Use this National Treasure movie study to teach on the history of the Declaration of Independence in an exciting and educational way!
Teaching History with National Treasure
- Talk through the Declaration of Independence and the true aspects of it. For instance, the back of the document does not display a map, but simply the date of its establishment, “dated 4th July 1776”.
- Research some of America’s important sites and monuments that are seen in the film, such as Independence Hall.
- Discuss the founding fathers and how they’ve contributed to our country as Ben does in learning about Benjamin Franklin’s pen name, Silence Dogood.
National Treasure Movie Study
National Treasure, follows Ben Gates, historian and code-breaker, as he searches for an alleged U.S. treasure. Through an expedition with rival Ian, Ben finds a clue that leads him to believe that a key to the treasure may be within the Declaration of Independence. Can he find out before Ian does? Follow Ben as he races to solve this mystery while also learning about our nation’s history!
This packet comes with 23 pages of discussion and activities plus an answer key. Please view the sample for a detailed preview.
COMPREHENSION
- Movie Quiz
- Discussion
- Clues (can use while watching the movie)
- Cause and Effect
ANALYSIS
- Character Traits (Ben, Riley, Abigail, Ian)
- Themes
- Ethics of Stealing writing prompt
- Pros and Cons of Stealing the Declaration
LEARNING
- What’s true?
- Declaration of Independence (comprehension + quiz)
- Washington DC (comprehension + quiz)
FUN
- Morse Code problems (3)
- Spy Codes Sheet
- Create a Cover
- Word Search
