Main content
Course: World History Project - 1750 to the Present > Unit 2
Lesson 2: Ingredients for Revolution | 2.1- BEFORE YOU WATCH: The Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment
- WATCH: The Scientific Revolution and the Age of Enlightenment
- READ: The Enlightenment
- BEFORE YOU WATCH: Diderot’s 1750 Encyclopedia
- WATCH: Diderot’s 1750 Encyclopedia
- READ: Sovereignty
- READ: Edmund Burke (Graphic Biography)
- READ: Economic and Material Causes of Revolt
- Ingredients for Revolution
© 2024 Khan AcademyTerms of usePrivacy PolicyCookie Notice
BEFORE YOU WATCH: Diderot’s 1750 Encyclopedia
Use the “Three Close Reads” approach as you watch the video below (next in the lineup!). If you want to learn more about this strategy, click here.
First read: preview and skimming for gist
Before you watch, you should skim the transcript first. The skim should be very quick and give you the gist (general idea) of what the video is about. You should be looking at the title, thumbnails, pictures, and first few seconds of the video for the gist.
Second read: key ideas and understanding content
Now that you’ve skimmed the video transcript and taken a quick peek at the video, you should preview the questions you will be answering. These questions will help you get a better understanding of the concepts and arguments that are presented in the video. Keep in mind that when you watch the video, it is a good idea to write down any vocab you read or hear that is unfamiliar to you.
By the end of the second close read, you should be able to answer the following questions:
- How was Paris in 1750 a ‘contradiction’?
- How was the encyclopedia representative of this contradiction?
- What political and national revolutions does the video connect to the philosophes and their encyclopedia?
- Why, according to the video, did some “enlightened monarchs” and aristocrats support this work?
- Why was the encyclopedia so controversial?
Third read: evaluating and corroborating
Finally, here are some questions that will help you focus on why this video matters and how it connects to other content you’ve studied.
At the end of the third read, you should be able to respond to these questions:
- In the video, the encyclopedia gives us a glimpse into what life was like in 1750, over 250 years ago. What kind of things do you think people might study 250 years in the future, in order to understand what the life was like today?
Now that you know what to look for, it’s time to watch! Remember to return to these questions once you’ve finished watching.