My unit is about revolutions, governments that were oppressive and unjust to its people,

and the resulting uprisings. This article was quite perfect for my unit plan. America has a lot of

problems with injustices in government and society. The way to fix these problems, making

laws, writing speeches, acting out, often fall flat. When the systems fail people, citizens often get

angry, either at the system or society. When enough people are angry with a system, they rebel.

This article talks about educating students to be citizens, a combination of power and character

(Lui 2018). Informed citizens know about corruption and the ways politicians and powerful

people can control systems. There is not complete equality, and everyone's voice does not have

the same effect. However, people need to be taught about these power systems, or they will

become numb to the injustices of their government. Good citizens also have character, benefiting

the community more than themselves if they are given power. Without good morals, leaders can

do what they want without repercussions. The article hints at the idea that if people are not

educated about government power structures and lack the literacy to understand systems, they

will either give up on what they want, or rebel in an effort to to fill their needs (Lui 2018). Later

in my unit, we talk about different historically significant revolutions: French, Haiti, ext.. These

places were filled with people who oppressed and controlled partly due to their lack of civic

knowledge. Overtime, starting with the American Revolution, other places began to see there

was a better way to live. Although my Unit Plan is far from done, I have already added sections

about oppression and government issues. History is defined by the problems and solutions of the

past, many of which are made by injustices. These students have the power to share their

knowledge with the world and change the injustices of today. As Lui said “They have more
power than they thought” (2018). These students may not think they have the ability to change

the world, but each person matters, and their morals and character matter as well.

The second article is about why students have a hard time learning about the French

Revolution. Students often struggle to connect to events from hundreds of years ago that have

not directly affected them. Teachers, expecial history, expect students to connect material to

modern day life without intervention from the teacher or lesson. However, without a connection,

uninterested students will remain out of touch with the topic. The article offered a better way to

teach the main concepts of the French Revolution: telling stories and performing simulations.

The article gave me the idea of creating a full simulation throughout the lesson. Students will be

assigned a different group and be treated differently. After the students understand the inequality

presented to them, they will want to “have a revolution”. They then will be presented with the

obstacles: Lack of experience, rapid change, and untrustworthy leadership. Although this is very

different from a typical lesson, they will remember it. Luckily, the French Revolution has space

for two days, so the simulation will be able to fit in. It offers different assessments for multiple

intelligences. Checking students understanding of the concepts can be demonstrated in so many

ways. Because this concept is so abstract and foreign to students, making it accessible and open

ended will allow for better learning outcomes. This type of lesson, incorporated with my lesson

plan, will create a good understanding of the struggle the French citizens had during the

Revolution. Students will walk away with a recollection of the struggles they had and

understanding of the French mindset at the time.

 References

E. L. (2018). Embracing Civic Power. ​Social Education,82​(5), 251-254. Retrieved

October 26, 2018, from www.socialstudies.org

Maia Sheppard, Doran Katz, Tanetha Grosland. (2015) ​Conceptualizing Emotions in

Social Studies Education​. ​Theory & Research in Social Education​ 43:2, pages 147-178.