Goals & Objectives
Students will learn about the philosophers of the Enlightenment and their ideas. Students will compare the major ideas of the Enlightenment philosophers and analyze their effects on democratic revolutions.
California State Content and Common Core Standards
California State Content Standards
10.2 Students compare and contrast the Glorious Revolution of England, the American Revolution, and the French Revolution and their enduring effects worldwide on the political expectations for self-government and individual liberty. 10.2.1 Compare the major ideas of philosophers and their effects on the democratic revolutions in England, the United States, France, and Latin America (e.g., John Locke, Charles-Louis Montesquieu, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Simón Bolívar, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison).
Common Core Standards
Compare and contrast treatments of the same topic in several primary and secondary sources.
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary describing political, social, or economic aspects of history/social science.
10.2 Students compare and contrast the Glorious Revolution of England, the American Revolution, and the French Revolution and their enduring effects worldwide on the political expectations for self-government and individual liberty. 10.2.1 Compare the major ideas of philosophers and their effects on the democratic revolutions in England, the United States, France, and Latin America (e.g., John Locke, Charles-Louis Montesquieu, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Simón Bolívar, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison).
Common Core Standards
Compare and contrast treatments of the same topic in several primary and secondary sources.
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary describing political, social, or economic aspects of history/social science.
Lesson Introduction
The teacher will hand out a sheet with the following three quotes from Enlightenment philosophers that represent some of their ideas.
“All mankind... being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions.”
John Locke
“Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains.”
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
“I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it.”
Voltaire
After reading the quotes the students will pair up and think-pair-share what these quotes have in common and what they are about. The pairs will then move into larger groups and share their ideas.
“All mankind... being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions.”
John Locke
“Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains.”
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
“I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it.”
Voltaire
After reading the quotes the students will pair up and think-pair-share what these quotes have in common and what they are about. The pairs will then move into larger groups and share their ideas.
Vocabulary
Before the reading assignment but after the lesson introduction the students will be given a list of vocabulary terms to search for in the reading as they find the ideas of the philosophers. The teacher will go over the terms with the students after they have completed the assignment.
Key Terms:
The Enlightenment
Salons
Social contract
Separation of Powers
Checks and Balances
Rational
Philosophes
Laissez-faire
Enlightened Despots
Key Terms:
The Enlightenment
Salons
Social contract
Separation of Powers
Checks and Balances
Rational
Philosophes
Laissez-faire
Enlightened Despots
Content Delivery
The teacher will have the students open their textbooks to Section 2, The Enlightenment, of Chapter 19, Enlightenment and Revolution. The teacher will pre-read the section with the students by going over the headings and sub-headings of the section. While doing this the teacher will activate prior knowledge by asking students what they know, if anything, about the topics. The teacher will also ask students what they might think each section is about. The teacher will then hand out a graphic organizer that students will use while reading.
Student Engagement
As the students read the section they will fill out a graphic organizer with information about the philosophers of the Enlightenment. To fill out the organizer students must input information about each philosopher including their country of origin, main ideas, and any works written by them. Each section of the organizer needs to have at least 5 points written in it. Students are also concurrently filling out their vocabulary list with definitions.
Lesson Closure
The teacher will start a class discussion with the entire class working to fill in the graphic organizer. The teacher will list information on the board as students offer it while students add any information they missed into their organizers. The same procedure will then follow for the vocabulary lists.
Assessment
Formative- As the students are working on filling in their organizers the teacher will observe the students’ work to assess their information. If students are not finding the information the teacher will give advice for reading strategies.
Summative- The teacher will assess and score the graphic organizers and will informally assess during the class discussion.
Summative- The teacher will assess and score the graphic organizers and will informally assess during the class discussion.
Accommodations for English Learners, Striving Readers and Students with Special Needs
To accommodate for these students a more comprehensive list of vocabulary will be given with more common English terms with definitions included with the academic terms that the students must find in the text. The students will also be given a graphic organizer that has a few points written in to provide a better example.