Joe's+Lesson+Plan

Unit- French Revolution

Objectives 1. At the conclusion of this lesson, students will be able to 2. Explain what happened to the price of bread in France  in 1788-1789, referencing data presented in primary source #1. 3. Discuss the political and social consequences of the bread shortage of 1788-1789 (primary source #2). 4. Describe the status and aspirations of women in eighteenth century France  (primary source #3).

Attention Grabber- Imagine you are Louis XVI. Jacques Necker, your finance minister, has just handed you a document highlighting the impact of the recent bread shortage on your people. The immediate cause of the bread shortage was the particularly harsh winter of 1788, but deeper economic and social problems have existed in France  for decades. How are you going to address your country's economic problems?

Primary Source #1 [] Activity for Primary Source #1 In pairs, students will analyze the data presented in document #1. I will provide students with the following questions to help them think about the data.

Questions for Primary Source #1 What is the significance of the numbers in column 1? Compare the numbers in columns 2 and 3. Create a chart illustrating the jump in the % of the daily wage spent on bread for each profession listed. Which job had the largest jump? The smallest? What, in your opinion, is the significance or importance of this data? Finally, write down how you would react to this data if you were Louis XVI in the spring of 1789, just a few months before the start of the revolution.

Students will then discuss their responses/solutions to this problem via group presentations. During the presentations, the teacher will facilitate a whole group discussion.

Transition/Activity #2 After the discussion, students will break into groups of three to examine two primary sources that illustrate two different aspects of the French Revolution- bread riots and the plight of women. To examine these documents, students will use the NARA  worksheet for written documents.

Primary Source #1- The Bakers [] Note: Although this passage is from 1725, it vividly describes a bread riot and the price controls that exacerbated matters.

Primary Source #2-** The Women ** [] This lesson will conclude with students drafting some conclusions/generalizations about France in the late 1780s. Their statements need to be derived from the primary sources they examined. Read textbook section about the start of the French Revolution in the summer of 1789. ** Create a graphic organizer (concept map or web) ** illustrating the sequence of events that spiraled out of control after Louis XVI called the Estates General to order. This lesson promotes critical thinking skills by having students analyze data and draw meaning from written primary sources. In addition, this lesson integrates with the rest of the Western Civ curriculum by introducing the concepts of absolute monarchy, social class, and revolution.
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