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1. Letter, Chapters 1 and 2
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2. Chapter 3 first half
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3. Chapter 3 second half
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4. Chapters 4 and 5
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5. Chapter6
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6. Chapter 7
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7. Chapter 8
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8. Chapter 9
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9. Chapters 10, 11
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10. Chapter 12
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11. Chapters 13 and 14
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12. Chapters 15 and 16
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13. Chapters 17 and 18
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14. Chapter 19 first half
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15. Chapter 19 second half
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16. Chapter 20
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17. Chapters 21, 22
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18. Chapters 23, 24
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19. Chapter 25
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20. Chapter 26
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21. Chapter 27
2. Individualize the student directions for the type of
class you have (independent learners, lower level, etc.).
3. Begin class with a brief
lecture about the background of Machiavelli. Be sure to include his
personal history, the reasons for his creating this document, and
the significance of it. Make sure the students understand that this
is the first political science treatise, separating the principles
of morality from the reality of government.
4. Distribute and assign
the reading and poster assignment. Once students have read and
taken notes on their reading, they are to create their poster.
5. Give this class period and the
subsequent class period to complete the reading and create the
poster. If you prefer (especially if time is an issue) you may
assign this for homework and begin the presentations in the next
class period.
6.
When the posters are due, have the
students present, in chronological order, their section of the
book. Students will tell the class what their reading was about (a
general summary in their own words), read their quote and explain
why they selected it, and relate their reading to modern politics.
This can lead to an excellent discussion of the relevance of
Machiavelli to today, as most of the points he makes can be
discussed in light of modern world and American politics and
governments. The presentations can take up to two class periods,
especially if you allow for discussion with every point.
7. When students are finished
with the presentations, have them spend 10 minutes or so writing a
summary of what they saw as the most important and relevant
information Machiavelli had to say about government. Share.
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STUDENT DIRECTIONS:
The Prince is one of the most famous written works from the
Renaissance and is widely considered to be the first political
science treatise. Today we are going to look at just what
Machiavelli said in this document.
Each of you will be given an excerpt from this book. You are to
read it carefully, making notes as you read. Please don’t write on
the text copy, as you will be turning it in when you are done. Once
you have finished reading your excerpt, you are to do the following
on a half-sheet of poster paper:
If you had ONE chapter (or a fragment of a chapter) to read
1.
Write the number and title
of the chapter at the top of the paper.
2.
Write a 5-7 sentence summary
of the most important points Machiavelli is making in this section.
Also, be really sure you understand it because you will be
explaining it to your classmates.
3.
Select one quote from the
reading that you feel best summarizes Machiavelli’s point in this
reading.
4.
Draw a central diagram,
which illustrates your excerpt. Be sure you write a caption for
this illustration.
5.
Finally, consider what
relevance this excerpt has to politics today. Summarize your
thoughts in a sentence or two.
6.
Be prepared to share this
poster with the class, so be able to explain the content of your
excerpt and your illustration. Also, you will be reading your
quote, so make sure you can pronounce all of the words in it and
know what they all mean.
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If you had TWO or
more chapters to read
1.
Divide your paper into
sections for each chapter you read. (The person who had the very
first section may incorporate the first and second chapters into one
section)
2.
Write the number and title
of each chapter at the top of its section.
3.
For each, write a 2-3
sentence summary of the most important points Machiavelli is making
in this section.
4.
For each, select one quote
from the reading that you feel best summarizes Machiavelli’s point
in this chapter.
5.
Consider the relevance of
each excerpt to politics today. Summarize your thoughts in a
sentence or two.
6.
Be prepared to share this
poster with the class, so be able to explain the content of your
excerpt and your illustration. Also, you will be reading your
quote, so make sure you can pronounce all of the words in it and
know what they all mean.
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