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Free Bell Ringer On the Enlightenment

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During the Enlightenment, philosophers like John Locke, Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau shared important ideas about how societies should be run. John Locke believed that everyone is born with natural rights, such as life, liberty, and property, and that governments exist to protect those rights. Montesquieu thought power should not be held by just one person, so he argued for the separation of powers, with different branches of government to keep each other from becoming too powerful and acting tyrannically. Voltaire supported religious toleration, believing people should be free to practice their own religion without fear of punishment. Rousseau believed in democracy, saying that governments should follow the general will, or what is best for the people as a whole. Together, these ideas helped shape the policies and values of modern democratic societies. 

 

Here is a FREE Bell Ringer on the Enlightenment you can use in your class! 

Click here to get the FREE Bell Ringer On Enlightenment Philosophers

Free Bell Ringer: Marie Gouze and the French Revolution

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Background: The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was mainly written by Marquis de Lafayette, with some ideas and help from Thomas Jefferson, who was in France at the time. It was then debated and approved by the French National Assembly in 1789. The document was created during the French Revolution to explain the basic rights all people should have.  Even though it said “all citizens” are equal, women were not given the same rights, like voting or participating in the government. By leaving women out, French leaders supported the idea that political power and full citizenship belonged only to men.

Marie Gouze was an important woman during the French Revolution. She believed strongly in fairness and equality, especially for women. At a time when women had very few rights, she wrote plays, letters, and essays to make people think differently. Her most famous work was the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Female Citizen, where she argued that women should have the same rights as men, including the right to vote and be part of the government. Many people in power didn’t like her ideas because they challenged the tradition of the culture that men should be in leadership. Marie Gouze continued to speak out anyway, even when it became dangerous. During the violent period called the Reign of Terror, she was arrested for her political opinions. A tribunal, operated under the influence of Maximilien Robespierre, executed political critics during the Reign of Terror.  Sadly, she was executed, but her bravery and her fight for women’s rights are remembered today. Her ideas helped inspire future movements for equality around the world.

 

Here is a FREE Bell Ringer on Marie Gouze and the French Revolution. It comes was a word file or as a PDF in zipped file. 

Marie Gouze and the French Revolution Bell Ringer File

Free Bell Ringer on Constitutional & Absolute Monarchs

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A Constitutional Monarch is a king or queen whose power is limited by laws or a constitution. This means they must share power with a group, such as a parliament, that helps make decisions for the country. The ruler cannot do whatever they want; they have to follow the law in terms of what power they actually have as monarch. For example, King William III and Queen Mary II of England, who ruled from 1689 to 1702, agreed to the English Bill of Rights, which gave more power to Parliament and less to the monarchs. This created a government where the king and queen had to work with representative Members of Parliament instead of ruling alone. An Absolute Monarch is a ruler who has total control over their country. They make all the laws, command the army, and decide how people live without needing anyone’s permission. For example, King Louis XIV of France, who ruled in the 1642 to 1715, believed he was chosen by God by Divine Right to rule and that his word was law. He forced many Nobles to live in the Palace of Versailles to control them. Another example is Catherine the Great of Russia, who ruled from 1762 to 1796, expanded her empire and made important decisions by herself. She initially thought about freeing the serfs, peasants who worked lands they could never own, but went against this and crushed serf revolts against her rule. 

 

Here is the FREE Bell Ringer you can use in class!

FREE BELL RINGER: Absolute vs. Constitutional Monarchs

Free Worksheet On The Scientific Revolution

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In the 1500s, many people believed that Earth was the center of the universe, an idea taught by ancient thinkers like Aristotle and Ptolemy. This belief, called the geocentric theory, said that the Sun, stars, and planets all moved around Earth. But during the Scientific Revolution, people started questioning these old ideas and began using observation and experiments to understand the world better. Nicolaus Copernicus suggested that the Sun, not Earth, was at the center of the solar system, which became known as the heliocentric theory. Later, Johannes Kepler used math to prove that planets move in oval-shaped paths around the Sun. Galileo used a telescope to observe space and discovered moons orbiting Jupiter, which showed that not everything revolves around Earth. Even though the Catholic Church disagreed and forced Galileo to say he was wrong, the new ideas about space kept spreading.

As more scientists looked to nature and tested their ideas, they began developing a process called the scientific method to solve problems. Francis Bacon and Rene Descartes were key thinkers who helped shape this method using observation and reason. Isaac Newton later explained gravity and showed that the universe worked according to natural laws, which he believed were created by God. Scientific discoveries grew in other areas too—like with the invention of the microscope and thermometer, which helped people see germs and measure temperature. Doctors like Andreas Vesalius studied the human body more closely, and Edward Jenner created the first vaccine to protect people from smallpox. These discoveries changed how humans understood both the Earth and themselves.

Here is a FREE WORKSHEET on the Scientific Revolution! Just click below. 

FREE WORKSHEET The Scientific Revolution

Free Wordsearch on Magellan

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Ferdinand Magellan was a famous explorer from Portugal who lived in the 1500s. He is best known for leading the first expedition to sail all the way around the world. Although he didn’t make it all the way himself, his crew completed the journey after he died. Magellan wanted to find a westward route to the Spice Islands, which were very valuable at the time. In 1519, he set sail with five ships and about 270 men. The trip was long and dangerous, and they faced storms, hunger, and even battles. Magellan was killed in the Philippines during a fight with local people. Still, when one of his ships reached the port from where it started, it became the first ship to circumnavigate the globe. 

 

Here is a FREE WORDSEARCH to use in class on the topic! 

FREE Magellan Wordsearch