The Revolution turned French society on its ear, but more things changed beyond the execution of the king and queen. In this activity, students will create a spider map that explains the changes created as a result of the French Revolution and determine how far-reaching the transformations promised by the Revolution actually were.
As an extended activity, students can examine the changes after another revolution and create a storyboard that compares the two revolutions and their outcomes.
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Student Instructions
Create a spider map that identifies the changes to society after the French Revolution.
Help students relate history to today by comparing revolutionary changes in France to current events or movements. This deepens understanding and encourages critical thinking about lasting impacts.
Select a modern event that involves social, political, or cultural change—such as a protest, policy reform, or movement for rights. Connecting historical and current events helps students see relevance in what they're learning.
Ask students to compare the revolutionary changes in France to those in the modern event. Encourage them to note both similarities and differences in causes, actions, and outcomes for a well-rounded analysis.
Have students create a Venn diagram, T-chart, or another graphic organizer to visually map the connections. This makes abstract concepts more concrete and accessible for grades 2–8.
Lead a class discussion or reflective writing activity on what history teaches about change. Encourage students to consider how lessons from the French Revolution apply to the modern world and their own lives.
French society changed dramatically after the Revolution, including shifts in government structure, colonial policies, art and fashion trends, education reform, and a new political identity. These transformations affected daily life, social classes, and national values.
To create a spider map, students should place "Changes After the French Revolution" at the center, and use branches for each key area (such as government, colonial affairs, art, fashion, education, and political identity), adding brief summaries and relevant visuals for each branch.
A great classroom activity is having students develop a spider map that identifies and explains the different areas of change in French society post-Revolution, using summaries and illustrations for each category.
Comparing revolutions helps students understand patterns of change, the impact of different historical events, and the unique or shared outcomes of revolutions, deepening critical thinking and historical analysis skills.
Key categories to include are colonial affairs, government, art, fashion, education, and political identity, as these areas saw significant transformation following the French Revolution.