Eureka!

Declaring Independence

Publication Information

Author: Miller, Brandon Marie

Illustrator:

Title: Declaring Independence

Date: 2005

Publisher: Lerner

City: Minneapolis, MN

ISBN, paperback: 0-8225-1275-0

ISBN, hardback:

Recommended audience:

ABE/ABLE: Yes

ESOL:

Family:

Young Adult:

Picture:

General Information:

Book Type(s): nonfiction, reference

HSE Descriptor(s): social studies

Summary:

The events large and small surrounding the struggle for independence of the American colonies from England are told with a wealth of detail and with archival material. Source notes, bibliography, further reading and websites, and an index make the interesting book useful as well. Readers thought the book had a textbook feel, better used as a reference.

Teaching Ideas:

In the mythologized history of the American Revolution, many facts are glossed over. A K-W-L strategy would help determine what facts are know, what myths believed, and what questions remain. Creating a timeline while reading would help keep track of events and important persons. Readers can generate a list of questions for the L of the K-W-L. For example: Describe the treatment of the Tories/Loyalists by the Patriots; Describe the provision of the troops and the daily hardships of the civilian population; What role did inadequate currency play? Who provided uniforms? How effective were the early non-violent measures such as boycotts of British goods? Readers might take an event they didn't know about fully and gather information for discussion and writing from the text and the Internet resources provided in the end papers.

Teaching Strategies: