NAME: __________________________ DATE _______________ BAND: _________Lesson 12: Enlightenment I AIM: Was Western Europe ready for an enlightenment??

DO NOW: Read the following scenario and answer the following questions:

Imagine that you and all of the other students in your grade are going on a class trip to China. When you’re flying over the middle of the Pacific Ocean the plane’s engines malfunction and you crash on a deserted island.

The island has enough food and fresh water on it for everyone, but after a week of waiting it is clear that no one is going to come and rescue you. The lack of rules have created tension between your classmates and you decide that a government is

needed.

Why do you need a government?-

-

-

What should the government do for you and your classmates?

-

-

-

What limits should there be on the government?

-

-The Enlightenment: In Europe in the mid 1600s to late 1700s, scholars inspired by the scientific revolution started to ask questions like:

-What is the best way for a government to rule its people?

-Are people born with rights? Should they be protected?

-What is the purpose of government?

The philosophers writing about these questions were a part of the Enlightenment.

The Enlightenment: a period of time (mid-1600s to the late 1700s) in Western Europe when philosophers and writers applied the scientific idea of reason to answer political questions. The Enlightenment is sometimes known as the Age of Reason.

The writers who took part in the Enlightenment are called Enlightenment Thinkers, sometimes known as philosophes, the French word for philosophers. Just as scientists challenged the claims of the Catholic Church, Enlightenment Thinkers often challenged the claims of absolute monarchs.

Video Clip: Heroes of the Enlightenment - Who and what had the most influence on how people in Europe lived and what they thought?

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

What changes came about because of the Enlightenment?

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

NAME: __________________________ DATE _______________ BAND: _________Lesson 12: Enlightenment I AIM: Was Western Europe ready for an enlightenment??

What caused the Enlightenment? Why did it take place from the mid-1600s to the late 1700s?

1. Protestant Reformation and Scientific Revolution Influence

2. Increased Book Production and Literacy

3. Urbanization, Salons, and Coffee Houses

Martin Luther’s actions in the Protestant Reformation challenged the Catholic Church’s hold on power by translating the Bible into common languages and encouraging people to read it for themselves instead of having priests translate it for them.

Isaac Newton and other scientists used observation and reason to explain the true nature of the world which often proved the Catholic Church’s claims wrong.

Johannes Gutenberg invented his printing press around 1440. That invention made it easier and less expensive to produce books. It was very important in spreading Martin Luther’s ideas during the Protestant Reformation.

During the Enlightenment, book production increased even more and literacy rates, the percentage of people who were able to read, also increased.

During the 1700s, the process of urbanization (people moving to cities and the growth of those cities) increased in Europe. As more people moved to cities they found places to socialize and discuss ideas.

Coffee was a newly popular drink in Europe and intellectuals from the upper and middle classes like the philosophes came to coffee houses to drink it and discuss politics and religion.

Upper class intellectuals also exchanged ideas in salons, gatherings, usually at someone’s home where the guests came to listen to readings and discuss a specific topic.

Based on the information above, summarize what the mid-1600s to late 1700s were like in Western Europe and explain why this time period was ripe for the Enlightenment.

This period was ripe for the Enlightenment for many reasons. One reason this period was ripe for the Enlightenment was

___________________________________________________. This showed that Western Europe was ready

for the Enlightenment because _____________________________________________________________

__________________________________. Another reason this period was ripe for the Enlightenment was

________________________________________________________. This showed that they were ready for

the Enlightenment because _______________________________________________________________

________________. Overall, Western Europe was ripe for the Enlightenment because _____________________

__________________________________________________________________________________.

Based on the information above, summarize what the mid-1600s to late 1700s were like in Western Europe and explain why this time period was ripe for the Enlightenment.

T__________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

E__________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

A__________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

E__________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

A__________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

?Martin Luther

Isaac Newton

1640

1790

English Publications

Source: English Short Title Catalogue title count, numbers of titles per decade 1477-1799. See Olaf Simons, The English market of books: title statistics and a comparison with German data, at Critical Threads (2013) for data and details. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:1477-1799_ESTC_titles_per_decade,_statistics.png

NAME: __________________________ DATE _______________ BAND: _________Lesson 12: Enlightenment I AIM: Was Western Europe ready for an enlightenment??

L__________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________The Enlightenment Vocabulary Activity: Government in the United States

Vocabulary Word

Definition Directions: Use the vocabulary words on the left to fill in the blanks in the paragraph below.

right (n.) something you are allowed to do because you are a person

In the United States, the __________________ is responsible

for making and enforcing laws. It is divided into three different parts.

The __________________ makes the laws. In the United States, that

part of the government is called Congress. The __________________

branch of the government is led by the president and its job is to

make sure people follow the rules. Finally, the __________________

is the part of the government that includes judges and the courts.

Judges interpret laws and decide what the punishments are for

breaking them. Sometimes a judge will ask someone to bring a

__________________ to court if there is an argument over what two

people agreed to. As you can see from our three branches of

government there is a __________________ of power in the United

States. These are important characteristics of our ________________

system in the United States and by using __________________ you

will see that our system prevents one person or group of people

from gaining too much power.

Sometimes in history and even today, governments become

too powerful. Part of the government’s job in the United States is to

protect the people’s _______________. This is done by making it

illegal for people to hurt one another, steal, or treat other differently

because of their race, gender, or religion. These topics affect

everyone in society so we call them __________________ issues.

One of the most important for Americans is their right to

__________________ which means that they are free to do what they

want as long as it does not break any laws.

reason (n.) the power of the mind to think, understand, and make sense of world

liberty (n.) the freedom to do what you’d like to do

government (n.)

the group of people that has power to make laws and important decisions for a community, state, or nation

political (adj.)

having to do with government

separation (n.)

the division of something into different parts

judiciary (n.) the part of a government that interprets laws- courts, judges

legislature (n.)legislative (adj.)

the part of a government that makes laws- parliament or congress

executive (n./adj.)

the part of a government that enforces laws- the president, governor, or mayor

social (adj.) having to do with society, people living together in large groups

contract (n.) an agreement between two or more people

NAME: __________________________ DATE _______________ BAND: _________Lesson 12: Enlightenment I AIM: Was Western Europe ready for an enlightenment??