The Significance

Worksheet Description

This Bastille Day worksheet, titled “The Bastille,” encourages students to explore the historical significance of the Bastille in French history and its symbolism. The worksheet begins by prompting students to inquire about the nature of the Bastille, leading them to understand its original function as a state prison and its later role as a symbol of tyranny in pre-revolutionary France. The second question delves deeper into the representational aspect of the Bastille, asking students to reflect on what the fortress represented to the French people, which was an oppressive monarchy that the revolution sought to overthrow.

The third question directs students to articulate why the Bastille is a landmark event in French history, emphasizing its capture on July 14, 1789, as a pivotal moment in the French Revolution and a turning point towards the establishment of a republic. The final interactive section provides a creative outlet for students to engage with the topic visually by drawing the Bastille, thereby reinforcing their learning with an artistic interpretation of the historical site. This exercise not only serves as an educational tool but also a reminder of the enduring legacy of the fight for liberty and justice that Bastille Day commemorates.