AP® Euro Unit 3: Absolutism & Constitutionalism Activities, LEQs, Review & Exam

Whether you are a new AP® Euro Teacher teacher or a veteran looking to shake things up, this unit pack can get you rolling for the new school year. Start your AP® European History class strong and stress-free with this Complete Unit Pack. Teach skills & content simultaneously! This unit is designed to supplement all the major AP® Euro textbooks. The bundle includes links to bonuses like EdPuzzles on AP® Euro Crash Course videos and Assessments. Also includes a DBQ and 2 Stimulus-Based SAQs in the "bonus file" for the bundle.

All assignments are easily modifiable in Google Slides™ form and can be printed or assigned digitally through Google Classroom or any other LMS. These lessons will help engage students and guide them through Absolutism & Constitutionalism in the 17th & 18th Centuries.

NOTE: AP® is a trademark owned by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, this product/site

THIS UNIT BUNDLE IS...

• student-centered
• no-prep
• digital or printable
• fully editable
• requires no textbook or outside resources

Check out each assignment in the PREVIEWS!

LEARNING TARGETS:

1. I can describe the political, religious, and economic conflicts in England that led to both the English Civil War and Glorious Revolution.
2. I can describe the characteristics of a Constitutional Monarchy and how it developed in England.
3. I can explain the economic developments in trade and production that gained prominence in the 17th and 18th centuries.
4. I can analyze the Dutch Golden Age by describing art, commerce, politics, and religion in the 17th & 18th century and describe the reasons for the decline of the Dutch by the late-18th century. 
5. I can describe the characteristics of war in the 17th and 18th century including the motives and outcomes for major conflicts.
6. I can explain the principle of “balance of power” in Europe and how it shifted during the 17th and 18th centuries. 
7. I can describe the key characteristics of Absolutism using examples from the monarchs of the 17th and 18th centuries.
8. I can compare and contrast the reigns of Peter the Great and Louis XIV, including the political, social, economic, military, and religious policies of each ruler. 

UNIT PLAN:

1. The English Civil War to the Glorious Revolution (approx time: 2 days)

KC 3.2 [corresponds to the College Board Course Exam Description]

Students will research key terms, people & events about the English Civil War and Glorious Revolution. Each of the 5 topics include 6-7 terms for students to research before writing and performing short skits. To wrap up, students will write a stimulus-based SAQ (scoring guide included)

PREP:

• Assign Edpuzzle for HW 
• Print brainstorm page, note sheets & SAQ
  • You may want to copy and pass out the SAQ separately if you want to monitor time or use it as an assessment
  • SUGGESTED MATERIALS: construction paper or other materials for students to create props & costumes (it just makes it more fun!)

INCLUDES:

• Edpuzzle
• PPT with instructions
• Brainstorming and notetaking worksheet
• SAQ and scoring guide

TOPICS COVERED:

• Reign of Charles I & James I
• The English Civil War
• The Interregnum and Oliver Cromwell
• The Stuart Restoration: Charles II & James II
• Glorious Revolution & English Bill of Rights

SUGGESTED HOMEWORK/EXTENSION: (link included)

English Civil War: Crash Course European History #14 EdPuzzle

You will need to make a copy and assign to your class through EdPuzzle -- do not post this link or you won’t be able to see students’ results!

2. Change & Continuity in the 17th & 18th century European Economy Pear Deck or Digital NB (approx time: 90 minutes)

KC 3.3 & 3.4

This digital discussion activity for AP European History can be done as a Pear Deck or Digital Notebook. Students will build skills needed for multiple parts of the AP Exam while reviewing and discussing Change & Continuity in the European Economies of the 17th & 18th Century. Includes 2 versions (Pear Deck & traditional Google Slides) and a teacher guide with suggested answers and college board key concept alignment.

Topics Include:

• The Agricultural Revolution
• Thomas Malthus
• Putting-Out System & Cottage Industries
• Mercantilism vs. Capitalism
• The Dutch East India Company (VOC)
• Consumerism
• Slave Trade
• SAQ practice (with scoring guide)

3. The Dutch Golden Age (approx time: 60 minutes)

KC 3.5

In this fun activity, students will watch a Crash Course video and then conduct guided research about the Dutch Golden Age and Decline. They will apply the information to create a digital museum display and "ribbon-cutting speech." Students will learn about art, politics, religion, economics, and the decline of the Netherlands as a dominant power.

INCLUDES:

• Worksheet for European History Crash Course video
• Digital Museum Template

OPTIONS

• This can potentially be completed with a partner or as a group.
• It can also be completed as a JIGSAW in which each group completes one slide and presents to the class.
• Each individual student should complete the final overview slide

TOPICS COVERED:

• Art: Rembrandt, the Girl with the Pearl Earring & Dutch art
• Politics: Stadtholder, States General, William of Orange I, and Union of Utrecht
• Economics: stock market, Dutch East India Company (VOC), spice trade, agriculture
• Religion: Toleration & Calvinism
• Key Cities: choice from the Netherlands travel website
• Decline: Anglo-Dutch Wars & War of the Spanish Succession

4. War & Peace and the Balance of Power - Digital Timeline (approx time: 60 minutes)

KC 3.6

In this activity, students will complete a timeline covering major military conflicts of the 17th and 18th centuries. This resource includes a 2 page digital or printable worksheet and 5 pages of informational readings (1 page on each topic)

TOPICS COVERED

• Thirty Years' War & Treaty of Westphalia (with focus on the shifting motives for fighting)
• Dutch Wars with England and France (with focus on the peak of Dutch power)
• The Great Turkish War (with Context about expansion of the Ottoman Empire)
• War of the Spanish Succession & treaty of Utrecht (with focus on ideas of balance of power)
• Great Northern War & treaty of Nystad (with focus on the importance of Baltic ports for Russia)

OPTION 1: INDIVIDUAL WORK

• Students can take notes on their own from each handout. 
• Discuss the major themes as a class

 OPTION 2: JIGSAW

• assign students to groups focusing on each topic. They can then present their findings to the class or divide up the topics between their group members

For either option, I like to require students to highlight key TPEs (terms, people & events)

5. Absolutism Escape Room (approx time: 45 minutes)

WHAT’S INCLUDED: 

• Student worksheet - students can record notes as they work for accountability and to have information after the end of the escape room

• Google Form Breakout Room: This format works great in class or for distance learning. Note: student responses do not save if they do not finish the escape room. If they write their codes down as they go, they can pick up where they left off though.

Students will work through the challenges by entering the codes. Without the right answer, they cannot advance to the next challenge. 

SUGGESTED HOMEWORK/EXTENSION:

Absolutism in Western Europe EdPuzzle (link provided)

You will need to make a copy and assign to your class through EdPuzzle -- do not post this link or you won’t be able to see students’ results!

6. SPEED DATING ACTIVITY  (approx time: 2 days -- one for prep and one for the speed dating)

In this fun activity, students will take on the personas of important figures on the 17th and 18th century. This is one of my students' favorite activities, so I try to do Speed Dating at least once each Semester. Students will select their figure, conduct research using guiding questions, and then mingle with others. Students will take notes and make connections: comparing their character to each person they meet!  FULLY DIGITAL OR ASYNC OPTION: Students can record monologues on Flipgrid and watch their classmates’ videos

INCLUDES:

• Teacher Guide
• Student Instructions + Rubric
• Student Prep Sheet: Brainstorm & Research AND Student Note Sheet

INSTRUCTIONS:

•  Print or post pages 3 - 8. (This will allow students to meet 16 other figures. If you are on a block, you should have time for this. If you are on a one hour period, you should probably reduce the number to 12)
•   Students will select their figure or you can assign randomly. I usually draw names (I use the random generator to call on people on the Google Classroom App) 
•  1 class period can be provided for prep or the research can be done at home for homework.
•  On the “speed dating” day, I set the desks up facing each other in pairs & set ambience w/ fake candles.The more you build up the fun of costumes and props, the better! 
• If time is running short, students can chat in groups of 4 instead of pairs to meet more people and talk about themselves less.

7. PPT REVIEW: ABSOLUTISM & CONSTITUTIONALISM

KC 2.4 & 2.6

This PPT can be done as a mid-unit review in class or posted in a “flipped class” model for students to review at their own pace. 

8. Timeline Review (BONUS FILE link provided to resource not listed in the "shoppe")

This time period gets a bit confusing for students who often struggle to understand what is happening concurrently, before, and after other events. Understanding this chronology can help students be more successful on all parts of the exam: from writing context to sourcing documents to making sure their responses fit in the time-frame of a free response question. 

This 2 page timeline goes back to the beginning of the course for context (page 1) and focuses more on this unit on page 2. 

Students should fill in notes about the listed events. “Hub Dates” -- the most important dates for students to know to help periodize the history -- are left blank for students to put the event on the line and then explain.

9. INTRO TO THE LEQ & WRITE AN LEQ  (approx time: 2 days)

SUGGESTED PACING:

• You should plan on at least 60 minutes for the intro PPT.
• The LEQ should take 40 minutes (the official Exam time) -- if it is the first try, you may want to allow an extra 5-10 minutes for students to complete
• Peer Grading usually takes 15 - 20 minutes

STEP 1: HOW TO DO THE LEQ PPT:

Click the link to add a copy of the HOW TO DO THE LEQ PPT to your Drive. You will be able to make modifications if you like. 

TIP: You can also make the PPT a Pear Deck and have students type responses as you go through the PPT. The topic is a “throwback:” the Columbian Exchange

CONTENTS:

Page 2:  Prompts (2 sets of 3)

Pages 3 - 4: Scoring guide for question #1

Pages 5 - 6: Scoring guide for question #5

Pages 7 - 8: Peer Grading Rubric (can be used for any LEQ) -- can be completed digitally or printed

Page 9: Rubric for teacher grading. You can copy/paste the page 4x and print as a quarter sheet (or any size you prefer) 

10. Review Challenge

This activity covers main ideas from the unit and allows students to develop critical thinking skills that can be helpful on the exam. Question types include chronology of events (to practice deducing and reviewing the flow of events), T or F, fill in the blank, and quote identification. It is suggested you allow no more than 30 minutes for students to complete, working in groups. Then, exchange papers and have students peer grade. I like to give prizes to the team(s) with the most correct answers!

ASSESSMENT: 

Multiple Choice Exam - 40 questions (click the link to access the exam. You will need to make a copy to modify the questions)

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Looking for extra AP Euro DBQs? I have a set of 9 original DBQs. Check out all my AP European History Resources HERE.

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