PaginePaginepagineapp.comTrace the argument. Evaluate the reasoning and evidence.
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. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
This passage, drafted mainly by Thomas Jefferson, is one of the most quoted in American history. It argues that governments exist to protect rights and draw their legitimacy from the people. When a government fails that purpose, the people may change or replace it.
At the time, the claim that "all men are created equal" excluded enslaved people, women and Native Americans from full rights. Later reformers — from Frederick Douglass to the leaders of the women’s suffrage and civil rights movements — cited these very words to demand that the nation live up to its ideals.
| Claim or central idea | |
|---|---|
| Reason / evidence 1 | |
| Reason / evidence 2 | |
| Counterclaim (if any) | |
| Is the evidence relevant and sufficient? Why? |
Worksheets › Grade 11 English › Integration of Knowledge & Ideas › Integration of Knowledge & Ideas
Free Grade 11 English worksheet (Common Core RI.11-12.8): trace and evaluate the argument and claims in "The Declaration of Independence (excerpt)", judging whether the evidence is relevant and sufficient. Skill: Compare texts and evaluate arguments. Level: Grade 11 — also suits Year 12 (UK).
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It is designed for Grade 11 (ages 16–17), but use it with any child who is ready.
Compare texts and evaluate arguments.
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All 5 integration of knowledge & ideas sheets → · Grade 11 English: all 10 skills → · All Common Core grades
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