Franklin, Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton and the other founders of our country, were putting into practice Rousseau's idea of abolishing old forms of government and society and beginning afresh. They had the advantage of living in a world that many considered to be closer to the natural world, free of centuries of European culture. In Chapter 7 we will learn how French revolutionaries also tried to abandon the past and build a new society. But first, they intended to destroy much of the old society, what they called the Ancien Regime. Leading France out of this cauldron of violence and radical change, Napoleon would change the entire continent of Europe and inadvertently aid the growth of the United States.
Thank you, students, for a great class this afternoon. We discussed the five quotations of French and English philosophes, read Chapter 6 Section 1, and read parts of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution looking for Enlightenment ideas. Students marked up copies of the preamble to the Declaration, the preamble to the Constitution, the first sentences of Articles I, II, and III and Amendments I, IV, VI, and XIX. The purpose of our activities was to understand more fully how our system of government is based on the ideas of Locke, Voltaire, Montesquieu, Wollstonecraft and Beccaria.
Franklin, Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton and the other founders of our country, were putting into practice Rousseau's idea of abolishing old forms of government and society and beginning afresh. They had the advantage of living in a world that many considered to be closer to the natural world, free of centuries of European culture. In Chapter 7 we will learn how French revolutionaries also tried to abandon the past and build a new society. But first, they intended to destroy much of the old society, what they called the Ancien Regime. Leading France out of this cauldron of violence and radical change, Napoleon would change the entire continent of Europe and inadvertently aid the growth of the United States.
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This afternoon we learned how the ideas and ideals of the philosophes were used as the basis of government for the United States. Following are quotations from five philosophes and questions concerning them, as we began in class. Continue answering these in your notes and be prepared to share your ideas in class on Wednesday. 1. "Power should be a check to power." 2. "Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains." 3. "Government exists to protect life, liberty and estate." 4. "Let women share the rights and she will emulate the virtues of men." 5. "I do not agree with a word you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." Questions 1. Who said each statement? 2. What do they mean? Answer by rewriting each statement in your own words. 3. How does each viewpoint reflect Enlightenment ideas and ideals? 4. How is each of these ideas illustrated in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution or other laws of the United States? As we embark on 2nd Semester, I challenged our sophomores to become better organized. Some students have difficulty finding notes, maps, former quizzes and tests and other material we use in class. Again, I suggested they keep a section of their notebook reserved for World History and keep everything from class there.
We began our study of Chapter 6, which covers revolutions in science, technology, theories of government, art and music, finishing with the creation of the United States. Students should be reading and studying Chapter 6. We will have a quiz over key terms and people on Monday. Be sure to note the natural rights the philosophes believed all people are born with. Our world historians participated in three activities this afternoon.
We had a lesson on the Julian and Gregorian calendars, learning how our months got their names, the gradual change from the Julian to the Gregorian calendars, and why Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7. Students used lap top computers from the COW to learn how to use Publisher to create a tri-fold brochures, the project they have from Chapter 5. Students answered questions about absolute power: definition, definition of "the divine right of kings," choosing two monarchs who exemplified absolute power and explaining why, in their judgment, they qualified , and choosing two monarchs who did not exercise absolute power, with explanations. |
James WaltersMr. Walters has taught at RAA since 1985. He currently teaches Geography, World History, American History, Government, Economics and Handbell Ensembles. He is Music Director/Organist of Magnolia Presbyterian Church and is an adjunct professor at Concordia University Wisconsin, teaching Handbell Methods and Materials. Archives
May 2017
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