My freshman have been enjoying the French Revolution so far.
I've got them thinking of reasons why people would be willing to revolt. We did an activity on the political spectrum and the connection to the French Revolution. We've been discussing the causes of the French Revolution. And, I passed out a project . . . an ABC Book on the French Revolution. Normally I would do my children's picture book of the steps leading up to the storming of the Bastille project but decided to do something else.
What's up next? My class will "Storm the Bastille" - storm a neighboring classroom (with my colleagues prior permission of course!). A mock trial of King Louis XVI using my guillotine (I had a student at my previous school make me a real guillotine - the blade isn't sharp folks). The history of the guillotine video from the History Channel. Showing excerpts of the film, Marie Antoinette.
Anyone have any other teaching activities for the French Revolution?
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4 comments:
I teach American History, but I loved your ideas about how to present the reasons for revolution. I am planning to adapt it and use it next year. Could you explain a little more about your ABC book?
Do you have any committees? You might have students form several committees to formuate rules for the new regime. One committee could be made up of "artistic" types, one of government types, one of peasant/farmer types, one of military types. Then compare the sets of new rules and regulations they come up with. This can be quite interesting if student committees stay within their historical characters....
Oh, and you might select a couple of students, secretly, to act as "spies" trying to ferret out "royalists and those persons who subscribe to a monarchist world vision...."
I like to have my students do some critical thinking type activities. One for the Fr. Rev. could be a question along the lines of: "IF you were a young Corsician artillery officer in the new French Army, would you fire your cannons at a rioting mob ?" Students might research what a young Napoleon Bonaparte did in that situation and explain if they agree with the historical outcome or if they formulate a different outcome...
Ooh fun! I am looking up ideas to teach the French Revolution and stumbled onto your blog. How did the storming go? I'm trying to find some sort of trial or play script.
i love love love this lesson!!!!! Do you have it written in lesson plan form? Oh, do you mind sharing your rubric or task sheet for the abc book?
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