What is today’s lesson

about?

The Big Question….

Why did France get rid of their King?

What were the causes of the French Revolution?

L/O: To investigate the causes of the French Revolution.

Senses Describe your experience using the image

Hear

Smell

Touch/ feel

Stretch and ChallengeDescribe your experience as a diary entry/eyewitness account

The Revolution in a nutshell

• Watch the video Revolution in a Nutshell

How France was governed• France was the birth the birth place of the

enlightenment• Famous writers at the time inspired many people to

rise up and rebel against governments and monarchy who ruled countries unfairly

• France was ruled by an absolute monarchy. Louis XVI ruled with complete power in France

• Only the Nobles, Catholic church and King had any say in how the country was run - Ancien Régime

• America has just had a revolution

• This revolution got rid of the British King and Queen and caused America to become an independent country

TAX- peasants pay one coin, town workers one coin and everyone else

nothing!

EVENT: American Revolution

EVENT: Country running out of money!• King is running out of money. Wars and lavish spending has caused

this!

• The Bourgeoisie and nobles won’t give the king any more money

What do you think the king will do?

TAX- Peasants pay one coin, town workers pay one coin

EVENT: Enlightenment

New ideas that attack the church and the King (people with power)

The ideas include the fact that ordinary everyday people such as peasants should get a say in how the country is run

EVENT: Harvest Fails!

• Peasants-You don’t have enough money or food to feed your families

• Bourgeoisie and Town workers- you don’t want to pay more taxes as you only just have enough money to get by!

Tasks

• Read through the information sheet and answer the questions.

Stretch and Challenge – Why would the King tax the poor, who had little to no money, as opposed to the rich?

Was Louis XVI a bad king?

Louis XVI was King of France from 1774 to 1791. He was the only French King to ever be executed. Colour-code the

statements below. Use one colour for the statements that suggest that he was a good king and another colour for the

statements which suggest that he was a bad king.

Louis tried to make the French people tolerate people with different religions.

Louis was fluent in six different languages, including French and English.

Louis was very indecisive and would often take a long time to make decisions.

Louis fought wars to win land in India from Great Britain, but lost them all.

Louis wanted to abolish a tax that French peasants paid for the land they farmed.

Louis and his wife, Marie Antoinette, spent lots of money on clothes and palaces when many people

were starving.

Some reforms that Louis tried to introduce angered many rich French people.

Louis encouraged explorers to travel the world.

He married an Austrian woman to maintain good relations. She was unpopular.

Many historians claim that, by today’s standards, Louis was an alcoholic.

Literacy focus: Explain whether, in your opinion, Louis was a bad king or not.

Use evidence in your answer.

Literacy focus: Explain whether, in your opinion, Louis was a bad king or not.

Use evidence in your answer.

I think Louis was/was not a bad king. My first reason is……….

My second reason is……

However, I also think that……..

In conclusion……..

Plenary

• Pick one of the following questions and answer it on a post-it note. Come and stick on the board.

• Give one reason why Louis was a bad king• State one reason why there was a revolution

in France