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The Age of Reason

Unit 5: The Age of Reason, 1660-1800

The Age of Reason is the fifth in a series of seven study units and an extensive survey of the eighteenth century called the Age of Enlightenment. The unit focuses on historical and literary primary sources of this age. The works are presented in chronological order so that students can trace the history of ideas expressed in written form from 1660 to 1800 in Europe, Great Britain, and America. This study unit is designed to cover one semester of study (18 weeks).

What is Included with the Purchase of this Study Unit

A Word in Season Reference Handbook
Reading List and Annotated Bibliography for The Age of Reason
Student's Syllabus for Unit 5: The Age of Reason
Literature of The Age of Reason (68 readings)
12 complete texts of The Age of Reason
Teacher's Guide to Unit 5: The Age of Reason (included in Teacher's Edition only)
Teacher's Syllabus for Unit 5: The Age of Reason (included in Teacher's Edition only)

History Studied in This Unit:

The Age of Reason study unit covers different historical eras such as the English Restoration, The American Revolution, and the Great Awakening. Isaac Newton made his scientific discoveries during this period.

Literature Studied in This Unit:

The Age of Reason refocused on the glories of Greco-Roman classicism; hence, one part of this century was called the Neo-Classical Period. The study unit includes the ideas of deism, democracy, enlightenment, and rationalism. Genre of this period was satire, the essay, and treatises on government. The readings in this unit include authors such as Thomas Jefferson, Jonathan Swift, Isaac Newton, and Oliver Goldsmith.

Writing Studied in This Unit:

History Essays
Six types of paragraph development:
          Cause and Effect Paragraphs
          Classifications Paragraphs
          Comparison and Contrast Paragraphs
          Definition Paragraphs
          Example Paragraphs
          Process Analysis Paragraphs
Journalism
Speeches

Specific Goals for this Study Unit

To use the writing process: prewriting, outline, rough draft, editing, final draft
To write good content with proper structural forms
To formulate a thesis statement and support it with nine paragraphs for a 1-9-1 essay
To evaluate 18th century philosophies
To understand 18th century genre: journalism, novels, satire, essays
To increase vocabulary
To edit for mechanical and grammatical accuracy
To write and deliver speeches
To research, write, and document history questions
To compare world views