Lesson plan of Absolutism

Objectives (5-7 minutes)

1. Understand the concept of absolutism and its origin in Europe. Students should be able to identify and describe the main characteristics of absolutism, such as the power centralized in the hands of the monarch, the lack of separation between political and religious power, and the existence of a rigid social structure.

2. Analyze the consequences of absolutism. Students should be able to identify and explain the main consequences of absolutism, including the limitation of individual liberties, territorial expansion through wars, and the strengthening of the nation state.

3. Relate the concept of absolutism to current reality. Students should be able to make connections between absolutism and the present day, recognizing similarities and differences, and reflecting on the importance of the concept in understanding contemporary political and social organization.

Secondary Objectives:

• Develop research and analysis skills. Students will be encouraged to seek information on absolutism from a variety of sources and to critically analyze the data found.

• Stimulate critical thinking and reflection. Students will be encouraged to question and reflect on the content learned, as well as to formulate their own opinions on the subject.

• Promote active participation and teamwork. Through group activities, students will be encouraged to discuss the topic, exchange ideas, and collaborate to complete the proposed tasks.

Introduction (10-15 minutes)

1. Review of Previous Content: The teacher begins the class by briefly reviewing previously studied content that is relevant to understanding absolutism. This may include a discussion of the formation of modern states, the strengthening of monarchical power, and the social and cultural changes that occurred in Europe during the Modern Age. (3-5 minutes)

2. Problem Situations: The teacher presents two situations that involve the concept of absolutism to arouse students' interest and encourage them to think critically from the beginning of the class.

   • The first situation could be that of an absolute monarch making a decision that directly affects the lives of his subjects, without the need to consult anyone.
   • The second situation could be that of a subject who is unhappy with the monarch's policies, but has no power to change them. (3-5 minutes)

3. Contextualization: The teacher explains the importance of studying absolutism, highlighting how this political system influenced the formation of modern states and power relations in Europe and the world. In addition, the teacher can emphasize how absolutism can be observed in different historical and contemporary contexts, such as in some dictatorships and authoritarian regimes. (3-5 minutes)

4. Introduction to the Topic: The teacher introduces the topic of absolutism, drawing students' attention to the definition of the term and the basic characteristics of this political system. To arouse students' interest, the teacher can share some curiosities or stories related to absolutism, such as the life of Louis XIV, the Sun King of France, or the construction of the Palace of Versailles. (3-5 minutes)

Development (20-25 minutes)

1. "Absolutism Scenario" Activity (10-12 minutes):

   • Description: The teacher divides the class into groups of 5 students and presents them with a hypothetical scenario of an absolutist kingdom. Each group represents a noble family that must make strategic decisions to maintain and expand their power and wealth in the kingdom.
   • Materials: For this activity, students will need paper, pens, and "power" tokens (representing the resources available to each noble family, such as land, soldiers, money, etc.).
   • Step by Step:
     1. The teacher distributes the materials and explains the situation to the students, emphasizing that they must act as a noble family in an absolutist kingdom, where power is centralized in the hands of the monarch.
     2. Each group receives a set of "power" tokens and must decide how to allocate these resources to different areas, such as defense, economy, political influence, etc.
     3. After the initial decision, the teacher presents a series of events (wars, economic crises, popular revolts, etc.) and the groups must react to these events, making new resource allocation decisions.
     4. The activity continues for 10 minutes, with the teacher alternating the presentation of events and the groups' decision-making.
     5. In the end, the teacher leads a class discussion about the decisions made by the groups and the consequences of these decisions, relating them to the concept of absolutism.

2. "Creating an Absolutist Newspaper" Activity (10-12 minutes):

   • Description: In this activity, students will create a fictitious newspaper of an absolutist kingdom, reporting on the most relevant events in the kingdom.
   • Materials: Students will need paper, pens, colored pencils, and magazines/pictures to illustrate the newspaper.
   • Step by Step:
     1. The teacher explains the activity and divides the class into groups of 5 students.
     2. Each group receives a set of fictitious news about an absolutist kingdom. The news may include: the monarch's decision to start a war, the construction of a new royal palace, the revolt of peasants against the nobility, etc.
     3. The groups must select the most relevant and interesting news and create the newspaper pages, including the news, headlines, photos/images, and opinion articles.
     4. Students are encouraged to be creative and to use the news to reflect on the characteristics and consequences of absolutism.
     5. In the end, the groups present their newspapers to the class and the teacher leads a discussion about the news and the students' reflections.

Debriefing (10-12 minutes)

1. Group Discussion (3-5 minutes):

   • The teacher gathers all the students and promotes a group discussion about the solutions or conclusions found by each group during the previous activities. Each group will have a maximum of 3 minutes to share their experience and learning. The teacher should ensure that all groups have the opportunity to speak and that the discussion does not become one-sided.
   • The goal of this stage is for students to learn from each other, realizing different perspectives and approaches to the same problem. In addition, the group discussion helps to reinforce learning, as students are encouraged to explain and justify their ideas.

2. Connection with Theory (3-4 minutes):

   • After the group discussion, the teacher will make the connection between the practical activities and the theoretical content. He should highlight how the activities reflected the characteristics and consequences of absolutism and how the concepts discussed during the class apply to the real world.
   • The teacher can, for example, return to the problem situations presented in the Introduction and ask students if they would be able to offer a new solution or interpretation based on what they have learned. This helps to verify whether the Learning Objectives have been achieved and to reinforce the relevance of the content.

3. Individual Reflection (3-4 minutes):

   • To close the class, the teacher proposes that the students reflect individually on what they have learned. He can ask questions such as:
     1. What was the most important concept you learned today?
     2. What questions have not yet been answered?
   • Students will have a minute to think and then will be invited to share their answers with the class. The teacher should encourage an open and respectful discussion, where each student has the opportunity to speak and to listen to the others.
   • This stage is important for students to be able to consolidate what they have learned, identify possible gaps in their understanding, and express their own opinions and doubts. In addition, it provides valuable feedback for the teacher on the effectiveness of the class and the points that may need to be reviewed or deepened in future classes.

Conclusion (5-7 minutes)

1. Summary of Content (1-2 minutes): The teacher recapitulates the main concepts and information discussed during the class. This may include the definition of absolutism, its characteristics, consequences, and connections to current reality. The teacher can use a whiteboard or a slide presentation to highlight the most important points and outline the relationships between them.

2. Connection between Theory, Practice, and Applications (1-2 minutes): The teacher emphasizes how the class managed to integrate theory, through the presentation of content and classroom discussion, practice, through group activities, and applications, through the analysis of problem situations and the reflection on the relevance of absolutism to understanding contemporary politics and society.

3. Extra Materials (1-2 minutes): The teacher suggests additional materials so that students can deepen their knowledge on the subject. This may include books, articles, documentaries, websites, and educational games related to absolutism. The teacher can share these suggestions with students through a printed list, an email, or a virtual learning group.

4. Relevance of the Subject (1-2 minutes): Finally, the teacher reinforces the importance of studying absolutism for understanding history, politics, and society. He can highlight how absolutism influenced the formation of modern states, the concentration of power, class relations, and the struggle for individual rights and freedoms. The teacher can also emphasize how the study of absolutism can help students better understand current political systems and the importance of democracy, human rights, and citizen participation.