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Today I observed the second hour of John's Year 11 Modern History lesson. The main focus of the session was the French Revolution, with a combination of revising key historical content, analysing sources, and general essay writing skills.
Throughout the lesson, John discussed several important aspects of the French Revolution with his student, helping her understand both the events that occurred, and the broader economic, social, and political factors that contributed to the revolution. They explored the role of King Louis XVI, and the experience and influence of different groups within French society, including the upper middle class and capitalist groups.
Some of the main areas covered during the lesson included:
- King Louis XVI and his role during the French Revolution
- The influence of the upper middle class and capitalist groups
- Protests and growing dissatisfaction within French society
- Economic change and the impact of inflation
- Religious and social factors
- Analysing and interpreting historical sources
- Identifying similarities and differences between sources and perspectives
- Structuring and developing responses for Modern History essays
A significant part of the lesson involved discussing historical sources. John encouraged the student to look behind the basic information presented in each source and consider its meaning, perspective, and relevance to the historical context. They also worked on identifying similarities and differences between sources, helping the student understand how different pieces of evidence can be compared and used to support an argument.
The lesson was also useful in developing the student's general essay writing skills. John discussed how to organise ideas into a clear argument and how historical evidence should be incorporated to support the points being made. Rather than simplify giving the student the answer, he used discussion and questioning to help her to develop her own interpretations of the content.
Overall, the lesson provided a good balance between revising the French Revolution and developing skills needed for essay writing and HSC Modern History.
