Lesson Summary
Working in groups of two, the
students will create trading cards for the Enlightenment philosophers. The trading cards will demonstrate the major
ideas of the philosophers and their effects on worldwide democratic
revolutions. Each group will present
their trading cards to the class. Based
on a secret ballot, the students will vote on the best trading cards and the winning group will receive extra credit points.
California Academic Standard(s)
10.2.1 – Students will
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, Simon Bolivar, Thomas
Jefferson, James Madison).
Time Frame
(3) to (4) 50 minute
classes
Goal
The students will learn
critical thinking skills in a team environment while comparing and contrasting
the philosophies demonstrated during the period of Enlightenment.
Learning Styles
Learning Styles
- Linguistic
- Auditory
- Social
- Physical
- Intrapersonal
- Logical
Lesson Plan
Anticipatory Set (10 min)
The instructor
will write a question on the board that states “What is a philosophy?” The instructor will ask the students to think
about the question for two minutes and then ask the students to answer the question.
The instructor will write the answers on
the board.
Direct
Instruction (20 min)
The
instructor will provide a brief discussion about Enlightenment philosophy. The instructor will provide the students a
handout regarding the Enlightenment Philosophers Trading Cards project.
Directions
Working with a
partner, you will create a trading card for each of the following Enlightenment
philosophers:
- John Locke
- Charles-Louis Montesquieu
- Jean-Jacques Rousseau
- Rene Descartes
- Isaac Newton
- Adam Smith
All trading cards
will be 5” by 7” and must include the following:
- A picture or illustration of the philosopher
- When the philosopher lived (Dates)
- Country of origin
- Major Idea(s)
- Importance of philosophies to the American, French and English democratic revolutions
There is no one
way to complete the assignment. Use your
imagination to create the most compelling and interesting trading cards
Have Fun!!!
Modeling (10 min)
The
instructor will demonstrate how to complete the assignment by showing a trading
card either completed by the instructor or by a past student.
Guided Practice (80
min)
The instructor
will place the students in groups of two.
The students will collaborate and discuss their roles in the group and
how to complete the assignment. The
students will use the computer lab, textbooks and any other resource to obtain
the information. The instructor will
provide poster board for the students to complete the assignment.
Checks for
Understanding (30 min)
Each
group will present their trading cards to the class. The students will then vote by secret ballot
on the best trading cards. The winning
group will receive extra credit for the trading cards project.
Direct
Instruction (20 min)
The
instructor will summarize the lesson by engaging the class in a discussion
about the Enlightenment philosophers and their effects on democratic
revolutions.