Grade 7 Lesson at a Glance: Chapter 18, Lesson 2

Houghton Mifflin Social Studies
Across the Centuries

Lesson at a Glance
Chapter 18, Lesson 2: Ideas in Action (pp. 480-485)

The Big Idea
Framework Concept: Values The ideals of the Enlightenment influenced the monarchs of Russia, Prussia, and Austria as well as the American and French Revolutions.

Have students brainstorm and list the ideas that motivated the American Revolution. Help them see how these ideas were rooted in Enlightenment ideals. Explain that Enlightenment ideas also helped encourage the French Revolution and attempts at reform in Russia, Prussia, and Austria.

Lesson Outline
Use the Lesson Outline to preview the content of the lesson. You may wish to print it for your students as a guide during reading.

Check for Understanding

Ask students to write two paragraphs showing conflicting points of view regarding ideas about the rights of the individual. Students should choose among the following points of view: ordinary French citizens, supporters of King Louis XVI, American revolutionaries, supporters of the British government, and supporters of the monarchs of Russia, Prussia, or Austria.
Have students create a chart showing how Enlightenment thinkers' ideas were translated into action in Europe or the American colonies during the 1700s.

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