Summary
In this lesson, students will engage in several activities to understand Machiavelli's political writing, "The Prince." Students analyze excerpts from "The Prince," view a video about Machiavelli, participate in an activity to examine Machiavellian characteristics, and have a class debate about the behaviors of leaders.
Essential Question(s)
How should leaders treat people whom they govern? How did Machiavelli and his work affect political thought?
Snapshot
Engage
Students participate in a Four Corners activity with questions related to writings in The Prince.
Explore
Students analyze and highlight excerpts from The Prince.
Explain
Students view a video about Machiavelli and complete a 3-2-1 summary.
Extend
Students discuss and debate proper behavior of leaders.
Evaluate
Students respond to the lesson’s essential question: "How should leaders treat people whom they govern?"
Materials
Lesson Slides (attached)
Four Corners Signs (attached, one set)
The Prince Excerpts (attached, one per student)
The Prince Excerpts Example (attached)
Machiavelli 3-2-1 handout (attached, one per student)
Engage
20 Minute(s)
Use the attached Lesson Slides to guide the lesson. Begin by reviewing the essential question and lesson objective on slides 3–4.
Show slide 5 and introduce students to Four Corners strategy. Display slide 6 and read the first statement to students. Have students move to the sign that best demonstrates how they feel about the statement: Agree, Strongly Agree, Disagree, or Strongly Disagree. Ask for volunteers to share the reasoning for their choice. Repeat this procedure with slides 7–10.
Show slide 11 and read the statements that Machiavelli would agree and disagree with. Suggest to students that they can determine how much they would have agreed with Machiavelli based on their choices during the Four Corners activity.
Show slide 12 and explain that someone who agrees with Machiavelli might be considered practical and not very trusting of human nature in general. Someone who disagrees with Machiavelli might be considered an idealist and have strong opinions about right and wrong. Have students return to their seats.
Explore
20 Minute(s)
Display slide 13, which provides some background information about Machiavelli. Tell students that Niccolo Machiavelli lived from 1469–1521. He worked as a diplomat in Florence before writing his most famous work, The Prince, a book that is still studied today.
Pass out the attached The Prince Excerpts handout and display slide 14. Introduce the Categorical Highlighting strategy to students. Place students into pairs. Have students work together to read each excerpt and as they read, highlight or underline all text that says how Machiavelli thought leaders should behave.
Move to slide 15 and provide time for students to discuss the questions on the slide. Then, have a class discussion about the different phrases students chose to highlight. Ask for volunteers to share out how Machiavelli thought leaders should behave based on his writings in The Prince.
Explain
20 Minute(s)
Display slide 16 and pass out the attached Machiavelli 3-2-1 handout. Introduce students to the 3-2-1 strategy and tell them to look for three ideas from The Prince, two reasons why Machiavelli might have written The Prince, and one lesson for leaders from The Prince. Move to slide 17 and play the video.
After the video, provide a few minutes for students to finish writing down their answers. Have students compare with their partner what they wrote down, then ask for several volunteers to share their responses.
Extend
20 Minute(s)
Display slide 18 and ask students to consider the two statements:
"A leader should be loved."
"A leader should be feared."
Have students decide which statement they agree with more. Tell students to move to a side of the classroom based on the statement they agree with. If students are unsure, have them stand in the middle of the classroom.
Have students discuss why they chose a specific statement or neither of them. Ask for a few volunteers from either side of the classroom to share why they agree with the statement. Tell students in the middle to consider what their peers are saying. If they are persuaded by one side, have them move to the side they agree with. Ask any students who move from the middle to share what convinced them to move.
Move to slide 19 and tell students Machiavelli wrote that while it is sometimes necessary to be feared rather than loved, a leader should strive for both whenever possible. Ask students to consider whether this is a realistic possibility for a leader. Provide a few minutes for students to discuss in their groups, then ask for a few volunteers to share what was discussed.
Evaluate
10 Minute(s)
Display slide 20 and tell students to write a response to the lesson’s essential questions on notebook paper or on the back of the handout:
How should leaders treat people whom they govern?
How did Machiavelli and his work affect political thought?
Collect student responses to assess understanding of the lesson content.
Resources
Halstied, L. (n.d.). How Machiavellian are you? [Interactive activity]. Amplify Classroom. https://classroom.amplify.com/activity/60d4e7df5482c6ac1f5f05f8
K20 Center. (n.d.). 3-2-1. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/117
K20 Center. (n.d.). Categorical highlighting. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/192
K20 Center. (n.d.). Four corners. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/138
K20 Center. (n.d.). Amplify classroom. Tech Tools. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/tech-tool/1081
TED-Ed. (2019, March 25). What “Machiavellian” really means - Pazit Cahlon and Alex Gendler [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUlGtrHCGzs