Democracy Project Summer 2026

Theme: Local Civics – Developing Students as Community Problem Solvers

Dates: June 22-24, 2026, at the Virden Center in Lewes, DE

Interest Form: www.surveymonkey.com/r/QJ77VS6

Information for the 2026 application is coming soon... 

Upcoming Showcase

Date: March 27, 2026

Location: University of Delaware, Newark Campus

Summer Institute: June 22-26, 2026, at the Virden Center in Lewes, DE

Apply to Become Part of a Project Citizen Research Cohort by contacting Fran O'Malley. 

About these Lesson Plans

Lessons developed for the Teaching and Commemorating the U.S. Declaration of Independence are sponsored in part by the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Mid-Atlantic and US Territories Region Program, located at the American Historical Association. Content created and featured in partnership with the TPS Mid-Atlantic and US Territories Region does not indicate an endorsement by the Library of Congress.

Upper Elementary School Lessons

MISSing from HIStory: Mary Katharine Goddard 

In this lesson, students will engage in a range of activities that incrementally reveal the story of the only woman whose name appears on a copy of the Declaration of Independence that was printed and circulated within months (January 18, 1777) of its approval by the Second Continental Congress. Featured children’s book Her Name Was Mary Katharine [Goddard] by Ella Schwartz.

Remove the Records

In this lesson, students will be presented with “pieces of a puzzle” (primary and secondary sources) that can be used to construct a tentative account of the story of Stephen Pleasonton who, during the War of 1812, had the wits to secure original copies of the Declaration, Constitution, and other state papers and save them from burning along with our U.S. Capitol building and the White House. Featured children's book -  Rescuing the Declaration of Independence: How We Almost Lost the Words that Built America by  Anna Crowley Reddin.

Melted Majesty

In this lesson, students will review the events surrounding the statue of King George III that was erected in Bowling Green, NY.  Students will create a chronology of events and use the chronology to determine the effect of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on the future of the statue.

Middle School Lessons

Our Declaration’s Principles: Ideal v Reality

In this lesson, students will read brief excerpts from the Declaration of Independence to determine principles of the American political system. They will then consider key events or developments in American history and draw conclusions about the extent to which they suggest that the American people have or have not lived up to these principles to which our nation claims to be committed.

Why Declare? Examining the “Facts” of the Declaration of Independence 

This lesson asks students to consider a collection of the “Facts” listed in the Declaration of Independence, and connect them with other primary sources to provide context as to its purpose. In doing so, they will assess the validity and credibility of the claims to better understand how perceptions of different grievances shaped the decision to declare their independence.

Middle-High School Lessons

Preserving American Memory Through Art (but of what?) 

John Trumbull’s 1818 painting entitled The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776 is a truly iconic piece of art - regarded as representative of the founding of our nation. It hangs in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. Despite its renown, historians and scholars have debated exactly what event it depicts. In this lesson, students will analyze Trumbull’s work as well as the interpretations of what it is intended to depict. 

Monumental Decisions: The Caesar Rodney Statue Tug of War

In this lesson students will debate Delaware Senate Concurrent Resolution 65 (introduced into the Delaware General Assembly on 5/6/25 and laid on the table in the Senate), communicate their positions to their representatives, and follow the actions of elected officials as they debate the Resolution. 

High School Lessons

Commemorating the Declaration 

In this lesson students will compare the Centennial and Sesquicentennial celebrations to explore how Americans saw themselves at two important moments in history, identifying and explaining patterns of continuity and change. Further, how will these past commemorations compare to what we observe during the Semiquincentennial?  What will stay the same and what will change?

Equality and the Global Influence of the Declaration of Independence

In this lesson, students will explore how the Declaration of Independence shaped evolving ideas about equality in the United States. By analyzing excerpts from the Declaration and primary sources written by and to Thomas Jefferson, students will investigate how Jefferson’s own views on equality were expressed, challenged, and interpreted over time. Using strategies like IREAD, document sourcing, and comparative analysis, students will unpack the complexity of what Jefferson meant when he wrote that “all men are created equal.”

Mission Statement

The Delaware Civics Education Coalition is a nonpartisan coalition of groups in Delaware engaged in civic education activities that are working to elevate civic education and engagement as a state priority in order to protect and strengthen America's constitutional democracy. This includes building a shared commitment to ensure that all young people are prepared to assume their rights and responsibilities to participate in civic life and address the issues facing students, their families, and communities in our increasingly dynamic and digital society.

To achieve this mission, the Delaware Civics Education Coalition promotes nonpartisan policies that support engaging K–12 civic learning, both in- and out-of-school.​

Program Goals

• Establish and institutionalize the Delaware Civics Education Coalition
• Conduct an environmental scan of civics education policies, achievement, and opportunities in Delaware
• Raise awareness of (or create) civics-related opportunities that deepen students' understanding of content and duties
• Provide professional learning that supports Delaware's civics standards, especially for grades 4, 7, and 11
• Lay the groundwork for the establishment of school and teacher recognition programs (e.g., Centers for Excellence in Civics Education, and Teachers of Excellence as Civics Educators​)