The LC9A World History classes had the opportunity to take a self-guided virtual tour of the Palace of Versailles last week! The class has been studying the Age of Absolutism and has used King Louis XIV's reign in France as our example to be explored in depth. We looked at the process of expanding royal power, along with effects of this increased power on the various classes of people found in France at the time. The Palace of Versailles stands as perhaps the most concrete manifestation of the overwhelming power that most European monarchs exerted during this time period.While on the tour, students were expected to visit four or five of the more famous rooms including the Hall of Mirrors, Hercules Room, and War Room. Additionally, they were required to virtually take a walk through the gardens surrounding the palace. While touring the rooms and gardens, they were given the task of looking for evidence that would support the following argument:
How does the Palace of Versailles reflect the absolute power that Louis XIV held in France?
In the pieces of writing that the students created to argue the above assertion they pointed out a wide array of items that they saw including the expansiveness of the gardens, the prevalence of battle scenes in the paintings, and the many examples of Roman gods found throughout the palace. This activity was one of many that World History students have / will participate in this year that are designed to get them accustomed to using evidence to back up arguments.This is a perfect example of an activity that was made possible by the new technology and learning spaces found in our new high school. Taking advantage of our ability to hand out Chromebooks to those students without their own device, every student was able to take the tour themselves while still in the classroom and adjoining commons area. A few groups of students were able to plug into the large monitors throughout the learning community to get a better look at some of the items they discovered while on their tour.
If you would like to take a look at the websites used for our virtual tour, just follow the links below.
Palace of Versailles: Virtual Tour Interiors
Palace of Versailles: Virtual Tour: Exterior
Simply amazing! Thank you for sharing your research. I was not aware that Versailles began as a hunting ground for Louis XIV's father. Interesting. My visit was many years ago, I sure would have benefited from your historical perspective then! Beautiful photos brought back vivid memories of the lush exterior groves (nature lover), celebrated busts and the painted ceilings. Great work and thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteAn enlightened Parent