Materials

• Text/other reading
• Computer lab with Internet access
• Picture of the Bastille

Instructional Activities

NOTE: The following Web resources may be helpful in teaching this session:

• “The French Revolution.” <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/modsbook13.html>.
• “John Locke.” <http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl302/philosophers/locke.html>.
• “Montesquieu: The Spirit of the Laws, 1748.”. <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/montesquieu-spirit.html>.
• “Toussaint L’Ouverture.” <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part3/3h326.html>.

1. Review content from the previous session.
   
   
2. Discuss with the class how the ideas of the Enlightenment thinkers influenced the French Revolution. Responses may include that France was absolutist and many philosophers such as Locke opposed this type of government. Montesquieu called for separation of powers, which restricted absolutism.
   
   
3. Discuss with the students the role of the fall of the Bastille and the Reign of Terror in the French Revolution. Discussion should include the following information:
   • The Bastille had been a political prison of individuals who had opposed absolutism and its fall was a symbolic beginning of the revolution.
   • Bastille Day, July 14th, is similar to July 4th in the United States.
   • The Reign of Terror was an attempt to equalize every person and create a republic.
   • All people were equal under the law and noble titles were eliminated. All people were called citizens.
   
   
4. Obtain a picture of the Bastille from a textbook, the Internet, or other source. Display the picture, and ask students to write a paragraph describing their observations.
   
   
5. Ask students to suggest possible outcomes of the French Revolution. Response may include the following:
   • The execution of Louis XVI
   • War with neighboring countries, who feared this revolution could spread to them
   • The rise of Napoleon as a strong figure who had to bring order out of chaos.
   
   
6. Ask students to suggest how the outcome of the American and French revolutions impacted Latin America. Responses may include the fact that they led to movements of freedom in those areas. Discuss the accomplishments of Toussaint L’Ouverture and Simon Bolivar.
   
   
7. Assign a teacher-selected reading, worksheet, or other reinforcement activity.