This unit walks young learners from the idea of independence to the morning the delegates signed their names — using audio stories, one question per day, and a classroom covenant your family or class writes together.
What you need
- Any 2 Founding Fathers stories from the TrueTales library
- One sheet of nice paper for the covenant
- Markers or a 'quill' (a feather taped to a pen works)
Session 1: Why would anyone leave a king?
Listen (10-15 min)
Play any TrueTales Founding Fathers story. Pause once, in the middle, and ask: what would YOU pack if your family started over in a new land?
Do (15-20 min)
Draw a two-column chart: 'What the king decides' vs 'What we decide'. Let the children fill the second column — bedtime, chores, games — then ask which list should be longer and why.
Session 2: Words that changed the world
Listen (10-15 min)
Listen to a story about the drafting of the Declaration. Stop after the phrase 'all men are created equal' and let the silence sit for three seconds before asking what it means.
Do (15-20 min)
Each child dictates or writes ONE sentence beginning 'I believe every person deserves…'. Collect the sentences — they become your covenant draft.
Session 3: Signing day
Listen (10-15 min)
Finish the story. Ask: the signers risked their homes and lives — what do we risk when we keep a promise?
Do (15-20 min)
Write your family or classroom covenant in fancy letters. Everyone signs at the bottom — big, like John Hancock. Hang it where guests can see it.
How you'll know it worked
A week later, ask your child to explain the wall covenant to a visitor. If they can say who signed, what it promises, and why the signatures are big — the unit landed.