On the Trails

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.*

The above paragraph is the opening words of one of the most famous documents in the United States. The History Channel has created a wonderful learning resource that not only displays the text, but also has an historian, Elizabeth Hovey, describe each section in clearer terms. Interpreting the Declaration of Independence is the PIWiki site of the week. It can be used to meet this New York State Performance Indicator:

Students interpret the ideas, values and beliefs contained in the Declaration of Independence and the New York State Constitution and United States Constitution, Bill of Rights, and other important historical documents.

Here is a summary of the site:

1. Students can read the original text
2. There are asterisks next to various sections of the text, that when clicked on, will bring an interpretation of the text by Elizabeth Hovey
3. There is an original picture of the document for students to view as well as a picture of the signers
4. At the end of the site, there is a link to the biographies of the signers.

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