2 Same as above Were absolutist rulers Students will be divided into The learning goal here is to understand how really groups and given handouts absolutism evolved in France in response to “absolute”? describing their respective historical problems inherited from the wars Motivation: Video (king, nobility, Catholic of religion. The learning activity places showing life in church, Huguenots, students in a position where they have to Stalinist Soviet Union peasantry, merchants, etc.) grapple with these factors; success means to illustrate interests and resources. The peace, while failure means more war. totalitarianism. task will be to hammer out a Students will learn that Louis XIV was able viable solution to the wars of to restore order in France by a)reimposing Closing: Was France religion based on available religious unity and b)striking a durable under Louis XIV information. Teacher will compromise with the nobility that totalitarian? No. He then debrief and explain the preserved many of its privileges. Students served as the ultimate actual course of events. This will learn that Louis XIV was absolute in mediator or arbiter will lead to a discussion of the sense that he served as chief mediator among groups, but he the nature of among these groups, but that his power was “absolutism.” did not control many limited in many ways and by in no sense aspects of their lives. totalitarian.
2 Same as above Were absolutist rulers really “absolute”? Motivation: Video showing life in Stalinist Soviet Union to illustrate totalitarianism. Closing: Was France under Louis XIV totalitarian? No. He served as the ultimate mediator or arbiter among groups, but he did not control many aspects of their lives. Students will be divided into groups and given handouts describing their respective (king, nobility, Catholic church, Huguenots, peasantry, merchants, etc.) interests and resources. The task will be to hammer out a viable solution to the wars of religion based on available information. Teacher will then debrief and explain the actual course of events. This will lead to a discussion of the nature of “absolutism.” The learning goal here is to understand how absolutism evolved in France in response to historical problems inherited from the wars of religion. The learning activity places students in a position where they have to grapple with these factors; success means peace, while failure means more war. Students will learn that Louis XIV was able to restore order in France by a)reimposing religious unity and b)striking a durable compromise with the nobility that preserved many of its privileges. Students will learn that Louis XIV was absolute in the sense that he served as chief mediator among these groups, but that his power was limited in many ways and by in no sense totalitarian.