Teacher: Daniel Massey

Course: Global II
Grade Level: 10
Date: 04/14/14
Dates of Lesson:

Enlightenment Episode I: The Rise of the Thinkers

I. Lesson Objectives:
1. Students will demonstrate their prior knowledge by completing a pre-
assessment.
2. Students will create a T-chart to compare the attributes of kings and
queens hundreds of years ago to kings and queens of today in order to
better understand the concept of a monarchy with absolute power.

II. Lesson Context:
This lesson is a transition from the Scientific Revolution into the enlightenment
period. The lesson will help them better understand how monarchies used absolute
power to rule their land. The students will be able to make a smooth transition from
one topic to the other with a better and deeper understanding of the time period
and how governments worked. It shows the importance of higher order thinking to
challenge ideas that were once accepted without question.

III. Standards:
Reading Standards for Literacy in Social Studies
R10.4 - 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
studies.
IV. Materials:
Images of the Enlightenment thinkers from the vocabulary sheet to be pulled up during
the definition explanation, clip from Les Miserables queued for viewing.

V. Anticipatory Set/ The Hook:
Students will work with a partner on a pre-assessment asking what the Enlightenment is
and asking for a few definitions. This is just to check for prior knowledge. Some of the
words/concepts should be at least a little familiar from the Scientific Revolution lessons.

VI. Procedures:
The teacher will list 8-12 countries currently ruled by a king or queen. As a class we will
create a T chart comparing the attributes of kings and queens in the past and present. The
students will then be divided into groups of (approximately) three and given a vocabulary
sheet of key terms and people. They will be given two words per group to define. They
will have to find an image on the Internet that represents the word and then using the
Skitch program they will write the term and definition over the image. As students
present, the teacher will make sure their information is accurate and add or subtract when
necessary.

VII. Conclusion:
To conclude, the students will be asked to watch the mini-lesson about The
Enlightenment at home that night. It will include a clip from Les Miserables showing the
changing attitudes of the people toward the government. They will have pay close
attention to the lesson in order to discuss what they watched the next day in class. (Le
Mis clip that will be used: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMYNfQlf1H8)

VIII: Assessment:
As groups work on their vocabulary terms the teacher will walk around making sure there
are no questions and checking to make sure everyone is on task and making progress. The
presentations of the terms at the end of class also act as an assessment.

IX. Differentiation:
Group work is a way to build in differentiation. Groups will be predetermined by the
instructor to ensure someone who may need assistance from peers is in a group with a
stronger classmate.


Pre-Assessment
Directions: Define the following terms and use them in sentences.
1. What was the Enlightenment?


2. Define absolutism.


3. Define natural law.


4. Define mercantilism.


5. Define free enterprise.

Vocabulary Exploration
Directions: In the middle column, record textbook definitions and/or identifications
of the vocabulary terms/names listed below. In the third column, create a symbol or
picture that represents the meaning or impact of each term/name.
Vocabulary Term/name Definition/Identification

Symbol/Picture

1. Rationalism



2. Natural law



3. Montesquieu



4. Rousseau




5. John Locke




6. Adam Smith




7. Mercantilism





8. Absolutism




9. Enlightened despotism



10. Enlightenment