Declaration of Independence Archives

July 6, 2023American Revolution, Test Prep, World War II

Great Declaration of Independence Meme to Use in the Classroom

I didn’t post on July 4th because I was enjoying my holiday. USA! USA! USA! BUT, I did come across several memes, and this one in particular made me laugh. I thought I’d share it.

Can you use this in the classroom? Totally!

You could put this on your board the day after you talk about the Declaration of Independence and see if your students get it…and if not, it’s a good way to remind them of THE most important date in American history (as well as who wrote most of the Declaration of Independence).
You could also use this as a bonus question for a test. “Explain what this meme means and why it is funny.”
You could round up a bunch of historical memes and use them as fun test prep reviews!

I think memes are actually a great way to help students practice analysis and critical thinking. Memes force students to recall information they know and then apply that knowledge to the meme to figure out what the meme is implying and why it the meme is funny.

While I’m on the subject of memes, did you know that the Keep Calm and Carry On memes were based on a British World War II motivational poster? It’s a good reminder to your students that history is everywhere!!!

October 23, 2020November 4, 2020Colonization & Settlement, For Students, New Nation

Free Interactive Drag and Drop Review Activities

I’ve figured out a way to add some drag and drop reviews to my site, and I am SO EXCITED! I’ve already made one about the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to the Constitution. I used to make my students memorize these passages. This would have been a great help! I can’t wait to make more of these! I’ll be posting all interactive review activities on my website under the For Students tab.

July 5, 2016October 14, 2016American Revolution, Colonization to Civil War

Declaration of Independence Memes

I know that I haven’t posted in a while. I took a little time off for vacation and then life got crazy. Anyway, I came across a few memes today on Facebook that would be GREAT to use in class when you are discussing the American Revolution.

The one at the top is funny and most teenagers (and people in general, I think) would relate to this. I know it’s not historically accurate…but it’s still funny.

I LOVE this one also, because it shows history from a completely different perspective. It’s good to stretch students’ minds and demonstrate how different a historical event can seem depending on which side is telling the story. It would be a great discussion starter or a prompt for a freewrite on historical perspective.

Click here to see a previous post about some of my favorite history meme’s to use in class.

Also, don’t forget about my Declaration of Independence Fun Facts Quiz that addresses some myths surrounding the Declaration of Independence.

I’ve also got a podcast episode about teaching the causes of the American Revolution.

Happy Independence Day! In honor of today, I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes about independence:

“Posterity! You will never know how much it cost the present Generation to preserve your Freedom! I hope you will make good use of it.” – John Adams

God Bless America!!!

May 20, 2016October 14, 2016American Revolution, Miscellaneous

Great History Memes

I came across this meme last night and thought it would be a great thing to use at some point when you are studying the American Revolution. Students need to know that, yes, they will hear about this stuff again…even if it is the form of an Internet meme. This person used their historical knowledge to come up with an awesome comeback that, I’m sure, gave countless other people a good chuckle.

Classroom Uses:

Put it on the board at the beginning of class to grab students’ attention (the day after you study the Boston Tea Party)
Add it to a test as a bonus question and have students explain the meaning for extra credit
Use it to remind students that historical references pop up in the most unlikely places
Challenge students to come up with their own history meme

Here are some of my other favorites that I came across after the above meme inspired me to do a search.

May 17, 2016October 14, 2016American Revolution, Colonization to Civil War

Declaration of Independence Fun Facts Quiz

I came across this interesting article about the Declaration of Independence and was inspired to create a Declaration of Independence Fun Facts Quiz. This would be a great attention-getting exercise to use on the day you cover the Declaration of Independence or as a fun filler activity. Enjoy!