Students make predictions about the Russian Revolution based on the Bolshevik slogan “Peace, Land, and Bread!” Then they learn about the Revolution and create a timeline. Next they learn about the early Soviet Union and explain the relationship between Karl Marx and the Russian Revolution. Finally they analyze a political cartoon about the Red Scare in the United States.
Students read background information about Russia’s role in World War I, the Romanov dynasty, and conditions that contributed to the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. They examine an image related to the Romanov period and respond to a collaborative wall prompt predicting the meaning of the Bolshevik slogan “Peace, Land, and Bread!”
Teacher MovesIntroduce the experience and review the objectives. Facilitate discussion of student predictions about the slogan, clarifying that students are not expected to know details yet. Explain that the Soviet political program aimed for “land to the peasants, factories to the workers [bread], peace to the nations,” and note that other slogans such as “All Power to the Soviets” were also used.
Students view images of Lenin and Red Square, then watch The Russian Revolution (1917) and read The Power of One: The Russian Revolution to learn about key events and outcomes of the revolution and the rise of the Soviet Union. Using the article, they define the term “soviet” in a shared table, complete a fill-in-the-blank item about the Red Army, and answer a multiple-choice question defining “Bolshevik.” They then create a four-event timeline of key moments in the Russian Revolution using a graphic organizer.
Teacher MovesIf needed, direct students to the alternate silent video from the Student Pack. Clarify that a “soviet” is a workers’ group and that Lenin’s government aimed to give power to workers. Review student timelines using the suggested key dates as reference, and prompt discussion with questions such as how Russia’s withdrawal from World War I affected the balance of power and other nations’ responses to the revolution.
Working in small groups, students read explanatory text about the Soviet Union as a one-party Communist state, including its goals, its control over political and economic life, and the reality of repression and shortages. They learn about the geographic extent of the USSR, its influence over the Eastern Bloc, and its breakup in 1991 under Mikhail Gorbachev. Drawing on prior learning and the article Communism, they discuss Karl Marx’s influence on the Russian Revolution and compare Marx’s ideals with the reality of the Soviet system. A group note taker posts a summary of their discussion with supporting evidence to a shared wall.
Teacher MovesInvite groups to share an interesting or exemplary response with the class. Use these examples to guide a brief whole-class discussion about how Marx’s ideas of a classless society appealed to Russian peasants and workers, and how the Communist government’s repression and continued hardship contrasted with those ideals.
Students examine a political cartoon titled “A New Subject Comes Up,” which mocks the 1919 peace talks, and read about the U.S. reaction to the Russian Revolution known as the Red Scare and the broader tension between western democracies and the Soviet bloc. They read a short explanation distinguishing communism as a philosophy from Communist parties and noting the totalitarian nature of major Communist governments. In small groups, students explore political cartoons from The Twenties in Political Cartoons: The Red Scare, select one cartoon, upload a screenshot, and explain its message, publication date, and how it relates to international events at that time in a collaborative wall post.
Teacher MovesAsk students to explain the initial cartoon’s message, highlighting how Bolshevism emerged as a new concern during the peace talks. Note that students will study totalitarianism further in the next experience. Give time for students to review each group’s posted cartoon and explanation, then prompt discussion with questions such as how the cartoonists felt about the Red Scare and what messages they were trying to convey.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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