Card Sort Source Analysis: Was the 'Reign of Terror' Necessary?

This creative and innovative card sort has been designed to help students assess whether the ‘Reign of Terror’ during the French Revolution was necessary by sorting through both primary and secondary sources. Once this has been complete, students can then have a go at answering the question: How far do you agree that ‘The French Reign of Terror was dreadful, but necessary’?

I would recommend that this resource should be used with either a core or advanced group as there is a lot of reading, which would be too much for a foundation group with low literacy skills.

This resource makes a great starter or plenary to completed in pairs or groups. It can be cut up the students or placed into envelopes for use with several classes or even set as a piece of homework. Alternatively, your students could draw a table with the two headings ‘necessary’ or ‘not neccessary’ and list the sources under them.

When you purchase this resource you will be able to download two documents. The first is a two page Word Document which includes aims, instructions, heading cards and sixteen primary and secondary sources to sorted under them. The second is a fifteen slide PowerPoint presentation which has been designed to help facilitate the lesson. It includes starters, plenaries, information slides, links to appropriate video clips and additional activities that could be used to support your students including tables and pupil feedback sheets. For more information, please see the detailed preview.

The aims and objectives of the lesson are:

Theme: The French Revolution
Know: What was the ‘Reign of Terror?’
Understand: What are the arguments for and against the ‘Reign of Terror’?
Evaluate: Was the ‘Reign of Terror’ necessary to save the revolution?
Skills: Source Analysis, Cause, Consequence & Collaboration

WILF – What Am I Looking For?
Identify & describe: What happened during the ‘Reign of Terror’?
Explain: What are the arguments for and against the ‘Reign of Terror’?
Analyse: Was the ‘Reign of Terror’ necessary to save the French Revolution?

If you like this resource then why not check out my other resources on this topic in my TES shop, where many have been bundled together to provide you with further savings. You can also follow ‘The History Academy’ on Twitter, Google Plus, YouTube and Facebook for the latest updates or even to get in touch and chat about how you have used this resource or to ask questions. We aim to produce cheap and affordable resources for either the price of a good cup of coffee or a happy meal so that you can spend more time doing the things that you want.

Anyway, have fun and stay in touch via social media for the latest updates.

Kind Regards

Roy