Portsmouth Public Schools has over 5,000 students enrolled across 7 schools. The district employs over 700 teachers and staff to educate students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Portsmouth Public Schools aims to provide all students with a high-quality education in a supportive learning environment so they can achieve their full potential.

1. Portsmouth Public Schools

2. Key Words
Unalienable rights: rights that cannot be
taken away
Inherent: natural; rights people are born with
Derive: to come from
The English Bill of Rights of 1689: made
Parliament more powerful than the English
king. All new taxes had to be approved by
Parliament first.

3. Essential Knowledge
New political
ideas led to a
desire for
independence and
democratic
government in the
American
colonies.

4. Essential Knowledge
The Declaration
of Independence
proclaimed
independence
from England. It
stated that people
have natural
(inherent) rights
to life, liberty,
and the pursuit of
happiness.

5. Essential Questions
What ideas/philosophies about government were
expressed in the Declaration of Independence?

6. Key Philosophies in the Declaration of
Independence
Key philosophies in the
Declaration of
Independence were based
upon ideas first expressed
by European philosophers.
http://csmh.pbwiki.com/f/John%20Locke.jpg

7. Key Philosophies in the Declaration of
Independence
People have
certain
“unalienable
rights” to life,
liberty, and the
pursuit of
happiness.
(Unalienable
rights are rights
that cannot be
taken away.)

8. Key Philosophies in the Declaration of
Independence
People establish government to protect
those rights.

9. Key Philosophies in the Declaration of
Independence
Government
derives power
from the people.
http://bloggingfingers.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/crowds_of_people.jpg

10. Key Philosophies in the Declaration of
Independence
People have a right and a duty to
change a government that violates their
rights.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/20/world/asia/20korea.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

11. Think About It…
How do people in the United States show
the government they are not happy?
Why do you think the philosophies in the
Declaration of Independence are
important?