Declaration+of+Independence+Writing+Project

toc =Objective= Apply your knowledge and understanding of the**// philosophy of government expressed by John Locke and Thomas Jefferson //**, as well as your own political philosophy, to write a modern day declaration of independence for __**ONE**__ of the nations listed at the bottom of this page. The declaration should be based on the model set forth by Thomas Jefferson in the original Declaration of Independence and should include the following:
 * State your beliefs with regards to the **purpose of government** in society and **natural rights**.
 * Explain to the world why the people of your chosen nation are **justified in declaring their independence**.
 * List the **injustices and abuses of human rights** conducted by the current nation's government.
 * Provide **inspiration and motivation** to the people of the nation and for people around the world.

=Requirements=
 * 1) Declaration of Independence outline (typed in MLA format)
 * 2) Posted draft on your wiki portfolio page
 * 3) Declaration of Independence (typed in MLA format)
 * 4) Declaration of Independence Writing Project Rubric

=Persuasive Outline= Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence is essentially a persuasive essay meant to not only declare independence, but to also "...explain to the world why the colonies were choosing to separate from Britain" (Hart 83). Use the following outline based on the Declaration of Independence to organize your writing.
 * Declaration of Independence Outline

=Writing Guidelines=
 * Main ideas are paragraphed and written in the students’ own words.
 * A level of sophistication is evident in the writing as an attempt is made at using higher-level vocabulary and varied sentence lengths.
 * The order and structure of information is compelling and moves the reader through the text without creating confusion in the reader’s mind.
 * Conveys an accurate and in-depth understanding of the topic, audience, and purpose for the writing task.
 * Proper grammar and spelling.

=Resources=
 * Declaration of Independence (Hart 470 - 473)
 * Declaration of Independence (Historical Context) by Founding.com
 * Declaration of Independence (Principles) by Founding.com
 * Hungarian Declaration of Independence
 * Texas Declaration of Independence
 * The Chiricahua Apache Nde Nation Declaration of Independence

=Nations=

Myanmar (Burma)

 * 2009 Human Rights Report

North Korea

 * 2009 Human Rights Report
 * Human Rights in North Koreaby About.com (Here is the web address if the link re-directs you to Yahoo Kids! - http://civilliberty.about.com/od/internationalhumanrights/p/northkorea101.htm)

Syria

 * 2009 Human Rights Report

Sudan

 * 2009 Human Rights Report