Josef Lefranc

EDSC 440S
Professor Tierney
December 11 2019
Assessment Plan Blueprint
What understandings or goals will be assessed through this lesson?

Goal: By the end of the lesson, students will Content Objective: During a guided notes
understand that, in times of crisis, rulers activity, students will trace Napoleon’s rise to
can seize power to restore order to a power, summarize how he restored order in
country facing social unrest. France, and identify the extent of his Empire
in Europe. In their notes, students will
answer three critical questions about
Napoleon’s rise to power, restoring order in
France, and the extent of his empire in
Europe.

What criteria are implied in the standards and understandings regardless of the task specifics?
What qualities must student work demonstrate to signify the standards were met?

According to HSS 10.2.5, as the result of this This lesson is meant to teach students that
lesson, students will be able to “Explain how the French Revolution set the stage for the
the ideology of the French Revolution led rise of Napoleon. After France was ravaged
France to develop from constitutional by the Revolution, its people looked for a
monarchy to democratic despotism to the strong leader who would reconstruct their
Napoleonic empire.” society. They found that leader in Napoleon
Bonaparte, who seized power in a coup, and
took important steps to restore order in
France.

Through what authentic performance task will students demonstrate understanding?

Task Overview: Throughout the lesson, students will perform numerous tasks to demonstrate
understanding. However, the two most important tasks include the French Ruler Comparison
activity, and the Four Corners activity. In the French Ruler Comparison activity, students will
use a graphic organizer to collect evidence of the accomplishments of King Louis XVI,
Maximilien Robespierre, and Napoleon. This is an important activity, because each ruler had
vastly different impacts on France, and this activity will allow students to organize evidence of
their impacts in a summarized way they can use to make comparisons. Students will also get a
Bonus Question: “Which do you believe was the most effective ruler of France, and why?” This
question is designed to engage in Higher-Order thinking skills, like evaluation. Lastly, in the
Four Corners activity, students will respond to the question “Napoleon was an effective ruler.
Do you agree or disagree? Explain why.” Then students will get into Four Corners based on
whether they strongly agree or disagree, or somewhat agree or disagree, with this statement,
and back up their position with evidence from the lesson and the readings.
What student products and performances will provide evidence of desired understandings?

For the French Ruler Comparison (graphic In the Four Corners activity, students tackle
organizer) activity students will engage the question: what made Napoleon
with the questions: What are Napoleon’s effective, or ineffective, as a ruler? This is
accomplishments? What are the related to the graphic organizer activity,
accomplishments of Napoleon’s however, in this activity, students have to
predecessors? Students are asked to include evaluate Napoleon’s effectiveness as a ruler,
evidence of the accomplishments of not and determine whether they agree that he
only Napoleon, but also Louis XVI and was effective, or ineffective. This activity
Robespierre. Of course, the point of the builds on the previous activity, since the
activity is for students to explore evidence that students need to make an
Napoleon’s accomplishments, and uncover evaluation was collected in the graphic
what he did to restore order in France. organizer. From there, students can pick a
Students may discuss Napoleon’s side, and get together with other students to
achievements as the First Consul of France, discuss their position, and the evidence to
how he made the government the backup their position. Students are allowed
centerpiece of French society while at the to respectfully voice their position and
same time recognizing the Catholic Church, challenge each others’ views.
and how his education system ended
government corruption and brought about
a more educated public. In the Bonus
Question activity, students will take a
position on who they believe was the most
effective ruler of France, and they will use
evidence gathered in the Graphic organizer
to defend their claims.
By what criteria will student products and performances be evaluated?

The French Ruler graphic organizer activity The Four Corners activity builds off the
gives students opportunities to answer French Ruler Comparison activity. In this
questions regarding the accomplishments activity, students may agree or disagree
of each of the three rulers. For example, with the notion that Napoleon was an
students will be asked about how King effective ruler. The position students is not
Louis XVI promoted tolerance and religious as important as the evidence they use to
freedom. Students may respond with Louis backup their position. For example,
XVI’s Edict of Tolerance, which gave civil students may argue that Napoleon was an
rights to French non-Catholics. In another effective leader because he restored order
example, students will be asked what was in France. To argue this point effectively,
the significance of Robespierre entering the they could say that Napoleon built schools
public service. Students may respond that to train government workers, that he
Robespierre was popular because he created a more just tax system, and that he
attacked the French monarchy, making him made the government the authority of
popular with the public. Lastly, one of the French society while at the same time
questions about Napoleon asks students to recognizing the Church. On the other hand,
describe the significance of his public students may argue that Napoleon was not
education system. Students may respond by an effective leader because his European
saying that the schools trained public wars killed millions, he was a dictator, and
servants to work in the government, which his education system was self-serving.
aimed to reduce government corruption. In
the Bonus Question, students make a claim
regarding whom they believed was the
most effective ruler in France, and they
state three pieces of evidence to show why
this ruler was the most effective.