Class Work: The Declaration Of Independence By Thomas Jefferson

Words: 423
Pages: 2

Class Work – Monday/Tuesday 12/4-5/2017

On a separate sheet of paper, complete an essay on the following topic:

Do you believe that too much school instructional time is used to prepare students for standardized testing?

Remember to have: a hook, a claim (thesis), reasons, evidence, and counterclaim(s). Be sure to start/end strong, use good/meaningful transitions, and good diction. Use the attached rubric to reference how the essay will be graded.

Questions for: “The Declaration of Independence” by Thomas Jefferson

Read “The Declaration of Independence” by Thomas Jefferson. Then, reread the lines indicated with each question below. Answer each question, citing text evidence.

1. Lines 8–17: What is the main subject of the passage? What word or phrase best describes or summarizes Jefferson’s opinion of the main subject? Restate the theme.
2.
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Lines 28–31: What words in these lines have the strongest connotations, or emotional impact? Why might Jefferson have chosen these words? Describe Jefferson’s tone, citing supporting words and phrases.
3. Lines 32–58: What is repeated on this page? What effect does this repetition have on the reader?
4. Lines 42–47: Find phrases that tell about an action. Read the sentence without the phrase and then tell how the phrase affects the rhythm of the sentence. How do you think this phrase engages the reader’s sympathies?
5. Lines 90–97: Paraphrase these sentences using neutral language. Then describe Jefferson’s actual tone. Which specific words contribute most to this tone?
6. Lines 107–114: What examples of parallelism are in these lines? How are these ideas related?
7. Lines 111–114: What words in these lines help Jefferson persuade readers that the colonists have done their best to work with the British