Embodying Concepts, Principles, and Perspectives

Essential Questions

• How is my story a part of American history?
• How does an honest reckoning with our past help us move forward together?

Builds On

• Continuums

Directions

1. Review how to create a Continuum, designating one end of the room to represent one perspective and the other to represent a contrasting perspective.
2. Provide the following series of prompts and ask participants to place themselves along the Continuum according to their personal stance on the topic.
3. Once everyone has landed, ask volunteers to share a bit about why they stand where they do. It is intentional that the prompts do not come with easy answers. Respectful debate is encouraged when there are differences of opinion. Will anyone change their perspective once they have heard from others?

Suggested Prompts

• One person can change the world.
  • One end of the continuum represents the belief that individuals have that power. The other end represents the belief that collective action is necessary.
• The common good should be prioritized over the rights of individuals.
  • One end represents priority on the common good. The other end represents the prioritization of individual rights.
• Critiquing the policies of one’s country is a patriotic act.
  • One end represents agreement that it is patriotic. The other represents the belief that it is not.
• In a tolerant society, one must make space for beliefs that differ from one’s own.
  • One end of the continuum represents agreement that tolerance does mean making space for other perspectives. The other end represents disagreement with the need to make space for other perspectives.
• History is a set of facts that are not open to interpretation.
  • One end of the continuum represents the belief that history is composed purely of facts. The other end represents the belief that history’s events can be interpreted in various ways.
• In a democracy, citizens have a responsibility to participate.
  • One end represents that participation in democracy is a responsibility of citizens. The other end represents that it is not.
• True equality is possible in the United States of America.
  • One end of the continuum represents the belief that it is possible. The other end represents the belief that it is not.
• Our government reflects the will of the people.
  • One end represents agreement that the will of the people is present in our government. The other end represents the belief that our government does not reflect the will of the people.
• Securing freedom for all requires compromise.
  • One end of the continuum represents the belief that compromise should be made in order to secure freedom for all. The other end represents the belief that no compromises should be made in the pursuit of freedom.
• The United States is headed towards a future that is brighter than its past.
  • One end represents agreement that the future will be brighter. The other end represents disagreement that the future is brighter.
• Our legacies will be determined not by ourselves but by those who come after us.
  • One end represents the belief that we can control the legacy we leave behind. The other end represents the belief that it is determined by those who come after us.

Essential Questions

• How is my story a part of American history?
• In creating the Declaration of Independence, what mattered?
• How can we hold this history as a predicament versus an affirming myth?
• How does an honest reckoning with our past help us move forward together?

Builds On

• Dialogues

Exploring Values

1. In pairs:
   • Students should share their belief statements and accompanying symbols;
   • OR the Facilitator may assign each pair a foundational principle described in the Declaration of Independence.
2. Identify a setting/set of circumstances in which one person’s value or an assigned value from the Declaration is important or applicable.
   • Create a short dialogue about a character who is trying to live that value. What are the challenges they encounter, both interpersonally and systemically?
   • OR create a short dialogue in which members of the Second Continental Congress debate the inclusion of a principle.
3. Options: Participants may create these dialogues improvisationally; or in a more conventional playwriting format in which one person writes a line of dialogue on paper or in a shared document, then the second person writes a line in response, repeating.
4. Allow time for drafting and editing
5. Share dialogues with the whole group.

Exploring Perspectives

1. In pairs, assign one partner to take on the role of a loyalist and the other partner to take on the role of someone wishing to declare independence from Great Britain.
2. Participants begin by outlining the justification for each character’s perspective using historical evidence.
3. Next, choose a setting in which the two characters may meet.
4. Then, create a short dialogue in which the characters share their points of view and try to persuade each other that their view is the correct one.

Variation: Distribute sets of lines from the script of 1776 but without the attribution of which character said which line. Challenge students to use their research and understanding of the perspectives of John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and/or others to determine which lines may have been said by which character in the production. Work together to reconstruct the scene and read or even perform it for the class.

Active Reflection: Question Responses

1. Combine dialogue pairs into small groups of four.
2. Each group should choose one of the two dialogues to focus on. Each member of the group will formulate a question about the idea/value/principle in the dialogue and how the dialogue presented it.
   • Consider: What is the impact of the choices made by characters in the dialogue? Are there still lingering challenges to living the value that the dialogue does not address? Does the pair have an opinion about the circumstances in the dialogue?
3. The group should then choose one question. The pair not performing the dialogue should practice asking the question together in unison.
4. Perform around the room:
   • Dialogue pair performs their dialogue, the partner pair asks a question about it.
   • Repeat until all have presented.
   • Extension: How does changing the order of the dialogues and questions impact the experience of hearing and seeing them? Does one dialogue answer the question about another? Are there cause-and-effect relationships that can be found? Or solutions?

Essential Questions

• In creating the Declaration of Independence, what mattered?
• How can we hold this history as a predicament versus an affirming myth?

Builds On

• Monologues

Directions

1. Imagine that the Thirteen Colonies represented in the Second Continental Congress are in a relationship with their significant other, Great Britain.
2. Drawing on the list of complaints against Great Britain in the Declaration of Independence, participants should make two lists from the perspective of the Colonies:
   • The wrongs that Great Britain has done to you.
   • The future you want to pursue but cannot while tied to Great Britain.
3. Participants should use these lists to write a letter to Great Britain explaining why they need to break up. Try including:
   • The values mentioned in the Declaration and other values the Colonies personally believe in. For example:
     • “I’ve come to the conclusion that we need to break up. In a relationship, I need to feel like my boundaries are respected but you, Great Britain, have [ways that Great Britain did not show respect for the Colonies or violated the Colonies’ autonomy].”
   • The common break-up language, “It’s not you, it’s me” and “It’s not me, it’s you” to frame your reasons. For example:
     • “It’s not you, Great Britain, it’s me. It’s that I want to [future goal] and I can’t because [how Great Britain holds you back].”
     • “It’s not my fault that you [wrong committed by Great Britain]. I just want to [future goal].
4. Read your break-up letter to Great Britain as a monologue.
5. Extension: Write the opposite letter/monologue from Great Britain to the Colonies citing why the Colonies should take you back:
   • The reasons why you feel the things the Colonies have accused you of were actually in the Colonies best interest.
   • The future that you think will be possible if you stay together as one.
   • Any ways in which the Colonies are doing things that are similar to their accusations against Great Britain.

Essential Questions

• How is my story a part of American history?
• How does an honest reckoning with our past help us move forward together?

Builds On

• Story Circles
• Continuums
• Jump-In Reading

Directions

1. Briefly discuss in a discussion or in a Story Circle: Thinking about many years from now, how do we want our society to be? How will it live the values we believe are important?
2. Use responses from previous activities and expand upon them.
   • Each person chooses 3+ ideas from the Personal Belief Symbols exercise and/or from the Question Sculptures & Tableaux.
   • Use the templates below for a short personal declaration of belief or values. It may sound like a poem/could rhyme but doesn’t need to.
   • Consider making additional “We Declare” statements.
3. Next, have the group do a Jump-In Reading of their writing or solo readings of these pieces in their entirety.
4. Extension: Add Tableaux or Sculptures to accompany these statements.

Templates