JUNIATA COLLEGE

Huntingdon, PA 16652
LESSON PLAN
Teacher Paige Weiland____________ Subject History__________________ Grade 3______

STANDARDS ALIGNED SYSTEM:

Standard - 8.3.3.B tie to local history
Identify and describe historical documents, artifacts, and places critical to United States history.

MATERIALS AND/OR EQUIPMENT:

o Materials used by teacher: laptop/camera, whiteboard, PowerPoint, images, YouTube
o Materials used by students: computer, KWL chart, internet access
LEARNING TARGET(S):
Knowledge Target
o Recognize the name of the historical documents such as the Declaration of
Independence, the Constitution and the Gettysburg Address
o Understand that Philadelphia, Gettysburg, Washington DC are important places in
US History
Skill Target
o Demonstrate the ability to match the document to the place it was given/signed
TEACHING PROCEDURES/SEQUENCE:
Flipped Lesson:
Hello class! Today we will be learning about documents and places that are important to
the history of the United States. These documents and places are all very important because they
helped shape our country into what it is today. The three documents we will be discussing today
will all be linked to the two places we are also discussing today. Please remember to fill out your
KWL chart after you watch the video. Also, please make a copy of the chart I have drawn on the
board and take notes on the video as you are watching. We will be going over them tomorrow in
class.
The first document we will be discussing today is the Declaration of Independence and
the first place we will discuss is Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. On July 4, 1776, in the middle of
the Revolutionary war with Great Britain, men from all thirteen colonies called delegates came
to Philadelphia to sign the Declaration of Independence. The purpose of the Declaration was to
tell Great Britain that we no longer wanted to be a part of their country, and that we had decided
to start our own. This is why we call July 4th Independence Day. The Delegates met in the
Pennsylvania State House, now called Independence Hall to sign the Declaration. If we wouldnt
have written or signed the Declaration of Independence, we might still be a part of Great Britain.
The Constitution of the United States of America is a document written by men known as
the Founding Fathers. The Founding Fathers include Presidents John Adams, Alexander
Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and George Washington, along with inventor
Benjamin Franklin and representative John Jay. The purpose of the Constitution is to tell the
government what the people of the United States want, and to keep all of us free. It was written

during the Constitutional Convention in 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was signed
there on September 17, 1787. The beginning of the Constitution is called the Preamble, which
tells what the Founding Fathers set out to do.
The last document well be talking about today is the Gettysburg Address. It was a speech
given in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania by President Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863. On
April 12, 1861, our country began fighting with itself in a war called the Civil War. The northern
states, known as the Union, and the southern states, known as the Confederacy, had different
ideas of how they wanted the United States to be run and what the rules should be. The war
lasted four years before they finally agreed to make some compromises. One of the biggest
battles during the Civil War was the Battle of Gettysburg, which took place in a large field in
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. On July 1,1863, a small battle broke out in Gettysburg. The
Confederacy, knowing they had more troops than the Union, decided to assist in hopes of
breaking the spirits of those who supported the Union. It was a three-day long battle that ended
in a very surprising win for the Union. The Gettysburg Address, given four months later, was to
dedicate a cemetery for Union soldiers killed during the Battle of Gettysburg.
Tomorrow in class, we will look at what the Declaration of Independence gave us, and we
will listen to the Preamble to the Constitution and the Gettysburg Address. Please remember to
fill out your KWL charts and bring the chart with your notes on it, because we will be looking at
those, too. See you in class tomorrow!
Development:
Create a large KWL chart for the entire class to fill out
Analyze a large copy of the Declaration of Independence hung on the board
o Split the kids up into two groups: the Colonies and Great Britain. Tell them that
Britain wanted to keep the colonies because they wanted to be more powerful and
the colonies wanted to be free. Have them discuss which side they think was right
and why
Interpret the Preamble to the Constitution
o Have the kids watch the Schoolhouse Rock Preamble video and talk about each
part of it
Recognize the site of the Battle of Gettysburg and the Gettysburg Address
o Get on Google Maps and find the battlefield. Also, find the cemetery where
Lincoln gave his speech
Evaluate the Gettysburg Address
o Hand out copies of the address and break certain important parts of it down for
the students to understand in small groups
Closure: List how you will review the key concepts and material and end the lesson.

Concepts will be reviewed in a bulleted list that accompanies the video

Concepts will be reviewed in class the next day, also