence fill in the blank
Recalling key facts about the Declaration of Independence
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2 pages39 KB
View all 2 pagesDeclaration of independence quiz for kids
Reviewing the Declaration of Independence
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2 pages41 KB
View largerDeclaration of independence writing activity
Writing about rights and responsibilities, modeled on the Declaration
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Print at 100% (actual size) for the cleanest tracing lines.
About these declaration of independence worksheets
On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. Written mostly by Thomas Jefferson, it told the world why the colonies were breaking away from Britain and stated that people have rights no government can take away.
These Declaration of Independence worksheets include a reading passage, a summer of 1776 timeline, key people, the four parts of the Declaration, its famous words in plain language and a primary-source excerpt to analyze. Children connect the complaints against the king to earlier events, read factually about who was left out of “all men are created equal” in 1776, learn why the Declaration still matters, and write a classroom declaration.
Every page is black and white, prints on US Letter or A4, and every page with right answers has an answer key on page 2.
Standards
C3 D2.Civ.3.3-5Examine the origins and purposes of rules, laws, and key U.S. constitutional provisions.C3 D2.His.1.3-5Create and use a chronological sequence of related events to compare developments that happened at the same time.C3 D2.His.3.3-5Generate questions about individuals and groups who have shaped significant historical changes and continuities.C3 D2.His.10.3-5Compare information provided by different historical sources about the past.C3 D2.Civ.8.3-5Identify core civic virtues and democratic principles that guide government, society, and communities.C3 D2.His.14.3-5Explain probable causes and effects of events and developments.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.4Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.C3 D2.His.4.3-5Explain why individuals and groups during the same historical period differed in their perspectives.
How to use them
- Read the excerpt aloud and talk through the words to know.
- Use the four parts page with a copy of the full text from the National Archives.
- Connect the complaints page to the causes of the American Revolution pages.
- Finish with the classroom declaration.
Teaching tips
- Quotations keep their 1776 spelling and capital letters and are kept short.
- Most signers signed on August 2, 1776, not on July 4.
- Discuss plainly that in 1776 enslaved people, women and Native peoples did not share the rights the Declaration named, and how Americans later worked to change that.
Questions teachers and parents ask
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson wrote the first draft. John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston were on the committee, and Congress made changes before adopting it.
When was the Declaration of Independence signed?
Congress adopted it on July 4, 1776. Most of the 56 signers signed the clean copy on August 2, 1776.
What are the four parts of the Declaration?
The introduction (preamble), the statement of rights, the list of complaints against King George III, and the conclusion declaring independence.