The Reign of Terror is a well-known component of the French Revolution, mostly due to the excessive use of the guillotine to preserve the Revolution. This activity asks students to look beyond the “chopping block” to discover the political motivations of the man behind the Terror: Maximilien Robespierre.
Students will create a timeline of the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution. They should be sure to include the following information and events in their timeline:
For an alternative to the timeline layout, have students create a timeline poster to incorporate into a presentation or gallery walk. You can add more than one template to this assignment to give students lots of options and adjust the instructions accordingly.
Extended Activity
Students can create other “rise and fall” timelines for figures including Napoleon, Louis XVI, or Marat. In addition, students can identify and analyze the times Robespierre overstepped his authority, and sowed the seeds for his demise.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a timeline of the Reign of Terror in France.