Materials | Poster paper, markers, computer with Internet access and projector, copies of the handout Revolt! (PDF)
Warm-Up | Students work in small groups to respond to the following prompt:
How you would define the word revolution? How would you distinguish a revolution from a civil war, an uprising, a coup d’etat, a rebellion or revolt, or a protest or demonstration? What elements do revolutions and other kinds of conflicts have in common? What elements set them apart? Are some of these terms synonymous? If so, which ones? Can the word revolution be used to mean different things? What examples from history illustrate your ideas?
Each group should write the definitions, historical events and other ideas they generated on their sheet of poster paper and post the sheet on the board or wall nearby.
Next, reconvene the class and read aloud each group’s poster. Then ask: What do you notice? On what ideas does the class have a general consensus? On what ideas do have some difference of opinion? Note whether any groups used the same historical event to illustrate different ideas. Briefly discuss, and clarify any misunderstandings, but allow for difference of opinion if groups can back up their ideas with convincing historical evidence.
You might also want to differentiate between political revolutions and revolutionary social changes like the Industrial Revolution.
Conclude the discussion by using elements of each groups’ definition to construct a class definition of “revolution.” Compare the class definition with dictionary definitions and textbook definitions to see how it compares. Does our definition go into greater detail? Less detail? Do you want to add anything from the dictionary definition to ours? Why or why not?
Related | The slide show “Unpredictable Uprisings” provides photos and brief overviews of historical revolutions and related events, including the American Revolution...
