SPECIFIC TOPIC: Introduction to The Scarlet Pimpernel and the French Revolution
INSTRUCTIONAL GOAL: (Goals for the entire unit)
-Students will see that history and theatre are intertwined. -Students will understand how historical topics impact plays. -Students will gain a greater understanding of the French Revolution based on their play project of the Scarlet Pimpernel. -Students will understand how to develop a character, set, costume, and make-up depending on the historical aspects of the play/musical. PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE: -Present projects that demonstrate their understanding of history and a specific time period. -Research the details within the time period and how it relates to a character, set, costume, and make-up. -Become more familiar with great plays and their authors, understand how these plays deal with historical time period and themes. LESSON CONTENT: Introduction to the Scarlet Pimpernel. Play the song Madame GuillitoneHow many people are familiar with the story line? To understand the Scarlet Pimpernel it is essential to understand
the French Revolution!
Day 1: Background to the French Revolution o What is the French Revolution and when did it happen? The French Revolution is a period of radical social and political upheaval in France from 1789-1799. o Why did the revolution occur? Economic factors were some of the leading causes of the revolution. People were starving! The lowest class of the people couldnt feed themselves or their children. There was a combination of bad harvests, a rise of food prices and taxation prices, and an inefficient way to transport food to the masses. Meanwhile the King and Queen at the Palace at Versailles were seen as being indifferent to the hardship of the masses and refusing to make reforms that would help out the people. 1 Why werent there reforms made that would help out the masses of France? The Estates-General (What is the Estates-General??) Organized into 3 estates: the clergy, the nobility, and the rest of France. Each group only had 1 vote and 2 could override the 3rd. (The clergy and nobility accounted for only 2% of the population!) 1 *Activity: Journal entry of a member of the lower class. You want to get a bill passed that would lower the taxation on bread, but its not in the interest of the other 2 estates so they overrule you. How do you feel? What are you going to do? How are you going to feed your family? o The Revolution! Storming of the Bastille 1 The 3rd Estate reconstituted themselves as the National Assembly refused to pay their taxes to King Louis XVI. The National Assembly stormed the Bastille prison (a symbol of the royal authority). The prison was overtaken and the Governor of Paris was decapitated, his head was placed on a pike and paraded through the city. The king temporarily
abdicated the throne and relocated this family
outside of Paris. 1 The National Assembly demanded the king and his family to move back to Paris as a sign of good faith in addressing the widespread poverty. The women of Paris (about 7,000) marched to Versailles bringing weapons and cannons. Because of this the king and his family moved back to Paris. o The Reign of Terror 1 Under the control of Maximilien Robespierre was unleashed the Reign of Terror.Under this reign over 16,700 people died under the guillotine including the King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. 1 Play the song Madame Guillotine What are the emotions in this piece? Is this piece historically accurate? 2 *Activity: Divide the class into about half. One half is given the role of the lower class and the other half is given the role of the upper class. The classes will meet with each other and discuss their motivations. What do they each want? How strong is this desire? 1 Play the song Madame Guillotine again with each group acting their part. And then switch. Which side do you agree with more? How did you feel as you were acting out the scene? Is it different now that you know the history behind whats going on? Summary of the Scarlet Pimpernel storyline and reading of the story tomorrow! EVALUATION PROCEDURES: (How you will measure outcomes to determine if the material has been learned?) -Journal entries and class discussions
MATERIALS AND AIDS:
-Music from Scarlet Pimpernel -PowerPoint with pictures