Kentucky Reading and Writing RI.9-10.9

ELAGrades 9–10Reading Informational Text

The Standard

Analyze documents of historical and literary significance, including how they address related themes and concepts.

Kentucky Academic Standards for Reading and Writing (2025) · Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Read excerpts from the Declaration of Independence and Frederick Douglass’s Fourth of July speech. Explain how each addresses freedom and equality, using evidence from both texts.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can show how Douglass uses the Declaration’s claim about equality to challenge slavery. They cite a line from each text and explain the connection.
Common Misconceptions: Students may assume the Declaration’s words about equality meant everyone had equal rights at the time. They may think Douglass rejects freedom, rather than arguing that enslaved people were denied it.
How to Assess It: Exit ticket: Use one line from each excerpt to explain how Douglass challenges the Declaration’s promise of equality.

Lesson moves

Give pairs printed excerpts and two highlighters; mark claims about freedom in yellow and words naming who receives it in blue.
Ask students to write two sentences answering: How does Douglass use the Declaration’s claim about equality to make his argument?
Run a six-quote sort; students group lines from both texts by shared idea, then explain one difference.
Provide a school pledge promising inclusion and a mock student letter describing exclusion; ask pairs how the letter uses the pledge’s promise.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to RI.9-10.9, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

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