People Who Influenced the Founding Fathers Lesson Plan
SS.7.C.1.1: Recognize how Enlightenment ideas including Montesquieu’s view of separation of
power and John Locke’s theories related to natural law and how Locke’s social contract
influenced the Founding Fathers.
SS.7.C.1.2: Trace the impact that the Magna Carta, English Bill of Rights, Mayflower Compact,
and Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” had on colonists’ views of government.
Source Jennifer Adkison, Social Studies Teacher, Orange County Public Schools
Overview
This lesson introduces students to the contributions given by Montesquieu, Locke and Thomas
Paine.
Objectives
• Students will be introduced to John Locke’s theories regarding laws based on natural
rights and his social contract contributions.
• Students will be introduced to Montesquieu’s view of separation of power.
• Students will be introduced to Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” pamphlet.
• Students will organize this information into how it influenced the Founding Fathers of
America.
Time
• One 50 minute class period
Strategies
• Document analysis
• Critical thinking
• Note taking strategies
Materials
• Copies of Frayer Model template (students can do this with a notebook sheet of paper)
• Power Point presentation on the people mentioned above (see Power Point “Influential
People”)
Activities
1. Start off a one sentence summary using the prompt: Name a person or persons that have
influenced your life. Tell me in one sentence how this person or persons has influenced your
life. (This person can be alive or dead, fiction or non-fiction, someone you know or don’t
know)
2. Explain to students that there are many people in history that influenced the Founding Fathers,
and today we are going to focus on three of them: John Locke, Baron Montesquieu, and Thomas
Paine.
1 3. Hand out to the students a piece of notebook paper, and have them draw a Frayer Model. The
students will fill out the paper using the Power Point presentation.
4. Show the “Influential People” Power Point, while having the students fill in the notes.
5. During the Power Point, have the students turn fill out the Frayer Model. There are multiple
slides in the Power Point showing examples of the Frayer Model and the notes.
Frayer Model Template
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