Denis Diderot

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/denis-diderot

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Denis Diderot born?October 5, 1713
2. When did Denis Diderot die?July 31, 1784 (age 70)
3. Where was Denis Diderot born?Langres, France
4. What is the career?Philosopher, writer, art critic, encyclopedist
5. Who was Denis Diderot?Denis Diderot was a French writer, philosopher, and art critic who helped create the Encyclopédie, a huge book that collected all kinds of knowledge.
6. What was the Encyclopédie and why was it important?The Encyclopédie was a 35‑volume dictionary of science, art, and crafts. It spread Enlightenment ideas, encouraged people to think critically, and helped people learn more about the world.

Age of Enlightenment: An 18th-century intellectual and cultural movement that emphasized reason, humanism, and individualism.
Secularism: The principle of separating religious institutions from the state and public affairs.
Dogma: A set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true.