Authentic Lessons for 21st Century Learning

Loved or Feared?

The Political Thought of Machiavelli

Laura Halstied | Published: July 13th, 2022 by K20 Center

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?

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)

  • 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 lesson objectives and essential questions on slides 3 and 4.

Show slide 5 and introduce students to the Four Corners activity. 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.

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.

Tell students that they will read the three excerpts from The Prince. Show slide 14 and pass out copies of the handout The Prince Excerpts. Ask students to read the three excerpts use the Categorical Highlighting strategy to call out sections of the text that demonstrate how Machiavelli thinks leaders should behave. Allow students time to work in pairs to read and highlight the text. When they are finished, ask them to find another pair of students to compare what they have highlighted.

Show slide 15 and 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)

Tell students they will now learn more about Machiavelli and his famous book The Prince. Show slide 16 and pass out copies of the 3-2-1 handout. Tell students that they will watch a video about Machiavelli, and as they watch they should look for ideas from slide 15.

Show slide 17 and play the video.

After students view the video, allow time for students to complete the 3-2-1 summary in pairs. Ask for volunteers to share their responses and have a class discussion about Machiavelli's advice for keeping power.

Extend

20 Minute(s)

Tell students that they will participate in a modified version of the Four Corners activity. Show slide 18 and ask students to consider the following two statements:

  • "A leader should be loved."

  • "A leader should be feared."

Have students who feel a leader should be feared move to one side of the class and students who feel a leader should be loved move to the other. Students are unsure should go to the middle of the classroom. Give students time to discuss their choice with others who made the same selection, and then ask for volunteers to share their responses. As students in the middle listen, they should decide which statement they agree with more and move to that side of the room. Ask students who move from the middle to share what convinced them to make a particular choice.

Remind students that 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 take a few minutes to consider whether this is a realistic possibility for a leader.

Evaluate

10 Minute(s)

For the final activity, students will respond to the lesson's essential question, "How did Machiavelli and his work affect political thought?"

Show slide 19 and display the question. Have students write their responses on the bottom of the 3-2-1 Summary handout or on a piece of note paper.

Collect the 3-2-1 handout and essential question responses to assess student understanding of the lesson.

Resources