• develop a working definition of what it means for everyone to be equal;
• interpret the phrase "All Men Are Created Equal" in the context of the Declaration of Independence;
• compare their definition of equality to the definition Jefferson was using in the Declaration of Independence; and
• develop a rationale for Jefferson's usage of the phrase based on his life and historical context.

3-4 class periods

6-12

American History, Civics, Political Science

McREL 4th Edition Standards & Benchmarks

Historical Understanding
Standard 2. Understands the historical perspective

Language Arts
Standard 6. Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of literary texts
Standard 7. Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of informational texts

US History
Standard 6. Understands the causes of the American Revolution, the ideas and interests involved in shaping the revolutionary movement, and reasons for the American victory.
Standard 8. Understands the institutions and practices of government created during the Revolution and how these elements were revised between 1787 and 1815 to create the foundation of American political system based on the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

• Was It Compromise or Hypocrisy?
• Maier, Pauline. American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence. New York: Vintage Books, 1997.
• Stein, R. Conrad. The Declaration of Independence. Chicago: Childrens Press, 1995.