{"type":"default","seo":{"title":"Enlightenment & American Revolution Lesson Plans | HMH","description":"Download these Enlightenment and American Revolution lesson plans to teach your students about how the latter was influenced by an era defined by human reason and science.","headercode":"","ogtitle":"Teaching World History: Enlightenment and American Revolution Lesson Plans","ogdescription":"Use these downloadables to teach your students about the Enlightenment, a European intellectual movement, and how it contributed to the American Revolution.","ogimage":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/int-hmhco-vmg-craftcms-public/seo/enlightenment_lesson-plan_4c284b73b1b0834026b992b9ac93d6bd.jpg","seosettings":{"noIndexNoFollow":false,"showGtm":true},"keywords":"","canonical":""},"redirect":[],"entrysettings":{"includeinsearch":true,"showglobalmessaging":true},"globalsettings":{"standardheader":true,"standardfooter":true},"url":"/blog/enlightenment-and-american-revolution-lesson-plans","id":74810,"title":"Teaching World History: Enlightenment and American Revolution Lesson Plans","slug":"enlightenment-and-american-revolution-lesson-plans","bodycontainer":[{"type":"copy","headline":null,"richtext":"
Photo: Galileo Galilei, an Enlightenment astronomer, mathematician, and philosopher.
This post is part of a Shaped blog series providing teachers for Grades 6–12 with downloadable world history classroom resources and discussion topics. Note that the following lesson plan includes a potential text you can use, but always check with your school or district for recommended resources.
The Enlightenment and the American Revolution
The Enlightenment was a European intellectual movement during the 17th and 18th centuries that emphasized the powerful influence of human reason, science, and rational change. The philosophies that arose from this era even played a role in the start of the American Revolution and, subsequently, the 13 colonies' independence from Great Britain.
Defined by scientific, political, and religious innovations, the Enlightenment led to significant discoveries by well-known historical figures. Among them were Galileo Galilei and Nicolaus Copernicus with their groundbreaking scientific findings, and John Locke and Thomas Hobbes with their unique ideas about government that led to long-lasting change.
To help students put this in context, have them look at the timeline below (with a supplemental enrichment activity available for download as a PDF). Then, distribute the accompanying resources as part of your Enlightenment and American Revolution lesson plan: a passage from Two Treatises of Government by John Locke (primary source enrichment activity) and a related writing enrichment activity about how Enlightenment ideas made their way into American documents.
Download our free activities calendar for fun lessons to do with your class, plus engaging ways to commemorate and celebrate events throughout the year.
Download our free activities calendar for fun lessons to do with your class, plus engaging ways to commemorate and celebrate events throughout the year.
Get our free administrator’s guide to building a positive school culture, filled with practical advice, real-world examples, and resources for further exploration.
Download our free activities calendar for fun lessons to do with your class, plus engaging ways to commemorate and celebrate events throughout the year.
Get our free administrator’s guide to building a positive school culture, filled with practical advice, real-world examples, and resources for further exploration.
Photo: Galileo Galilei, an Enlightenment astronomer, mathematician, and philosopher.
This post is part of a Shaped blog series providing teachers for Grades 6–12 with downloadable world history classroom resources and discussion topics. Note that the following lesson plan includes a potential text you can use, but always check with your school or district for recommended resources.
The Enlightenment and the American Revolution
The Enlightenment was a European intellectual movement during the 17th and 18th centuries that emphasized the powerful influence of human reason, science, and rational change. The philosophies that arose from this era even played a role in the start of the American Revolution and, subsequently, the 13 colonies' independence from Great Britain.
Defined by scientific, political, and religious innovations, the Enlightenment led to significant discoveries by well-known historical figures. Among them were Galileo Galilei and Nicolaus Copernicus with their groundbreaking scientific findings, and John Locke and Thomas Hobbes with their unique ideas about government that led to long-lasting change.
To help students put this in context, have them look at the timeline below (with a supplemental enrichment activity available for download as a PDF). Then, distribute the accompanying resources as part of your Enlightenment and American Revolution lesson plan: a passage from Two Treatises of Government by John Locke (primary source enrichment activity) and a related writing enrichment activity about how Enlightenment ideas made their way into American documents.
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