French Revolution (3 Estates)

11-11-2005, 12:00 PM
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Hi,
I am a World History teacher and I have a simulation for the beginning of the revolution. It focuses on the disparity in society and the 3 Estates, but it gets the kids mad enough that they want to start a revolution! They see how it all begins.
Separate the students into 3 groups (Estates).
1st Estate-Clergy- 1 student
2nd Estate-Nobility- 2 students
3rd Estate-Bourgeoises, Working Class, Peasants- All of the other students (make sure they are squished together)
I am the queen in the simulation (wear a tiara for added visuals!) and therefore I indulge my friends the 1st and 2nd Estate. I give them cookies on a silver platter. The other students start to get mad and jealous. Then I explain that my husband Louis needs to raise taxes for France. (Currently the 3rd Estate is paying most of the taxes yet are the poorest class). I move through the information about the Estates-General (voting, tennis court oath, etc). When it is all said and done, the 3rd Estate is out voted and they rebel (thus starting the revloution). So the peasants decide to start a revolution, but they only have shovels and torches to begin with. Through questioning I get the students to understand that if they are going to win a revolution they will need to have the proper weapons. Where are they to get it........steal them... and what better place than a prision.....The Bastille!!!!!
Hope that helps and gets your creative juices flowing.
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