Tuesday, 16 October 2012

Studying The Russian Revolution


On the weekend I was updating our previous First World War plans to suit our 11th grader and I realised anew that one of the rewarding results of maintaining a blog is to be able to search your own blog for 'those plans I wrote before'.  Our 9th and 7th graders are studying The Russian Revolution this term therefore sharing our Russian Revolution plans in the desire to help someone else also searching but also to help myself in another year or two;)

The books suggested below reflect what is available at our local library (alas) I'm certain there are other wonderful titles available.

Websites

An online book to use in your study
Source other internet sites and use titles from the library

Research & Writing
Each of the following should be at least 1 paragraph -1 page long.
Create a timeline of important dates in your notebook pages, include maps and visuals where relevant to clarify your information
Work must be completed by Week 5, Term 4 in computer or written form.
    1.      What was life ‘like’ for the ‘average’ citizen in Tsarist Russia in the early part of the 20th Century?
    2.      Describe briefly the ‘political’ events prior to the February Revolution 1917.
    3.      Who was Karl Marx and what did he espouse?
    4.      What impact did World War 1 have on the growing unrest in Russia?
    5.      Who was Rasputin, how did he gain so much power and what was his role in contributing to the Russian Revolution?
6 .      Describe the Royal family, the Romanov’s lifestyle.  What impact did the Tsar Nicholas have on Russian politics?
7.      Describe the events that occurred during February 1917, what happened to the royal family?
8.      What provisional government was installed after the February revolution?
9.      Briefly outline the Bolshevik party’s policies and their rise to power, what methods did they employ.
10.  Who was Lenin and what impact did he play in the rise of Communism in Russia?  What was his role in the murders of the Royal family?
11.  Who was Joseph Stalin and what role did he play in the Great Purge?
12.  Immediately prior to the Russian Revolution Our Lady appeared to the three children in Fatima.  She made promises in relation to Russia, what were they?   Where they kept and if not why?

Esssays
Choose one of the following as an essay topic (You may suggest your own topic)
Your essay must be at least 200 words and typewritten.
Due to be handed in at the end of Week 5.
-          You are an English tutor/governess to one of the Romanov children. Write a firsthand account of the February Revolution to your family back home.
-          Write a journalistic account of the growing unrest in Russia prior to the Revolution.
-          You are a member of the Bolshevik party, describe your observation and feelings as the Bolshevik’s rise to power unfurls.
-          Discuss the decline of the Romanov dynasty over the century preceding the revolutions of 1917. What were the sources of discontent with the monarchy, and what events weakened it over time?
-           "If Marxism was a time bomb with a delayed fuse, Lenin was the individual who lit the fuse."  To what extent do you agree with this statement?


Book Titles
Non-Fiction
The Lost fortune of the Tsars – William Clarke
Peter the Great and the Tsarist Russia - Miriam Greenblatt.
The Russian Revolution 1899-1919 – Richard Pipes

Read at least one  of the following titles but you may enjoy more for pleasure

Anastasia, The Last Grand Duchess – Carolyn Meyer
Angel on the Square – Gloria Whelan
Catherine the Great Journey – Kristiana Gregory

3 comments:

  1. Looks great Erin, very diverse study. Now do you have one for the Napoleanic age for a year eleven student?? Actually any book suggestions for this period would be great, we finished (well do you ever 'finish' with history...) our study of the French Revolution last term, and want to study the "age of Napolean" this term. I have Dumas' last book, "The Last Cavalier" and Warren carrol's volume, plan to use the DK Visual Histoory as well. Just need to tie it all together, any suggestions?

    really enjoying the photo updates of the family. Bit envious of the koala encouter! We saw a echidna a few weeks ago, not quite so exciting really.

    God Bless
    shannon

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  2. If we saw an echidna we'd be most excited!!
    Haven't done Napoleon but for fiction living books I'd look at the Midshipman Quinn books from Bethlehem Press (easy for an 11th grader thought) and the Midshipman Horatio Hornblower series from CS Forester.
    So lovely to see you pop in here:)

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  3. Thanks Erin, have both of those (having older brothers means that these are already firm favourites) but hadn't thought about including them in the study, good idea.
    GOd Bless
    Shannon

    ReplyDelete

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