Enlightenment SPEED DATING!

Enlightenment characters, while important, are NOT the most exciting people to learn about. Philosophy is not exactly a passion for most 8th graders. While brainstorm and searching for ideas, I came across this FANTASTIC activity idea of SPEED DATING Enlightenment characters. 

**Thankful for sisters who humors and helps with my crazy, late night lesson ideas 

In creating our nation's government, the Founding Fathers utilized many of the ideas of early Enlightenment philosophers including Voltaire and John Locke. 
These men, began thinking about better government leaderships long before America became what it is today. Thanks to their thinking, we have their ideas blended together in our government including the theories of Social Contract, Natural Rights, Right to Revolt, and Popular Sovereignty. 
In order to analyze these different perspectives and ideals, students researched an Enlightenment philosopher and created a biography "sunburst". 

We then acted out our enlightenment character in an "Intellectual speed-dating match up" which is available on my TPT. Students had one minute to share "Their" beliefs then one minute listen to their "partner's beliefs" and decide whether they would be intellectually compatible with them. ​

If you are interested in putting this Speed Dating Activity into action in your classroom, I have turned my handouts and character cards into a TPT product.