Monthly Discussion Point: The Sans-Culottes

[trf-chan.livejournal.com]

This month's discussion point is the sans-culottes.

And only six days late, too. :P I know the topics about specific people are generally more popular, but my feeling is that we've got to space them out a bit.

So this month we shall discuss a group - the sans-culottes. The role they played in shaping events, the range of different opinions held on them, all of that fun stuff. GET DISCUSSING. :P

Comments

[morgan-wang.livejournal.com]

Yup! we have the exact same sheet. We didn't even cover the fact that Napoleon was exiled to Elba. And we didn't even mention Saint-Just! :( Oh well, I guess its for the best. I would have really lost it if they proceeded to butcher his character.

I think we really need to do somthing about this! They can't go on teaching the French Revolution this way!

[estellacat.livejournal.com]

Really? That's interesting, because it can't be that common, can it? And it's bad enough the class--if not the book--assassinates the characters of the Revolutionaries they do mention, without wishing they could add more to the list.

Indeed. Someday, I'll figure out a way to re-write the textbooks, but until then... It seems what we can do is rather minimal--this is, we can speak up in classes we happen to be in, but outside of that there isn't much we can do.

[morgan-wang.livejournal.com]

Well, when you do get around to it, tell me, I really want to help. If we could just make it intresting for kids without sacrificing historical truth...

[estellacat.livejournal.com]

That's always the key, isn't it? In all honesty though, I think textbooks are just about the worst way to learn history.

[morgan-wang.livejournal.com]

I have to agree with that. How about a simulation or a game of some kind? I think students in general tend to enjoy that more. I've also created a game on the second Trojan war and American Rev.

[estellacat.livejournal.com]

I'm sure, if done right, that would be quite helpful.

[morgan-wang.livejournal.com]

So what do you think it should be about? (Besides the French Revolution, Reign of Terror) And how do we stay away from the typical revolutionarys vs. aristos?

[estellacat.livejournal.com]

It's difficult to say, since I've never designed a game before, but there are many different aspects of the Revolution that could be of use for one.

[toi-marguerite.livejournal.com]

OMG, I'm actually in a class that does EXACTLY THAT! It's sort of a LARP- it's called "Reenacting the Past" and you assume roles and take actions according to the dictates of your character. You get a list of instructions, victory objectives, a secret agenda, etc.

It is THE MOST FUN THING EVER. ^^

[morgan-wang.livejournal.com]

By the way, about Charles Dickens, Our textbook introduced the Reign of Terror by using a quote from A Tale of Two Cities. :(

[estellacat.livejournal.com]

O.o That's even worse than ours, I have to say. Frightening, actually.