Activity 01
Simulation Game: The Congress of Angostura
Students represent different regions of South America (Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador) and must debate Bolívar's proposal for a unified central government versus a loose federation of states.
Differentiate between the moderate and radical phases of the revolution.
Facilitation TipDuring the Simulation: The Congress of Angostura, assign clear roles with competing agendas so students experience the tension between unity and regional interests firsthand.
What to look forPose the question: 'Was the Reign of Terror a justifiable, albeit brutal, necessity to save the French Revolution, or was it an unforgivable betrayal of its ideals?' Facilitate a debate where students must cite specific events and figures from the revolution to support their arguments.
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Activity 02
Gallery Walk: Leaders of Independence
Stations feature the biographies and 'proclamations' of Bolívar, San Martín, Miguel Hidalgo, and Dom Pedro I. Students compare their methods, goals, and the specific social groups they mobilized.
Assess the necessity of the Reign of Terror for preserving revolutionary ideals.
Facilitation TipFor the Gallery Walk: Leaders of Independence, place primary source quotes next to images of leaders to help students connect rhetoric to actions.
What to look forProvide students with a timeline of key events from the storming of the Bastille to the end of the Reign of Terror. Ask them to label each event as belonging to either the 'Moderate Phase' or the 'Radical Phase' and write one sentence justifying their classification.
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Activity 03
Collaborative Mapping: The Casta System
Students create a visual representation of the colonial social hierarchy (Peninsulares, Creoles, Mestizos, etc.) and discuss how each group's position influenced their support for or opposition to independence.
Explain how the Declaration of the Rights of Man redefined citizenship.
Facilitation TipIn the Collaborative Mapping: The Casta System activity, have students physically arrange social groups on a timeline to visualize how hierarchy shaped colonial society.
What to look forOn an index card, have students write two key differences between the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen and the political realities of the Reign of Terror. Ask them to identify one group whose rights were particularly threatened during the radical phase.
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Generate Complete Lesson→A few notes on teaching this unit
Experienced teachers approach this topic by balancing narrative and analysis, using the Revolution’s dramatic moments to hook students before unpacking its structural causes. Avoid presenting the phases as a neat progression; instead, highlight contradictions like liberty versus violence. Research shows that when students confront primary sources early, they develop stronger critical thinking about historical narratives.
Successful learning looks like students explaining cause-and-effect relationships between events and figures, challenging assumptions about the Revolution’s ideals versus realities, and making evidence-based arguments about its legacy.
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
During the Simulation: The Congress of Angostura, watch for students assuming the revolution was a unified fight for equality.
Use the simulation’s role cards to highlight that Creole elites sought power for themselves, not to dismantle the social hierarchy. Debrief by asking students to identify whose rights were excluded in their deliberations.
During the Gallery Walk: Leaders of Independence, watch for students generalizing that all revolutionaries shared the same goals.
After the walk, have students compare the 'Jamaica Letter' excerpts to San Martín’s military campaigns, prompting them to note how goals shifted by region and class.
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