Learning Experience Plan

Subject: Social Studies

Grade level: 9th Grade

Unit: Transformation of Western Europe and Russia Length of LEP: 1 day, 25

minutes
Topic: Political Authority
Content Standards: 9.9e The Enlightenment challenged views of political authority
and how power and authority were conceptualized. Students will investigate the
Enlightenment by comparing and contrasting the ideas expressed in The Leviathan
and The Second Treatise on Government.
Literacy Standards:

(include only standards addressed in this LEP)

Learning Experience Outcomes

Students will:
Read John Lockes philosophical ideas
presented in the The Second Treaties of
Government in order to create a
definition for political authority.
Analyze the terms Political and Authority
separately in order to create a definition
for political authority

Learning Experience Assessments

Worksheet #2
Create a definition of political authority
using the Frayer Model.
Worksheet #3
Use excerpts from Lockes Second Treaties
on Government to support definition of
political authority.

Apply Enlightenment thinkers ideologies

in order to assess how political authority
was challenged
Material
s

Procedures/Strategies

Blue
Books

Day 1

Strande
d
Activity
Workshe
et #1
Power
Point
with

Sponge Activity
Stranded Group Activity Worksheet #1
Students will be split into two groups. The students will be given a handout
with the hypothetical situation. The hypothetical situation is that students
are stranded on island and need to come with basics rules, and some type
of an authoritative role in order to maintain order, continuity, and social
welfare. Students will answer the questions that are provided on the
handout regarding how their group would maintain order in the situation.
Groups will then explain their reasoning for how they will maintain order,

images
DryErase
Makers
Frayer
ModelPolitical
Authority
Workshe
et #2
John
Locke
Reading
Workshe
et #3

continuity, and social welfare on the deserted islands. After the sponge
activity, Political Authority is going to be taught.
Anticipatory Set
What is political authority?
Who has political authority?
How is political authority challenged by philosophers of the
Enlightenment?
Activating Prior Knowledge
Through the Stranded activity students will be activating prior
knowledge by thinking about how their group will maintain order in this
hypothetical situation. Students will reflect on their knowledge about
different types of governments that they have studied.
Direct Instruction
Write Political Authority on white board. Have students come up to the
board and write words that they associate with political authority.
E.g. Government, Democracy, Autocracy, Theocracy, Oligarchy, Absolute
Monarch, Power, Control, President, Republic, Dictatorship, Totalitarian
State, Ruler, King, Queen, Despot, monarch, empress, emperor, governor,
senator etc.
Guide Questions
1. What are different types of governments that hold political
authority?
2. What are some names of rulers that have political authority?
3. What are some characteristic of governments or rulers?
Have students in their notebooks define the terms POLITICAL and
AUTHORITY as separate terms.
Define what political means?
Define what authority means?
Discuss the meaning of both words.
Explain how the Enlightenment was a period in which philosophers began
to challenge political authority.
Guided Practice
Discuss and create a definition for political authority based on the different
types of words that students associated with the term political authority.

Worksheet #2
Students will complete Frayer Model Political Authority worksheet. This
worksheet will have students create their own definition of political
authority. Students will give examples of, non-examples, and
characteristics of political authority using the Frayer Model chart. There are
examples of what students are expected to include in each section of the
worksheet. This will allow students to have an idea on how to start
completing Worksheet #2. Then students will create a definition of political
authority based on how they completed the rest of the worksheet.
Students will show a grasp of political authority if they are able to create
their own definition.
Independent Practice
Worksheet #3
Students will read and annotate an excerpt from John Lockes Second
Treaties on Government. Students will read the highlighted sections of the
reading. After reading the expert, students will add to their definition of
political authority from Worksheet #2. They must include John Lockes
ideals in their revised definition. This is a preview for the rest of the
learning segment.
Closure
Tomorrow, we will examine how political authority was challenged by
philosophers throughout the Enlightenment. Specifically, we will be
focusing on John Locke and how his book, Second Treatise on Government
challenged political authority. Make sure you complete the reading
annotating for homework so we are ready to discuss John Locke first thing
tomorrow.
References:
Stranded Activity:
http://www.crfusa.org/images/pdf/gates/HobbesLockeMontesquieuRousseau.pdf
John Locke Reading:
http://barikmo.weebly.com/uploads/5/1/0/5/5105537/locke_second_treatise_excerpts
.pdf