Previous Knowledge Students Should Have about the Declaration of Independence

• People have the right to revolt against an unjust government
• The fundamental ideas of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”
• Intellectual origins for the primary principles
• Concept of the Social Contract
• Videos providing an overview if necessary (both are from the Center for Civic Education’s YouTube channel)
  • Life, Liberty and Property
  • The Social Contract

Materials Needed

Document with quotes from Locke, Jefferson and Franklin about virtue in relation to citizenship, governance and the importance of education (also attached at the end of the lesson).

Day One

Opening (10 minutes)

Provide the students with a visual of the two similar quotes below:

John Locke, Second Treatise of Government

“…and reason, which is that law, teaches all mankind, who will but consult it, that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions…” (commonly referred to as life, liberty and property)

Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

Discussion Questions

1. Why do you think Thomas Jefferson changed the phrase from “property” to “pursuit of happiness”?
2. Do you think property (or implied – wealth) is essential happiness? Why or why not?
3. Which phrase do you think is more relevant to our society today?
4. Do you believe these are valuable rights for citizens to have in a society (important question to lead into next activity)

Teacher Information

Possible reasons for the change:

1. To broaden the idea beyond ownership to include freedom and self-determination
2. Avoid potential conflicts with life of the time (who could own property, issue of slavery) and emphasize opportunity for a broader range of people

Impact of both:

1. Concept of property influences ideas of private ownership and free markets (along with ideas from Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations)
2. Concept supports ideas of individualism, equality, self-governance that all became a part of the American identity and influenced future movements (abolitionism, civil rights, LGBTQ+ rights, disability rights)

Small Group Activity (15-25 minutes or more including returning to the large group)

Now imagine a society where all citizens have the rights of life, liberty and property, but people do not value honesty, fairness or responsibility. Will this society function well? Why or why not?

1. Can people have liberty if they do not behave responsibly?
2. What happens if citizens do not respect the rights of others?
3. Do citizens have to be virtuous for a successful democracy?

Divide students into four groups and have each group focus on a specific right and its relationship to virtue. In addition, ask each group to think of some real world examples to expand on their general discussion.

1. Virtue and Life – How does personal responsibility help protect everyone’s right to life? (laws against violence, public safety, good samaritan laws)
2. Virtue and Liberty – How does moral behavior ensure that freedom benefits everyone instead of leading to selfishness and chaos?
3. Virtue and Property – What would happen if people ignored fairness and stole from each other? How does economic virtue (paying taxes, fair business laws) uphold the social contract?
4. Virtue and Government – What happens if leaders are not virtuous? How can citizens hold individual leaders accountable?

After each group is finished, they should pick a member to report back to the group about how they addressed the overall idea and what real world examples they came up with and how they either reinforce or challenge Locke’s belief that virtuous citizens (and leaders) are necessary for a successful democracy.

Teacher Information

John Locke’s social contract philosophy focused on the relationship between citizens and their government and the role of rights in that relationship. In addition, he believed that virtue was an important trait for a citizen (and government to have) and that virtue was derived from responsibility, morality and reason.

1. Social Contract – the government protected natural rights (life, liberty and property) and the citizens agreed to be ruled by just laws in return. Citizens should not exploit a system of laws, infringe upon the rights of other citizens or fail to hold the government accountable for its own actions.
2. Citizens and Virtue:
   • Life – must not harm each other and must work collaboratively to ensure overall safety
   • Liberty – must act responsibly, freedom does not lead to reckless or lawless behavior
   • Property – ownership is a right, but not something to be abused (at the expense of others)
3. Government and Virtue:
   • Protects all of the above rights
   • Is accountable to its citizens

Day One – Closing (5 minutes)

Have students write an individual reflection on their own behaviors as a citizen. Do they feel like they behave virtuously? Is there anything they would like to change about their personal behavior? Do they have any recommendations for others their age about how to be a virtuous citizen?

Day Two – Opening (5 minutes)

John Locke saw education as a critical means to help develop virtuous citizens. Education can happen in various ways – school, family, peers, media, etc.

1. Building off yesterday’s discussions, what types of behaviors are necessary for a citizen to have to be virtuous?
2. What is the best means for educating the citizens of a democracy? Why?

Small Group Activity (25-35 minutes)

Divide students into small groups and distribute the quotes (available on the resources tab). They are divided into overarching categories (citizens, government, education) with each having quotes from John Locke, Thomas Jefferson/Benjamin Franklin. You can divide the quotes up in a variety of ways.

1. Each group gets one overarching category.
2. Each group gets all quotes from one source (Locke or Jefferson/Franklin)
3. Each group gets one quote from each category

Discussion Questions (or you can make a group worksheet using these questions):

1. Summarize each quote in your own words.
2. How do these quotes support the idea of an informed citizenry?
3. The Founding Fathers were strongly influenced by Locke’s ideas. The Declaration ends with the signers pledging their “lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor”. How does this reflect the idea of virtue in government and citizenry? Was virtue necessary in creating political change?
4. Do you think a government without virtue will become corrupt? What examples in modern day can you think of where lack of virtue in leadership has been a challenge?
5. Do you think the virtuous citizen is still important in America today? What happens if citizens become uninformed or disengaged?
6. Do you think schools do a good job preparing virtuous or responsible citizens today? Why or why not? If there needs to be changes, what should be changed?

Day Two – Closing (5 minutes)

Have students share their reflection from yesterday with a peer. Are there any changes they would like to make?

Extension Activity

Have students research protests by students. They can identify the social contract that was in place between the students and their institution, the reasons for the protest and the resolution. The final analysis can include evaluation of the “virtuousness” of the actions by the students, the institution and the resolution.

Possible Protests:

East Los Angeles Walkouts (1968)

Deaf President Now (1988)

Fees Must Fall Movement (2015-2016)

March for Our Lives (2018)

Hong Kong Protests (2019-2020)