The Russian Revolution and the Rise of Communism

The Russian Revolution and the Rise of Communism

Apprentice Class

Read/Study

1. Copy these terms and definitions into your notebook and refer to them as you read. (These may or may not come in handy in class also, just sayin').


2. Obtain a basic understanding of the Russian Revolution. Do 1 or both:

              • Read the ebook
                The Russian Revolution: History in an Hour

              • If you would rather watch a documentary, here is one
                by PBS interviewing people who were actually there.
                People's Century 1917 Red Flag. (53 minutes)

 3. (Optional but strongly reccommended)
        
              • Watch Dr. Zhivago* (1965 version available to rent on Amazon)

              • And/or watch Nicholas and Alexandra (1971 version free on Netflix)

*While not graphic, this movie does contain infidelity. However, it is a poignant view into the life of people before, during, and after the revolution. Here is the plot summary: "A Russian epic, the movie traces the life of surgeon-poet Yury Zhivago before and during the Russian Revolution. Married to an upper-class girl who is devoted to him, yet in love with an unfortunate woman who becomes his muse, Zhivago is torn between fidelity and passion. Sympathetic with the revolution but shaken by the wars and purges, he struggles to retain his individualism as a humanist amid the spirit of collectivism."
 

Know/Understand

Choose 1 one of the following inspirements:

• Pretend you are an active member of the Bolshevik Party. Place yourself in one of the events that occurred during the revolution, like the storming of the Winter Palace, and write about your involvement, your feelings, and your goals.

• Choose some Russian Revolution propaganda posters (translated), print them out and mount them on a poster board. Write a short analysis of each one, describing the emotions that the posters are trying to stir in the people and the message they are trying to get across.

• Compare the Russian Revolution to the American Revolution. How are they similar and how are they different?

• What was life like in Russia? Create a poster with a map of Russia. Label the major cities mentioned in the reading. Also draw in the geographical features like seas, mountains, and deserts. Write down the seasonal temperatures, population, languages spoken, describe the culture, as it was in the early 1900s.

• Make a timeline of events that led up to and comprised the Russian Revolution. 

• Make a presentation on the major people involved in the revolution, including Lenin, Tsar Nicholas, Trotsky, and Stalin, and tell us briefly about them and their roles. (For Stalin, don't go past Lenin's death. We'll talk about him in January).

• Pretend you are Tsar Nicholas II. Looking back, would you have done anything differently in order to prevent revolution?


Become/Serve

• None this month.

Journeyman Class

 

Read/Study

1. Read the essay describing Modern Social Contract Theory about Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau. This essay describes the theories of three philosophers and their views on the Nature of Man. Please print it out and underline the main points. Bring this to class with you because we will discuss it. (I know this looks long, but it is a good summary of their works. If you were to read all of these books it would be 806 pages. So, you're welcome :)

2. Watch the video Overview of America.

Know/Understand

Choose 1 of the following inspirements:

• Describe the perfect society. How would you design it?

• After watching Overview of America, do you think America has gotten off track from its original ideas? Why or why not? If so, is it possible to get back on track? How?

• Write a 1-2 page essay discussing the philosophies of Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau. Which ideas do you agree and disagree with. Why?

Become/Serve

•None this month.

Master Class

Read/Study

Do these in order.

1. Copy these terms and definitions into your notebook.

2. Watch Crash course on Capitalism and Socialism 

3. Read sections 1 and II in The Communist Manifesto (I recommend that you print this out and underline and make notes in the margins, to help you understand these concepts). If you would like, you can find commentaries on the manifesto at sparknotes and gradesaver.

4. Read a summary of Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations (Skim this summary for Smith's main ideas and write them down in your notebook. I think it's super interesting to see that Smith and Marx had the same concerns, but their conclusions about how to solve the problems were completely different!)

Know/Understand

Choose 1 of the following inspirements:

• Make a chart comparing the economic systems of capitalism, communism, and socialism. This article may help.

• Discuss the main ideas in the Communist Manifesto and the main ideas in Wealth of Nations. Which ideas do you agree/disagree with? 

• Can you identify any communist/socialist ideas and policies that have seeped into America's capitalistic society? Why do you think this has happened? Do you think these are positive, neutral, or negative changes?

• Read this article on the wages of CEOs in America. (You'll need to keep scrolling for the next section to pop up) Do you agree or disagree with the author?

Become/Serve

• None this month.