Section II: Unit Topic and Rationale

1. The unit topic for my Freshmen World History classes is The French

Revolution: Terror and Enlightenment. The French Revolution is the first

time that Enlightenment ideals are formalized into a democratic doctrine. In

the unit prior to the French Revolution, students learned about the various

Enlightenment ideals that are still bedrock to our society today. The French

Revolution is the first opportunity for students to see the ideals applied in a
bloody Revolution.

The students will begin with a refresher on the Enlightenment ideals and

discuss the various other causes of the Revolution. Students will then learn
about the bloody events that took place during The Great Fear and the

massacre of the Girondins. Students will learn about the turmoil within the

new government and read about the execution of the King. Finally, students
will learn of the Napoleonic Wars and we will begin to transition into the

Industrial Revolution. Students will be formatively assessed daily and will

have an authentic and traditional summative assessment.

2. According to the CDE, high school history students should analyze key

historical periods and patterns of change over time within and across nations
and cultures. The French Revolution spans many nations in its impact on
society and shows the change from absolute monarchies to democratic

governments over time. This meets CDE high school history standards 2 and
3.

Within the curricular sequence, the French Revolution fits into the

World History curriculum at Fossil Ridge High School after the

Enlightenment and before the Industrial Revolution, or chronologically. This

is exactly where I taught the French Revolution unit.

3. The French Revolution is an important topic globally, personally, and is

appropriate for this population of students. The French Revolution

introduces the idea of nationalism, or feeling close ties to your homeland.

This idea will be seen throughout the duration of the world history class and
explains many actions that we see in current events.

This topic is also the first time that the Enlightenment ideals have

been applied. These ideals, which include the separation of church and state
and the natural rights of man, are ideals that we see applied here in the

United States. This is important to me, as I have fought to defend these rights
when I served in Iraq. It is also important that students have a firm

understanding of the roots of the philosophies that govern our nation. This
allows them to be better citizens in a democratic society.