Eastern Europe: Government and Economy


Eastern Europe: Government and Economy
Students consider the government and economies of Eastern Europe in light of the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union. They learn about the transitions to post-communist democracy in many of the Eastern European countries. Then they study the ethnic conflicts in the former Yugoslavia and explain how that situation offers valuable lessons in the connection between geography and politics. Finally, students create a list of questions they might ask someone who lived in Eastern Europe in 1991.

This learning experience is designed for device-enabled classrooms. The teacher guides the lesson, and students use embedded resources, social media skills, and critical thinking skills to actively participate. To get access to a free version of the complete lesson, sign up for an exploros account.

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Here are the teacher pack items for Eastern Europe: Government and Economy:

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Overview
In this experience, students consider the government and economies of Eastern Europe in light of the fall of communism in that region beginning in 1989. They learn about the transitions to post-communist democracy in many of the Eastern European countries. Then they study the ethnic conflicts in the former Yugoslavia and explain how that situation offers valuable lessons in the connection between geography and politics. Finally, students create a list of questions they might ask someone who lived in Eastern Europe during the fall of communism.
 
Objectives:
  • Describe the transition of Eastern European countries from communism to democracy.
  • Analyze the break-up of the former Yugoslavia, including lessons learned.


Sometimes, a family goes through a crisis that affects every one of its members. That kind of crisis occurred on an international scale in Eastern Europe’s family of nations in 1989. A region-wide series of peaceful revolutions overturned most of those nations’ governments. (In two major cases, the transition was violent.) You’ll learn about that transition and its effects in this experience.
 
Objectives:
  • Describe the transition of Eastern European countries from communism to democracy.
  • Analyze the break-up of the former Yugoslavia, including lessons learned.
 


tools

Hammer and Sickle, Symbols of the Soviet Union


Why was the period 1989–1992 a landmark in the history of Eastern Europe? If you don’t know why, take a wild guess.

Post your answer

Discuss student responses. Explain that in 1989, most of the Eastern European countries had revolutions that overthrew their communist governments. Tell students that they will learn more about this period in this experience.


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